Vanderlust

Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 2026

Vanderlust ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and share information when you use the Vanderlust mobile application ("App").

1. Information We Collect

Account Information: When you sign in with Apple or Google, we receive your name and email address from that provider. You then choose what to add to your profile: photos, a short bio, your vehicle, your interests and travel style, what you are looking for, your birth date, and optionally the stops on your planned route.

Location Data: With your permission, we collect your device's location to show how many travelers are in each area of the map and who is near you in Discover. Your exact position is never shown to other users by default. What others see on the map is a count per area, roughly 25 km across. Only connections you have accepted can see your position, and only if you turn location sharing on yourself. You can turn it off again at any time, and you can disable location access in your device settings.

Photos and Camera: With your permission, we access your camera and photo library so you can add photos to your profile, your vehicle, and your chats. We only access photos you choose to take or share.

Messages: Messages you send to your connections are stored so we can deliver them and show your conversation history.

Usage Data: We collect information about how you use the App, such as swipes, connections, and features used, to understand what works and improve the App. This data is tied to your user ID, not your name or email.

Device Information: We collect device type, operating system, and a push notification token so we can deliver notifications and keep the App working across devices.

Purchases: If you subscribe to Vanderlust Pro, the purchase is handled by the App Store or Google Play. We receive a record of your subscription status but never your payment details.

2. How We Use Your Information

  • To provide the App's features: the map, Discover, chat, and the route planner
  • To show you travelers near you and let you connect with them
  • To deliver your messages to your connections
  • To send push notifications (with your permission) about connections, waves, likes, and messages
  • To keep the community safe: to review reports, enforce blocks, and act on violations of our Terms
  • To manage your Pro subscription
  • To understand how the App is used and improve it
  • To comply with legal obligations

3. Information Sharing

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only in the following cases:

  • With other users: Your profile (name, age, photos, bio, vehicle, interests, travel style, and your approximate distance) is visible to other Vanderlust users in Discover and on your profile page. A reduced version of your profile, without what you are looking for or your gender, may also be shown to people browsing Discover without an account. You can hide yourself from Discover entirely at any time in Settings. Your messages are visible to the people you send them to. Your precise position is shared only with connections you have accepted, and only while you keep location sharing on.
  • Service providers: We use DigitalOcean for hosting and photo storage (servers in the European Union), PostHog for product analytics, RevenueCat for subscription management, Expo for push notifications, and Apple and Google for sign-in. These providers process data on our behalf and only as needed to provide their service.
  • Legal requirements: We may disclose information if required by law or to protect the safety of our users.

4. Data Retention

We retain your information for as long as your account is active. You can delete your account at any time from Settings in the App, or by following the steps on our account deletion page. When you delete your account, your profile, photos, messages, and location data are removed. We may keep a limited record of reports and blocks for safety reasons, and transaction records where the law requires it.

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including encrypted connections and access controls. However, no method of transmission over the Internet is 100% secure.

6. Your Rights

If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or another region with data protection laws, you have the right to:

  • Access, correct, or delete your personal information
  • Withdraw consent for data processing, for example by turning off location access
  • Request a copy of your data
  • Object to certain uses of your information
  • Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority

To exercise these rights, contact us at the address below.

7. Children's Privacy

Vanderlust is not intended for users under the age of 18. We do not knowingly collect information from children. If you believe a child has created an account, please contact us and we will remove it.

8. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any significant changes through the App or by email.

9. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

Email: privacy@vanderlust.app