Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 10, 2026

Scout & Seek ("the app," "we," "us") is a family-friendly scavenger-hunt app created by Gina Lauver. We built Scout & Seek to be safe, calm, and respectful of your family's privacy. This policy explains what we collect, what we don't, and why.

The short version: We collect as little as possible. We do not show third-party ads, we do not use behavioral tracking, and we never sell your or your child's data. Photos taken during a hunt stay on your device.

A note on safety: Scout & Seek is a fun activity, not a babysitter. Children should never be left alone while using the app and should never go to unfamiliar or unsafe places without a trusted adult. Always supervise your child and stay aware of your surroundings. See our Terms of Use for full safety guidance.

Who can use Scout & Seek

Scout & Seek is designed for families, classrooms, homeschoolers, and youth groups, and is intended to be used by children together with a parent, guardian, teacher, or group leader. Accounts are created and managed by adults.

Information we collect

Account information. When you create an account, we collect an email address and a display/scout name so you can sign in and save progress.
App activity. Quests started and completed, points and badges earned, and similar in-app progress, so the app works and progress is saved.
Family / group setup. If you create or join a family or group, we store the first names or scout names you enter and an invite code to connect members. We ask you to use first names only for children.

Information we do NOT collect

No third-party advertising. The app contains no advertising SDKs.
No behavioral tracking or analytics SDKs. We do not track your activity across other apps or websites.
No precise location storage. The app does not collect or store your device's GPS location on our servers.
No selling of data. We never sell or rent personal information to anyone.

Photos

Some hunts invite kids to snap a photo of something they found. These discovery photos are used on your device for the hunt only and are not uploaded to or stored on our servers. If you choose to save a photo, it is saved to your own device.

Subscriptions & payments

Scout & Seek offers optional Premium and Groups subscriptions. All purchases are processed by Apple through your Apple ID — we never see or store your payment card details. Purchases are always protected behind a grown-ups-only gate so a child cannot subscribe on their own. You can manage or cancel a subscription anytime in your Apple ID settings.

How we use information

To provide the app, save progress, and connect family or group members.
To respond to support requests you send us.
To keep the app secure and working properly.

Children's privacy

We take children's privacy seriously and aim to comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and Apple's guidelines for kids and families. We collect only what is needed to run the app, never require a child to share more than necessary, and keep purchases and account/external-link actions behind a grown-ups-only gate. We do not knowingly use children's information for advertising or tracking. Parents and guardians can contact us at any time to review or delete their family's information.

How we share information

We do not sell personal information. We share information only with service providers that help us run the app (such as our hosting/back-end provider and Apple for purchases), and only as needed to provide the service, or if required by law.

Data retention & deletion

We keep account information for as long as your account is active. You can request access to, or deletion of, your account and associated data by emailing us at the address below, and we will take care of it.

Changes to this policy

If we make material changes, we will update the date above and post the new version here.

Contact us

Questions or requests? Email scoutandseekapp@gmail.com.