Privacy Policy

Location information

Catch a Rainbow uses location to provide accurate local weather based rainbow predictions, estimate sun and weather conditions near the user, and help make rainbow alerts relevant. Because rainbow opportunities can be brief, location may be used with optional notifications when conditions may be possible nearby.

When a signed in user uploads a rainbow photo, location information may be used for review and map placement. Public map locations are adjusted or obscured to show only a general rainbow sighting area and help protect exact user location. A verified public landmark may be shown at the landmark.

Photos and user content

Only signed in users can upload photos. Users may choose to share rainbow photos and optional captions. Upload records may include image data, GPS related information used for review and map placement, upload time, visibility setting, and a content hash used to help prevent duplicate uploads.

The copy of a photo made available through the app is prepared to remove source metadata such as GPS details, camera information, and original timestamps.

Accounts and sign in

Some features, including photo uploads and certain community tools, require an account. Catch a Rainbow supports email and password sign in, Sign in with Apple, and Google Sign In.

Account information may include an email address, display name, public username, user identifier, and authentication provider information needed to create, secure, and manage the account.

People who browse without creating an account may use a protected anonymous Firebase identity so guest features, preferences, feedback, blocking, and rainbow alerts can work securely.

Account and content deletion

Signed in users can permanently delete their account from Settings inside the app. Account deletion removes the authentication account and associated app data, including profile information and uploaded content, subject to limited retention when reasonably necessary for security, fraud prevention, legal compliance, backups, or deidentified research records.

Users can also delete individual uploads or make them private without deleting the entire account. Questions or deletion requests can be sent to support@catcharainbowapp.com.

Backups

To protect against data loss, we may keep backup copies of our database and of uploaded photos. Backup copies are encrypted at rest and stored in access-restricted Google Cloud storage. Backup copies are scheduled for deletion 21 days after they are made. Our cloud provider may retain deleted copies for an additional seven days, and deletion processing may take longer. We monitor backup expiration and aim to remove all copies within approximately 30 days of when they are made. If we test whether a backup can be restored, test copies are kept only on encrypted, access-restricted storage, and we delete them within 72 hours after the test. If a test uses cloud resources, our cloud provider may keep deleted test resources for a limited additional period before removing them permanently (for example, a deleted test project can remain recoverable for up to 30 days). If you delete your account, your information is removed from the active service, but it may remain temporarily in any backup copies until those copies expire. Backups are used only for recovery, with safeguards intended to prevent deleted account information from being restored.

Favorites, reports, blocking, and gallery features

Users may favorite photos, view uploaded photos, report content, and block or unblock other uploaders. The app may store information needed to connect these actions to the relevant photo, account, or protected guest identity and to help keep the community safe.

Sky feedback and app activity

Sky observations, prediction feedback, alert settings, app version, device model, operating system version, and related diagnostics may be stored to operate, secure, test, and improve the app and its rainbow prediction system.

Rainbow alert answers

After a rainbow alert, the app may ask "Did the rainbow show up?" If you answer (saw it, looked and saw none, or didn't look), your answer is stored with your account or guest identifier and your device identifier, and it is matched to the alert you received. This lets us check our rainbow predictions against what people actually saw. Answers are private and are used only to operate and improve the app and its prediction system. We keep each answer for about 13 months (400 days) from when we receive it. It is then deleted automatically, usually within a day. Deleting your account from Settings deletes your answers from the active service immediately; any backup copies expire as described under Backups. Answers given in a guest session are deleted on the same schedule, or sooner if you ask support@catcharainbowapp.com. Small records used to limit repeated submissions are kept for about two days.

Alert opens and alert delivery records

When you open a rainbow alert, the app records that it was opened and when, so we can tell whether alerts reach people. For each alert check, our servers also keep a delivery record: whether an alert was due, sent and accepted for delivery. These records do not contain your name, email, account, location or the alert text. Your device is represented by a protected (one-way coded) device identifier, not by your account, name or contact details. They are kept for up to about two years and are then deleted automatically, usually within a day or so. Deleting your account from Settings also deletes the alert-open and delivery records of the devices registered to it at that time; we keep only daily totals of the records deleted this way, with no account or device information. Any backup copies expire as described under Backups. Records of a device whose registration was removed earlier, and any delivery record created while the deletion is being processed, are deleted automatically under the retention period above.

Notifications

When users allow notifications, catch a rainbow may send alerts when rainbow conditions may be possible. The app may use a protected device identifier, push notification token, platform information, timestamps, and recent alert location information so notifications can be delivered and kept relevant. Users can turn notifications off in device settings at any time.

Third party services

Catch a Rainbow may use third party services for app functionality, including Apple services, Google and Firebase services, WeatherKit, Tomorrow.io, Open Meteo, NOAA weather services, Google location and elevation services, Sightengine, OpenAI moderation, and the support email provider. These providers process information under their own terms and privacy practices.

Social media and external links

Catch a Rainbow provides links to its official Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok pages for app news, rainbow photos, and community updates. These social platforms are not used to sign in to the app. When a user opens an external social media link, that platform may collect information according to its own privacy policy and account settings. Catch a Rainbow does not receive a user’s social media password or sign in credentials.

Facebook Instagram TikTok

Advertising

Catch a Rainbow does not currently show ads. Advertising supported features may be added in the future. This privacy policy and App Store privacy information will be updated before those features are released.

Tracking

Catch a Rainbow does not use collected information for advertising tracking across apps and websites at this time.

Children and safety

Catch a Rainbow is a general audience app intended to provide a positive weather and nature experience. Safeguards include moderation tools, reporting and blocking, privacy conscious map locations, photo visibility options, and removal tools for uploaded content. A parent or guardian may contact support to ask about or request deletion of information associated with a child.

Contact

Questions about this privacy policy, privacy requests, and account deletion questions can be sent to support@catcharainbowapp.com.

ColorLife LLC