Privacy Policy

Bending Corners · Last updated October 30, 2026

Bending Corners ("we," "us," "the app") is a fitness and community app. This policy explains what we collect, how we use it, and your choices. We do not sell your personal data, we do not use advertising trackers, and we do not use your data to target ads.

Information we collect

Account information. When you sign in with Apple or Google, we receive a unique identifier and your email address. You choose a public username.
Health & fitness data. With your permission, we read step and workout data from Apple Health (HealthKit) and your device pedometer to score your activity on leaderboards and virtual courses. This data is used only to provide app features.
Location. With your permission, we use your precise location while you are using the app to track running/walking routes, render maps, show how far you are from trails and reward zones, and verify location-based reward zones. To find nearby parks and to draw trail postcards, the app sends a location to our map provider, Mapbox. We do not track your location in the background.
Photos & camera. If you post to "The Wall," we access photos you choose or capture, which are uploaded to our servers and shown to other users after moderation. The camera is also used to scan group QR codes; scanned images are not saved or uploaded.
Groups. If you create or join a group, its name, its members' usernames and their points are shown to everyone in that group.
Calendar (optional). If you connect your calendar to Sam, the app reads (never changes) your events. Tomorrow's events are used on your phone to time your morning check-in and are not uploaded. While you chat with Sam, today's event times and titles are sent along with your message to generate the reply and are not stored. You can disconnect at any time.
Time zone. Your phone's time zone, so Sam's check-ins arrive in your morning and evening.
Chats with Sam. If you turn on Sam, our AI wellness buddy, we store your messages and Sam's replies so the conversation continues. You can clear them or turn Sam off at any time in the app.
User content. Posts, messages, usernames, votes, and scouted routes you submit.
Purchases. If you buy merchandise, payments are processed by Stripe. We receive order and fulfillment details; we never receive or store your full card number.
Notifications. A device push token so we can send you alerts (new posts, leaderboard updates). You can disable notifications in your device settings.
Basic technical data. Information needed to operate the app reliably (e.g., app version, error logs).

Apple Health (HealthKit)

Health data obtained through HealthKit is used solely to provide in-app fitness features (scoring steps and workouts). We do not use HealthKit data for advertising or marketing, and we do not sell it or share it with third parties for their own purposes. You can revoke Health access at any time in the iOS Settings > Health > Data Access & Devices.

Sam, the AI wellness buddy

Sam is optional and only runs after you agree in the app. When you send Sam a message, we send that message, your recent conversation with Sam, your username and your Bending Corners activity summary (points, rank, boost day and group standings) to Anthropic, the AI provider that generates Sam's replies. If you have allowed the app to use your location, the names of nearby parks, trails and reward zones and how far away they are also go along, so Sam can suggest where to walk; your coordinates are never sent. We do not send Sam or Anthropic your Apple Health or Health Connect data, your exact location, your contacts or your photos. Anthropic processes this data to provide the service to us and does not use it to train its models. If you tap to hear one of Sam's replies, the text of that reply (and nothing else) is sent to ElevenLabs to create the spoken audio, which we store so you can replay it. Sam is for general wellness and motivation and is not medical advice. You can report any reply from inside the chat.

How we use your information

To run core features: leaderboards, virtual courses, maps, The Wall, polls, and merch checkout.
To send notifications you've enabled.
To moderate user content and keep the community safe.
To maintain security and fix problems.

How information is shared

We share data only with service providers that help us run the app, and only as needed:

Supabase — secure backend hosting, database, and authentication.
Stripe — payment processing for merchandise.
Apple & Google — sign-in.
Mapbox — maps and route rendering.
YouTube / Google — to display embedded videos.
Expo — delivery of push notifications.
Anthropic — generating Sam's chat replies, only if you turn Sam on.
ElevenLabs — turning Sam's replies into speech, only when you choose to hear one.

We may disclose information if required by law. We do not sell your personal information.

Sponsors. Bending Corners is supported by named sponsors whose products may be featured and are always labeled in the app (for example "PARTNER" or "presented by"). Sponsors receive only aggregate counts, such as how many times a placement was shown or tapped. We never give sponsors your name, account, messages, health data, location or any other personal information, and sponsors cannot target you.

Data retention

We keep your information while your account is active. When you delete your account, we delete or anonymize your personal data, except where we must retain limited records (e.g., transaction records) to comply with the law.

Your rights and choices

Delete your account. You can permanently delete your account and associated data from within the app (Settings > delete account). This is irreversible.
Permissions. You can grant or revoke Health, Location, Camera, Photos, Calendar, and Notifications permissions at any time in your device settings.
Sam's check-ins. Turn Sam's morning and evening notifications off from the ••• menu in the Sam chat.
Access/correction. Contact us to request a copy of your data or corrections.

Children's privacy

Bending Corners is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact us and we will delete it.

Security

We use industry-standard measures, including access controls and row-level security on our database, to protect your data. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we work to protect your information.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will revise the "Last updated" date above and, where appropriate, notify you in the app.

Contact us

Questions about this policy or your data? Email alkilanepodcastnetwork@gmail.com.