Privacy Policy
Same Boat Circles for Men
Effective: October 21, 2026
Same Boat Circles is a small app for men going through something hard. You talk to a few other men about personal things, so how we handle what you share matters more than almost anything else we do. This page explains it in plain words.
The short version: we collect only what the app needs to put you in a circle and run it. We don't sell your data, we don't show ads, and we don't use tracking or advertising tools. You can delete everything at any time, right in the app.
Who we are
Same Boat Circles is run by Nikita Stanislavovich Polovenko, an individual based in Minnesota, USA ("we", "us"). Questions about privacy: hello@sameboatcircles.com.
What we collect, and who sees it
When you sign up:
- Your email address. Used to sign you in (we email you a one-time code) and to tell you about your circle, like your start date and session links. Other members never see it.
- A first name, or whatever name you'd like to go by. Your circle sees it.
- Your avatar. A pixel-art face you pick. Your circle sees it.
- Your age bracket (for example 25–34). Used only to match you with men at a similar stage of life. Your circle never sees it.
- Your city, if you choose to give it. Used only to understand where in-person meetups might be possible one day. Your circle never sees it.
- What you're going through (for example "Breakup") and how long it's been. Used to place you in the right circle. Your circle is made of men going through the same thing, but your exact answers aren't shown to them.
Your intro:
- Your answers to three short questions and three interests you pick. Your circle can read these once your circle opens, two days before your first session. Before that, nobody else can see them.
Inside your circle:
- Messages and reactions you post in your circle's chat.
- Topic suggestions and votes for each Friday's opener.
- Whether you're coming to a session ("I'll be there" / "Can't make it").
All of these are visible only to the men in your circle, and only once it has opened.
Just for you:
- How you left each Friday (a 1–5 answer, or that you missed it). This is your private progress. No one in your circle can see it.
Safety:
- If you report a message or a member, we keep the report and a copy of the reported message so we can review it. The person you report isn't told who reported them.
- If you block someone, we keep that so their messages stay hidden from you. They aren't told.
Settings:
- Your notification choices (push and email).
On our website, if you join the waitlist: your email, optionally what you're dealing with, and how you found us.
What we don't collect: we don't collect your contacts, your photos, your location (beyond the city you type in, if you do), or your payment details. The app has no advertising or analytics tracking.
A note on our own access
Everything above is stored in our database. The app's rules make sure members can only see what's described above. As the people running the service, we can technically access the database. We don't read your messages or answers, except when we need to look into a report, keep someone safe, fix a problem you've asked us about, or comply with the law.
How your information is used
- To sign you in and keep your account secure.
- To match you into a circle and run it: dates, reminders, the session link, your chat.
- To keep members safe: reviewing reports and removing people who break our community terms.
- To let you know about your circle by email and, if you allow it, by notification.
We never sell your information, never use it for advertising, and never share it with other companies for their own purposes.
Services we rely on
We use a few companies to run the service. They handle your information only on our behalf:
- Supabase stores the app's data and handles sign-in. Servers are in the United States.
- Resend sends our emails, such as your sign-in codes and circle updates.
- Vercel hosts our website.
- Apple distributes the app and delivers notifications.
- Google Meet hosts the Friday video sessions. When you join a session, Google's own privacy policy applies to the call. We don't record sessions.
How long we keep things
We keep your information while you have an account. When you delete your account (Profile → Delete my account), we erase your profile, your intro, your answers, your bookings, your Friday answers and the messages you sent to your circle. Copies may remain in routine backups for up to 30 days before they're overwritten.
One exception: if someone reported a message of yours, we may keep that report and the copy of the message for up to a year, as a safety record.
Your choices and rights
- See and change your details in the app (Profile), or ask us by email.
- Delete your account and data any time in the app, or by emailing us.
- Turn off notifications or emails in Profile. We'll still send essential messages about your circle, like a change to your start date.
- If you're in California or another place that gives you extra privacy rights, email us and we'll honor them.
Age
Same Boat Circles is for men 18 and over. We don't knowingly collect information from anyone under 18. If you believe someone under 18 has an account, email us and we'll remove it.
Changes
If we change this policy in a way that matters, we'll tell you in the app or by email before it takes effect.