cekin

Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 2026

1. Introduction

Cekin ("we," "our," or "us") is a safety check-in application. You check in regularly, and if you miss a check-in, the emergency contacts you have chosen are alerted. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use and share it, how long we keep it, and how you can delete it. By using Cekin, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

We collect only what Cekin needs to work:

  • Account information: your full name, username, email address and phone number. If you sign up with email, we store a securely hashed password (never the password itself).
  • Google Sign-In: if you choose to sign in with Google, we receive your name, email address and Google account identifier from Google.
  • Location at check-in: every time you check in, the app records your device's precise GPS coordinates (latitude and longitude) and the street address derived from them (reverse geocoding). Location is not collected in the background or between check-ins.
  • Check-in activity: the time of each check-in, your check-in interval and grace-period settings, missed check-ins, streaks and achievements.
  • Emergency contacts: the Cekin users you add as emergency contacts, the users who add you, and the status of those requests.
  • Device information: your push notification token, so we can deliver notifications to your device. The app may read your battery level when you check in; we do not store it.
  • Camera: used only to scan Cekin QR codes when adding a contact. No photos or videos are taken, uploaded or stored.
  • Server logs: when a request fails, our servers record the IP address, the request path and redacted request metadata (passwords, verification codes and tokens are removed) for troubleshooting and security.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

  • Provide the check-in service, including reminders when a check-in is due or missed
  • Show your status and last check-in location to your approved emergency contacts, and alert them when you miss a check-in
  • Let other users find you by name or username so they can add you as an emergency contact
  • Verify your email address, reset your password and confirm account deletion
  • Keep the service secure, prevent abuse and fix errors
  • Comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Service

We do not use your information for advertising, we do not use analytics or tracking SDKs, and we do not sell your personal information.

4. Location Data and What Your Emergency Contacts See

Location is a core part of Cekin. A contact must accept your request (or you must accept theirs) before any information is shared. Once approved, your emergency contacts can see, at any time:

  • When you last checked in and your current status (checked in, in grace period, or missed)
  • The location (coordinates) and address of your most recent check-in, unless you have turned off location sharing for that contact

Your contacts are also notified when you miss a check-in and receive an urgent alert if the grace period expires without a check-in. Alerts are delivered by push notification and, for urgent alerts, may also be sent by email. You can see your own check-in history, including past locations, in the app. You choose, for each contact, whether they can see your location. If you turn it off, that contact only sees your status and check-in time, except that if the grace period expires without a check-in, your last check-in location is shown to all your approved contacts so they can help; it is hidden again once you check in. You can remove an emergency contact at any time and they immediately lose access to your information. Location permission is required to check in; you can turn it off in your device settings at any time, but you will not be able to check in while it is off.

5. Service Providers We Share Data With

We share personal information only with the following providers, and only as needed to run Cekin:

  • Google: Google Sign-In (if you use it) and Google Maps, which displays maps in the app. On Android, converting coordinates into an address uses your device's geocoding service, which is provided by Google.
  • Expo push notification service (Expo): delivers push notifications to your device. It receives your push token and the notification text, which may include a contact's name and check-in status.
  • Email provider (Hostinger, via SMTP): sends verification codes, password reset codes, account deletion links and emergency alert emails.
  • Hosting: our servers, database and search index run on infrastructure we operate. Your name and username (not your email or phone number) are kept in a search index so other users can find you.

These providers have their own privacy policies. We may also disclose information if required by law.

6. Data Security

All data between the app, the website and our servers is encrypted in transit (HTTPS/TLS). Passwords are hashed with bcrypt and never stored in plain text. Sign-in tokens are stored in your device's secure storage. Access to our servers and database is restricted. However, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

7. Data Retention

We keep your information for as long as your account is active, with these exceptions:

  • Server error logs, including IP addresses, are kept for 30 days and then deleted.
  • Accounts without emergency contacts: if your account is more than 7 days old and you have no emergency contacts, we send you a warning notification and schedule your account for deletion 7 days later. Adding an emergency contact before then cancels the scheduled deletion.
  • When you delete your account, your data is deleted as described in section 8.

8. Deleting Your Account

You can delete your account at any time, either in the app (Profile tab) or on our website at /account-deletion, which works without the app installed. We email you a confirmation link; nothing is deleted until you open it and confirm. When you confirm, we immediately and permanently delete:

  • Your check-in history, including all recorded locations and addresses
  • Your emergency contacts and pending contact requests, and we remove you from other users' contact lists
  • Your sign-in sessions, verification codes and push notification token
  • Your streaks and achievements

Your profile is anonymised at the same time: your name, username, email address, phone number, last location and address, and linked sign-in providers (such as Google) are removed, and you are removed from search. Only an anonymous placeholder record remains so the database stays consistent. Server error logs that may contain your IP address expire within 30 days.

9. Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

  • Access your personal data (most of it is visible in the app)
  • Correct inaccurate data (you can edit your profile in the app)
  • Delete your account and associated data (see section 8)
  • Withdraw consent, for example by revoking location, camera or notification permissions in your device settings, or by removing emergency contacts
  • Object to or ask us to restrict processing of your data

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at [email protected].

10. Children's Privacy

Cekin is not intended for individuals under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that a child has provided us with personal data, we will take steps to delete such information. If you believe we have collected data from a child, please contact us immediately.

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes through the app or by email, post the new policy on this page and update the "Last updated" date. Changes to this policy are effective when they are posted.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at: [email protected]