Kixx Privacy Policy
Kixx is operated by Synapse Social LLC. Questions and verified privacy requests can be sent to nikko@synapsesocial.com.
This policy explains what Kixx collects, why it is used, when it is shared, and the choices available to you. Kixx collects only what is needed to run the app, keep accounts working, and power the social walking game experience.
Information We Collect
- Account and identity data: Kixx uses Sign in with Apple and Firebase to create, secure, and maintain accounts. This may include an Apple or Firebase account identifier, email address and name if Apple or Firebase provides them, and authentication metadata needed to keep you signed in. This release does not offer phone sign-in or phone verification. Existing phone-verification records, if any, remain associated with the account until deletion.
- Date of birth: During signup, Kixx asks for your birthdate to confirm you are at least 13. We do not create or keep an account for anyone who indicates they are under 13.
- Apple Health Step Count: With your permission, Kixx reads Step Count from Apple Health. Daily totals and individual Step Count samples — including the step amount, source app, start and end time, and whether Apple Health marks the sample as manually entered — are sent to Kixx servers and linked to your account. We use them for goals, leaderboards, leagues, streaks, Stars, competitions, duplicate-step prevention, and fraud prevention. Other participants may see only the eligible step total used by a shared leaderboard or competition, not your sample details. Kixx does not write Health data or use Health data for advertising or analytics.
- Recorded-walk location: Only after you start a walk, Kixx uses precise location, including in the background, to measure distance and draw the route. The detailed active-session route is processed on your device. When you finish, Kixx automatically removes the beginning and end of eligible routes and uploads the remaining privacy-trimmed coordinates with walk statistics to your Kixx account for private walk history. The Kixx backend stores this trimmed route linked to your account and returns route geometry only to you. Other players receive stats-only walk entries. Recording stops when you finish or discard the walk.
- Photos you select: If you choose Photo Overlay, the photo you select is composited with your privacy-trimmed route and stats on your device. Kixx does not upload the selected photo to its backend. If you use the iOS share sheet, the destination you choose receives the resulting share card.
- Profile, social, safety, and gameplay data: Kixx stores your display name, handle, selected Walker, profile and privacy settings, friend relationships, Kixx-curated taunts or Walker moves you send and receive, approved Board messages and their sender/recipient history, reports and blocks, leaderboard participation, league status, Trophy and Crown history, League Road rewards, owned cosmetics, streak and reward progress, Star balances, competition records, and related app activity. When available, optional Boards let friends send typed messages of up to 22 characters after safety checks. Boards are limited taunts, with no conversation threads. When the composer says a send updates a profile Board, Kixx also stores which approved message is currently displayed there.
- Contacts for friend discovery: If you enable friend discovery, Kixx uploads contact phone numbers and an opaque contact identifier generated on your device to the Kixx backend. Contact names are not uploaded. Phone numbers are converted on our server into one-way hashes used to find friends who already use Kixx. The backend retains the hashes and opaque identifier only to associate matches with the correct contact and update later syncs; it does not retain raw phone numbers or an address-book copy for general discovery. Kixx does not message anyone unless you choose to share an invite. Contacts and phone discovery are optional and can be skipped. You can delete previously synced contact-discovery records from Settings in the app.
- Device, notification, analytics, and diagnostic data: Kixx may process device and app identifiers, push tokens, product interactions, app version, device and operating-system information, crash data, and diagnostics to deliver notifications, secure the service, understand product use, and fix errors.
- Consent and support records: When you accept the Terms and Privacy Policy, Kixx stores an auditable consent record that can include your user ID, timestamp, IP address, app version, terms version, and an acceptance marker. If you contact support, Kixx processes the information you provide in the request.
How We Use Information
We use this information to authenticate accounts, enforce age eligibility, sync and validate steps, maintain private walk history, operate goals, rewards, leaderboards, leagues, competitions, and social features, find friends when requested, deliver notifications, prevent cheating, fraud, and abuse, respond to support and privacy requests, keep Kixx reliable, and comply with law.
When Information Is Shared
- Other Kixx users: Depending on the feature and your settings, other users may see your display name, handle, Walker, eligible step totals, gameplay statistics, league or competition placement, social relationships, virtual rewards, and stats-only walk entries. A friend you send a Board to receives its approved text. When the composer says a send updates their profile Board, that approved text and your displayed author name are also visible to the profile owner and their accepted friends, subject to current friendship, profile visibility, account eligibility, and block checks. Only the latest published Board is shown; the owner can clear it. Earlier private Boards are not automatically published. Other users do not receive your Apple Health sample details or stored route geometry from Kixx.
- Service providers: Kixx uses service providers for authentication, hosting, database infrastructure, maps, analytics, crash diagnostics, and push delivery. These providers process information needed to provide their services under their own terms and our instructions.
- Board safety checks (OpenAI): Before you use Board, Kixx asks your permission to send the text you choose to submit to OpenAI for automated safety screening. Kixx sends the Board text without separately attaching your account identifiers, profile, Apple Health data, location, or contacts. The text itself may contain information you type; do not include contact details or other private information. Messages that do not pass safety checks are not delivered. OpenAI processes the submitted text under its API data policies. Automated checks can make mistakes; Report and Block remain available.
- Safety and legal needs: Kixx may preserve or disclose limited information when reasonably necessary to investigate abuse, protect users, enforce the Terms or Community Guidelines, comply with law, or defend legal rights.
- Your choice: Information leaves Kixx when you intentionally use an invite, export, the iOS share sheet, or permitted Board safety checks.
Walk Maps and Mapbox
Kixx uses the Mapbox Maps SDK to display maps and create map share images. Mapbox may receive map requests, location, device or app information, and usage telemetry as described in its privacy terms. Interactive maps include Mapbox attribution and available telemetry controls. Other players do not receive your stored route geometry from Kixx.
Before a route is placed in a share image, Kixx removes the beginning and end by default. If too little route remains, map sharing is disabled and only a stats-based photo option is available.
Analytics and Diagnostics
Kixx uses PostHog for product analytics to understand and improve app use, and Sentry for crash and diagnostic reporting to detect, diagnose, and fix errors. These services may process app interactions, identifiers, device information, and diagnostic data. They are used only to operate and improve Kixx — never for cross-app advertising or tracking — and they do not receive your Apple Health step data, contact phone numbers, contact names, or contact identifiers. Board text is not included in product analytics, diagnostic events, push notifications, or server request logs. Kixx may measure Board send/receive actions and character counts without the message text.
Advertising and Tracking
Kixx does not show third-party advertising and does not track you across other companies' apps or websites.
Choices and Controls
Apple Health, Contacts, Location, and Notifications are controlled through iOS permissions. Photo Overlay uses Apple's system photo picker, so Kixx does not request broad access to your photo library. Contacts, recorded walks, photo selection, and sharing are optional. You can use Incognito mode and Kixx's Report and Block tools where available. You can decline Board safety checks and keep using other Kixx features. You can review or withdraw that permission in the Board composer; typed Boards then require your permission again before they can be sent. You can clear the Board displayed on your own profile. Clearing that display does not retract an already delivered taunt or erase records retained for safety. Turning off a device permission stops future access but does not automatically erase information already saved to your account.
Stars and Competitions
Stars are in-app currency with no cash value. You earn Stars through walking and eligible Kixx-supplied rewards based on verified walking results. Stars cannot be exchanged for real money, transferred off Kixx, or cashed out. Real-money Star packs and other real-money purchases are not offered in this release. Alongside no-stake competitions, optional Star wagers in Daily Duels and Squad challenges lock earned Stars and distribute the pot according to eligible walking results. Purchased Stars cannot be wagered. You can lose the Stars you stake. Kixx stores stake, escrow, payout, refund, and settlement records linked to participant accounts to operate competitions, resolve disputes, and prevent fraud. Participants can see the relevant stake, pot, result, and reward. Trophies, Leagues, Crowns, and League Road rewards are competitive status and virtual items with no cash value. See the Terms and Competition Rules for more information.
Children
Kixx is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that a user is under 13, we delete the account and associated personal data. Users under the age of majority must have permission from a parent or legal guardian. Contact us if you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information.
Health and Medical Disclaimer
Kixx is a social walking game. Kixx is not a medical device, does not provide medical advice, and should not be used for diagnosis, treatment, or medical decisions.
Retention and Account Deletion
Kixx retains account, gameplay, social (including approved Board messages), walk, contact-hash, consent, and support data while your account is active and as needed to provide and protect Kixx. You can delete previously synced contact-discovery records separately from Settings.
You can delete your account by tapping your profile avatar, tapping the Settings gear, then tapping Delete account. Account deletion removes your profile, gameplay progress, Stars and inventory, stored step and walk history, stored route geometry, social relationships, contact-discovery hashes, notification data, consent records, and other associated active data from Kixx systems. Kixx also asks supported authentication services to remove or revoke associated credentials. Shared gameplay history that remains visible to another participant may be anonymized rather than showing your name.
Limited records may be retained when reasonably necessary for security, fraud and abuse prevention, legal obligations, dispute resolution, or backups that age out under Kixx's retention process. Turning off a permission does not delete information already stored; use the in-app deletion controls or send a verified privacy request to nikko@synapsesocial.com.
Changes and Contact
We may update this policy as Kixx changes. We will update the effective date and provide additional notice when required. Questions and verified privacy requests can be sent to nikko@synapsesocial.com.
Kixx is operated by Synapse Social LLC.