Privacy Policy
What we collect, why we collect it, and how to control it.
Version 1.0 · Effective October 27, 2026
In one minute
- ✓We ask for your mobile number so you can sign in with OTP.
- ✓We use your approximate location to show nearby shops. Deny it and the feed falls back to your city.
- ✓We don't sell your data. Period.
- ✓You can delete your account from the app and your personal data goes with it.
Information we collect
You give us directly
- • Mobile number (for sign-in via OTP).
- • Name and username (chosen at signup).
- • Profile photo (optional).
- • Business details if you create a business profile.
- • Content you upload (videos, images, captions, hashtags, store links).
- • Reports and feedback you submit.
Collected automatically
- • Approximate location (lat/lng) when you grant permission.
- • City and selected service area.
- • Device info — platform (Android/iOS), app version, FCM push token.
- • Usage events — reels viewed, liked, favorited, shared.
- • IP address at request time, used only for rate-limiting and audit logs.
We don't ask for email, we don't ask for a password, and we don't use third-party trackers like Google Analytics or Meta Pixel in the mobile app.
How we use your information
Run the app
OTP sign-in, feed personalization by location + category, favoriting, following, uploads.
Keep you safe
Rate-limit abuse, moderate reported content, enforce content guidelines, prevent spam.
Notify you
Push notifications for likes, follows, new reels from favorited businesses — only if you opt in on first launch.
Improve the product
Aggregated usage data (views, likes, follows) helps us pick what to build next. We don't profile individual users.
Legal compliance
Keep audit logs sufficient to respond to law-enforcement requests or disputes about specific content.
Not for sale
We don't sell personal data to advertisers, data brokers, or anyone else.
Who we share data with
We don't sell your data. We only share with service providers that help us operate the platform, and only the data they need.
MSG91
SMS OTP delivery
Mobile number + the 6-digit OTP. Used for one-time delivery of the sign-in code. MSG91 is a DLT-registered Indian SMS provider.
Cloudflare R2
Media storage
Avatars, reel videos, and reel images. Stored under keys that include your user and business IDs so we can clean them up if you delete your account.
AWS SQS
Notification queue
Notification events (reel ID, actor ID, recipient ID). No personal content is in the queue payload.
Firebase Cloud Messaging
Push delivery
Device push token + the notification body. Only when push is enabled on your device.
Hostinger (VPS)
Backend hosting
All API traffic terminates at a Hostinger VPS running the Localhiest backend. No third-party processor sees your raw API payloads.
We may also disclose data when legally compelled (court order, law enforcement request) or with your explicit consent for something new. We'll surface a consent prompt in those cases.
How we protect your data
Transport
/r/ and /p/) also force HTTPS.At rest
Access
/admin) is gated by a staff flag on the user account and requires the same OTP flow as regular users.Honest caveat
How long we keep your data
Account data (name, mobile, username)
Kept as long as your account is active. Deleted on account deletion.
Reels you uploaded
Visible until you delete them or the business account is removed. Soft-deleted reels are purged from R2 by a periodic cleanup worker.
OTP hashes
Stored in Redis with a 5-minute expiry (30 minutes for the OTP flow itself). Automatically removed after that window.
Audit logs (IP, request-level)
Rolling 30-day window on the server. Older entries are rotated out and discarded.
Watch / interaction history
Watched reel IDs are kept in Redis for 7 days per user so we can avoid showing you the same reel twice.
Deleted account
Within 30 days of a deletion request we remove your profile, uploaded media, favorites, and watch history. Audit logs may persist for the standard 30-day window.
Your rights
Access
Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
Correction
Fix anything inaccurate from the app's edit-profile screen, or email us.
Deletion
Delete your account from Settings → Delete account. Your profile, uploads, and interactions are removed.
Opt out of notifications
Turn off system-level push for Localhiest, or revoke notifications permission in the OS settings.
Opt out of location
Deny the location permission on first launch or revoke it later. Feed falls back to a city-wide view.
Portability
On request we provide an export of your account data in JSON format.
To exercise any of these rights, email hello@localhiest.in from the mobile number on your account. We'll respond within 30 days.
Children's privacy
Localhiest is intended for users 18 and older. We don't knowingly collect data from anyone under 18. If you believe we have, email hello@localhiest.in and we'll delete the account and all associated data.
Changes to this policy
Any material change bumps the version number at the top of this page. For material changes we also prompt existing users to re-accept inside the app before continuing to use it. Minor edits (fixing typos, clarifying language) go live without a re-consent prompt.
Questions?
Email the team and we'll get back within a few days.
Email us© 2026 Localhiest. Built in Hyderabad.
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