This policy covers the Sawa app and website. Sawa is operated by Hadi Hindi in Switzerland, who is responsible for the processing described here. For privacy questions, contact hello@joinsawa.ch.
Features can vary by app version and availability.
1. Information we collect
- Account and profile: name, email/sign-in information, profile photo, city or neighbourhood, date of birth for the adults-only eligibility check, whether your email address is confirmed, any bio, spoken languages or interests you provide and, if you choose to answer, whether you have children (then shown on your profile card).
- Matching choices: your preferred activities, available times, matching preferences and relevant previous connections.
- Meetup information: invitations, participants, proposed venues and times, promises, withdrawals, self-reported arrival and meetup status, and what the other participants tell us afterwards about who came.
- Connections and feedback: your private post-meetup selections, related consent, mutual connections and group membership where that feature is available.
- Messages and media: text, photos and voice messages you share in available chats.
- Safety and technical information: reports, blocks, notification records, device/push tokens, activity timestamps and crash diagnostics. Crash reports can be associated with your account identifier.
- Explore plans: which plans you join or leave, and when.
2. How we use information
We use this information to operate your account, check whether your email address is confirmed where the app needs it (for example to join an Explore plan), propose compatible small meetups, show Explore plans you can join, manage responses and arrival information, deliver messages and updates, support mutual connections, investigate reports and diagnose problems.
Matching uses availability and preferences, such as activities, languages, your district and your age (the age range within a group is limited), together with relevant connection history and blocks. It does not guarantee a match, a weekly meetup or that another person will attend.
4. Services and external links
- Google Firebase / Google Cloud: authentication, database and file storage, backend functions, push messaging and Crashlytics crash reporting.
- Apple and Google sign-in: if you use these options, the provider supplies sign-in details such as your email address and available name. Sawa does not receive your Apple or Google password. Apple may provide a relay email address.
- Email: account emails, such as the link to confirm your address, are sent through Firebase Authentication. Messages you send to support are processed to respond to your request, using Sawa's email service.
- Maps and venue links: a meetup or an Explore plan can include a link that opens the place in a maps service. That provider receives information directly when you open the link and applies its own privacy policy; Sawa does not send your private chat content as part of the link.
5. Using this website
This website serves its fonts and images locally and does not include Meta or Reddit advertising pixels. Hosting services receive technical information needed to deliver pages, such as an IP address, browser information and requested resources.
If you pause animations, the website saves that preference in your browser's local storage. It is used to remember your motion choice. Store buttons and other external links take you to a separate provider; opening an email link uses your email app.
The profile photos and illustrations in the app previews are fictional AI-created examples, not member profiles or testimonials.
6. Legal basis and your choices
We process personal data under the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection. Where the EU GDPR applies, relevant grounds include providing the service under our contract, consent for applicable optional processing, legitimate interests in operating and protecting the service, and legal obligations.
You can change your profile and available matching preferences in the app. Device settings control notification, camera, microphone and photo permissions. Withdrawing a permission can limit the corresponding feature.
7. Retention and account deletion
We retain account information while it is needed to provide the service, and other records as needed for their purpose, safety or applicable legal obligations.
In the current app, open You → Settings → Delete account. This removes your account and profile, private feedback and preferences, and the messages, photos and voice recordings you sent in shared chats. Deleted-message placeholders remain so other participants can follow their own conversation; cached quotes of your messages are cleared. Other people’s messages and independently saved copies are not deleted. You can also request deletion by emailing hello@joinsawa.ch. Content that has been reported is preserved privately for Sawa Team’s safety review, even if the reported account is deleted. Only the reported content and the case records are retained: while the case is open, and for 90 days after it is closed. They are then deleted automatically. This exception does not leave the content visible in ordinary chats.
We keep daily backup copies of the database for 7 days, and deleted files such as photos and voice messages also stay recoverable for 7 days, so that we can recover from a mistake or a failure. Data you delete can therefore remain recoverable for up to 7 days before it is gone for good.
If you joined the waitlist on our website, we use your email address only to tell you about Sawa's launch, and we delete it afterwards.
See Delete account for the request process. You can also ask which information remains and why.
8. Security and processing locations
Sawa uses Firebase authentication and access controls, together with the security protections of its hosting providers. No online service can guarantee absolute security.
Our service providers operate internationally, and processing can take place outside Switzerland. The locations and safeguards depend on the service involved. You can contact hello@joinsawa.ch for information about recipients, processing locations and the protection applicable to your data.
9. Your rights
Depending on the law and conditions that apply, you can request access to your data, correction, deletion, restriction of processing or an export, and object to certain processing. You can withdraw consent for processing based on consent; that does not affect processing already lawfully carried out.
You can download a copy of your data in the app under You → Settings → Download my data. For any other request, email hello@joinsawa.ch. We may need to verify your identity. You can raise a concern with the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner or, where applicable, your local data protection authority.
10. Adults only
Sawa is for people aged 18 and over. If you believe a person under 18 has an account, contact hello@joinsawa.ch. Our Child safety standards explain how to report a concern.
11. Changes and contact
We may update this policy as the service changes. The date at the top identifies this version. Significant changes will be communicated before they take effect. For questions about privacy, contact hello@joinsawa.ch.