Last updated: September 23, 2026
Riptyde is a surf-forecasting app for iOS. This policy explains what information the app collects, how it is used, who it is shared with, and the choices you have. We collect only what is needed to run the app's features, and we do not sell your data or use it for advertising or cross-app tracking.
You can browse forecasts without an account. If you create an account, we collect and store:
To learn which parts of the app get used, the iOS app records in-app events such as: opening the app, switching tabs, viewing a surf spot, forecast day, chart, or RAD page, changing Spots list filters, opening a map, viewing a cam or its source page, adding or removing a favorite, logging a session, posting a check-in, creating or accepting a crew invite, creating or sharing a secret spot, entering Throwback mode, seeing the Pro paywall and whether a purchase or restore went through, signing up or signing in, requesting an AI summary (with the AI model name, whether your own key was used, and whether it succeeded), and allowing or declining the AI data-sharing prompt. Events may name the tab, the catalog surf spot, the cam, or the subscription plan involved, and note whether you are signed in, whether you have Riptyde Pro, and whether the app is a test build. The identifiers of custom "secret spots" are replaced with a generic placeholder before anything leaves your device. We never include your email address, name, profile details, session or check-in notes, who you shared with, precise location, error messages, or AI API key.
Your choice: you can turn anonymous analytics off at any time with the Anonymous Analytics switch on the Profile tab (signed out) or in Profile → Settings. Turning it off stops Mixpanel events from this device right away, discards any that have not been sent yet, and replaces the random identifier, so turning it back on starts a fresh, unlinked history. The choice is stored only on your device.
AI surf summaries are optional and run only on an API key you choose to link from your own OpenAI or Anthropic account. Your key is stored only on your device — in the iOS app it lives in your device's secure Keychain; on the web app at riptyde.app it lives in your browser (for the current tab session by default, or in this browser's local storage only if you tick "Remember this key on this browser"). It is never stored on our servers. Before your first AI request, the app shows an in-app disclosure and asks for your permission; nothing is sent to an AI provider until you allow it and tap generate. Each AI summary request contains exactly:
The request travels over an encrypted connection to Riptyde's backend proxy (hosted on Cloudflare) and then to the AI provider your key belongs to (OpenAI or Anthropic) to produce the summary. Those providers process the request under their own privacy policies (OpenAI, Anthropic). No email address, account identity, or device location is included in the AI request. You can unlink your key at any time in Profile → Settings → AI Access, and you can re-read the in-app disclosure from the "What's shared" link beside any AI feature.
We do not use your information for advertising, and we do not track you across other apps or websites. Analytics data is not combined with data from other companies, and Riptyde does not ask for or use the iOS advertising identifier.
Your profile, settings, favorites, sessions, and secret spots are private to you by default. Crew features share data only with the specific friends you choose — for example, a spot check-in or a session you explicitly share. We do not sell or rent your personal information.
We keep your data while your account is active. You can delete your account at any time from Profile → Settings → Delete Account. Deleting your account permanently removes your profile, settings, favorites, surf sessions, secret spots, accuracy feedback, crew data, and profile photo from our systems, deletes the account usage events stored with your account, and clears your linked AI key from your device. It also replaces this device's anonymous analytics identifier.
Anonymous analytics events held by Mixpanel are not linked to your account, so we cannot find or delete them by account; they are retained under our Mixpanel project's data-retention settings and used only in aggregate. Turning anonymous analytics off stops new events immediately.
The web app stores a small amount of data in your browser to work: your sign-in session, the forecast bundles you last viewed (so a cold start shows something offline), the beach-cam liveness verdicts, your AI data-sharing consent, and, if you opt in, your AI API key. A service worker caches the app shell and static files for offline use. None of this leaves your browser except as described above, and signing out or deleting your account clears the key and the consent record. Browsers may clear this storage on their own (for example after a period of inactivity); the app simply treats missing data as "not set".
Data is transmitted over encrypted (HTTPS) connections. Account data is protected by per-user row-level security, and your AI key is held only on your device: the iOS Keychain in the app, or your browser's storage on the web app (see the AI summaries section).
Riptyde is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them.
We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by the "Last updated" date above.
Questions about this policy or your data? Email michaelzick@gmail.com.