Overview
Helpy ("we", "our", or "the app") is a community help matching app that connects neighbors who need help with neighbors who can help. This privacy policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information.
Who We Are (Data Controller)
Helpy is operated under the brand Razberry Apps by Nir Raz, based in Israel, who is the data controller responsible for your personal information. You can contact us about any privacy matter at support@help-y.com.
Helpy is operated from Israel and is available internationally. If you use Helpy from the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or elsewhere, the protections described in this policy apply to you.
Information We Collect
Account Information
When you create an account, we collect:
- Name - Your display name shown to other users
- Email address - Used for authentication and account recovery
- Profile photo - From your Google or Apple account if you sign in with those services
- Phone number - Collected only if you complete phone verification
Location Data
We collect your approximate location (latitude and longitude) to:
- Show you help requests from nearby neighbors
- Calculate distances to help requests
- Help other users know approximately how far you are
Location is collected only when you use the app and with your explicit permission. You can revoke location access at any time in your device settings.
User-Generated Content
We store content you create within the app:
- Help requests (title, description, category, urgency, and images)
- An optional life-situation tag you may choose to attach to a help request (for example "Miluim family", "Single parent", "Senior citizen", "New to Israel" or "New neighbor"). The tag is chosen from a fixed list, is entirely optional, and is displayed publicly alongside your request to nearby users. You can remove it at any time by editing the request or deleting it; it is deleted together with the request.
- Chat messages between matched users
- Ratings and reviews of other users
- If our content filter blocks a draft post before publication (for example, a post that appears to sell goods or services), the draft text is logged for moderation-quality review - so we can catch cases where the filter blocked a legitimate post by mistake. Phone numbers are automatically redacted from the logged text, and nothing is published.
Authentication Data
We support sign-in via Google and Apple. When using third-party sign-in, we receive only your name, email, and profile photo. We do not access your contacts, calendar, or other personal data from these services.
Is Providing This Data Required?
Providing your name and email is necessary to create an account and use Helpy - this is a contractual requirement, and without it we cannot provide the service. Location and phone verification are optional, but some features will not work without them: if you do not share your location, we cannot show you nearby requests or distance-based matches, and if you do not verify your phone, you cannot post a request or offer help. Advertising-measurement data is shared only if you consent and is never required to use the app. You can withdraw any optional permission at any time (see "Your Rights" below).
How We Use Your Information
- To provide the core service: matching helpers with those who need help
- To send push notifications about new offers, messages, and updates
- To display your profile to other users in your area
- To calculate and show distances between users
- To maintain trust through ratings and verification badges
Data Storage & Security
Your data is stored securely using Supabase, a trusted cloud database provider. All data is transmitted over encrypted HTTPS connections. We use Row Level Security (RLS) policies to ensure users can only access data they are authorized to see.
Data Sharing
We never sell or rent your personal information. We do not trade your data for marketing purposes. We do, however, share limited data in the following ways in order to operate the app:
With Other Users
Part of your profile is visible to other users so the service can work:
- Other app users see your name, profile photo, ratings, and approximate location
- Matched users can see the chat messages you exchange with them
With Service Providers (processors acting on our behalf)
We use trusted third-party providers to run the app. These providers process data only on our behalf, under a data-processing agreement, and only as needed to provide their service - they do not use your data for their own purposes:
- Supabase - database, authentication, and storage hosting (EU region)
- Expo / push notification services - to deliver push notifications to your device
- PostHog - product analytics, to understand how the app is used and improve it (EU region)
- Sentry - crash and error reporting, to detect and fix bugs
With Authentication Providers
When you choose to sign in with Google or Apple, they authenticate you and provide us your name, email, and profile photo. For their own sign-in services these companies act as independent data controllers under their own privacy policies, not as our processors.
With our Advertising Partner
Only where you have given consent, we share limited app-event data with Meta (Facebook) for advertising measurement and attribution (see "Analytics & Advertising" below). Unlike the service providers above, Meta may also use this data in accordance with its own terms. We do not share your name, email, or chat content with Meta, and you can withhold or withdraw consent at any time.
For Legal Reasons
We may disclose information if required to do so by law, or if we believe in good faith that disclosure is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, protect the safety of any person, or investigate fraud or a violation of our Terms.
Analytics & Advertising
We use analytics tools (such as PostHog) to understand how people use Helpy so we can improve it. Where you have given consent, we also use Meta's advertising tools (the Meta SDK) to share limited app-event data - such as app install, sign-up, posting a request, and creating a match - with Meta so we can measure which ads led people to Helpy (advertising measurement and attribution). This sharing only happens after you consent, and you can withdraw consent at any time. We do not use your personal data to build advertising profiles about you, and we do not sell your data to advertisers.
Legal Basis, Retention & International Transfers
Legal basis (where GDPR applies): we process your data to perform our contract with you (providing the service), based on your consent (for location, push notifications, and advertising measurement), and for our legitimate interests (keeping the service safe, preventing fraud, and improving the product).
Retention: we keep your data for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, we anonymize your personal information (name, photo, phone, and location) immediately, and remove or anonymize remaining personal data within 90 days. Some records are kept in anonymized or limited form where we are required to retain them to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, or prevent fraud and abuse - for example, chat messages you sent remain visible to the other participant (shown as "Deleted User"), and proof of your acceptance of our Terms is retained.
International transfers: our primary database is hosted in the European Union (Supabase, EU region), and our analytics provider (PostHog) is also in the EU. Israel - where we are based - benefits from a European Commission adequacy decision. Some providers and our advertising partner (for example, Meta, Sentry, and Expo) may process data in the United States or other countries. Where we transfer personal data outside the European Economic Area or the UK, we rely on appropriate safeguards: for providers certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (and its UK Extension), transfers are covered by the European Commission's adequacy decision of 10 July 2023; for all other transfers, and as an additional safeguard, we rely on the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses (and the UK International Data Transfer Addendum). You can request a copy of the relevant safeguards at support@help-y.com.
Automated decision-making: we do not make decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects about you based solely on automated processing. Our feed ranking and matching only help surface relevant nearby requests and do not make such decisions.
Push Notifications
We send push notifications to inform you about new help offers, accepted offers, messages, and ratings. You can disable notifications at any time in your device settings.
Your Rights
Depending on where you live (including under the Israeli Protection of Privacy Law, 5741-1981 and the EU/UK GDPR), you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Correct inaccurate or incomplete data
- Delete your account and all associated data
- Export a copy of your data (data portability)
- Object to or restrict certain processing
- Withdraw consent at any time (for location, notifications, or advertising measurement)
- Opt out of push notifications, and revoke location permissions, in your device settings
- Lodge a complaint with a data protection authority - in Israel, the Privacy Protection Authority (PPA); in the EEA or UK, your local supervisory authority
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@help-y.com. Many actions (deleting your account, disabling notifications, revoking location) can also be done directly in the app.
Children's Privacy
Helpy is intended for users aged 18 and older. It is not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If we learn that we have collected data from someone under 18, we will delete it. If you believe a minor is using the app, please contact us at support@help-y.com.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify users of any significant changes through the app.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this privacy policy, please contact us at support@help-y.com.