Privacy policy
Last updated November 12, 2026
Birdspot is a game for collecting real birds. This policy explains what the Birdspot app and this website collect, why, who else receives it, and what you can do about it. If you have a question, email hello@getbirdspot.com.
Your location
Birdspot uses your device's location while the app is open, to show birds reported near you and to tell when you're close enough to spot one. We never store your location on our servers, and other players never see it.
To show the map and nearby sightings, the app sends your location or the area on screen to the services that provide them: eBird for bird sightings, Esri for map tiles, and OpenStreetMap for trees and buildings. They receive it the same way any website you visit receives a request.
You can turn location off at any time in your phone's settings. The map then shows a default area instead.
Photos you take
When you snap a bird, or pick a photo from your library, the photo is sent to Birdspot's bird identification service so it can work out the species. The photo is processed in memory and is not saved. Only the bird you choose to log is kept, as part of your collection.
Your account and progress
You can play without signing up. Birdspot creates an anonymous account so your progress is saved. For that account we keep:
- your display name, @username, explorer look and level
- the birds you've caught, when you caught them, and whether you logged them by photo or by name
- your favorites shelf and the items your explorer owns
- your friends and friend requests
If you sign in with Apple or with an emailed code, we also keep the email address or Apple ID linked to your account, so you can sign in again on another phone. We use it only to sign you in.
What other players can see
Any player can find you by your username or display name and see your name, explorer and level. Friends you accept can also see the birds in your flock and your recent catches. The "People you may know" list suggests players to each other based on friends in common and recent activity, and shows how many friends you have in common.
Who we share data with
We don't sell your data and we don't use it for advertising. We use these services to run Birdspot:
- Supabase hosts accounts and saved progress.
- Railway hosts the bird identification service that receives your photos.
- eBird, Esri and OpenStreetMap provide sightings and map data, as described under "Your location."
- Wikipedia, Wikimedia Commons and iNaturalist provide bird descriptions, calls and photos. The app asks them about a species, never about you.
- Netlify hosts this website.
Deleting your data
You can delete your account from your profile in the app. That removes your profile, collection, friends and sign-in details. You can also email us and we'll delete it for you.
Children
Birdspot is not meant for children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect data from them. If you believe a child under 13 has an account, email us and we'll delete it.
Changes
If we change this policy, we'll update the date at the top and, for significant changes, tell you in the app.