Cafe Now ／ PRIVACY POLICY
Cafe Now uses your location to show cafes near you. Your location is sent to Google (Google Maps Platform) for the sole purpose of finding places, and we never store or accumulate it.
Everything you record in the app (your Cafe Log) stays on your device. The app does show ads, and the ad network receives information from your device — see Section 7 for details.
HN Lab Inc. ("we") respects the privacy of everyone who uses our app "Cafe Now" ("the app") and complies with the Act on the Protection of Personal Information of Japan and other applicable laws. This policy explains how information is handled in the app.
The app requires no account and no sign-in, and we collect nothing that identifies you. Specifically, we never obtain or store:
We run no server of our own for this app, so your data is never transmitted to us.
The app uses your device's location (precise location) to search for and display cafes near you.
1. Purpose and recipient
At the moment a search runs, your coordinates are sent to Google Maps Platform (Places API), operated by Google LLC, as the centre point of the search. This happens once per search. We never receive or retain your location.
2. Your permission and how to change it
Location is used only while you are using the app, and only if you have granted permission. The app never accesses your location in the background. You can change the permission at any time in your device settings.
The app uses Google Maps Platform (Places API), operated by Google LLC, to obtain information about places. The following may be sent to Google as part of that communication:
Google handles this information under its own privacy policy.
Your Cafe Log (the places you saved and the places you visited) and your settings are stored only on your device. They are never sent to our servers, we cannot access them, and we never provide them to anyone else.
If you delete the app from your device, this data cannot be recovered.
The share feature works only when you actively use it, through your operating system's own share sheet. What you share is passed directly to the app you choose, and never passes through us.
To keep the app free, we display ads using Google AdMob, an advertising service operated by Google LLC. Ads appear between the cards on the swipe screen.
1. What is collected
This information is sent to Google and handled under Google's privacy policy. We do not hold or manage it ourselves.
2. Tracking permission (iOS)
On iOS the app shows the App Tracking Transparency prompt asking whether you allow tracking. If you decline, your advertising identifier is not used and you will see ads that are not based on your interests. Every feature of the app continues to work exactly the same either way.
You can change this at any time in iOS under Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking.
3. Advertising ID (Android)
On Android you can reset or delete your Advertising ID, or opt out of personalised ads, under Settings → Google → Ads.
4. Consent in the EEA, the UK and Switzerland
The app is not currently distributed in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland.
5. Residents of California and other US states
Sharing an advertising identifier with an ad network may be treated as a "sale" or "sharing" of personal information under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA) and similar state laws. You can opt out at any time by declining the tracking prompt on iOS, or by turning on "Opt out of Ads Personalization" on Android. You may also contact us at the address in Section 12 to exercise your rights. We will not discriminate against you for doing so.
| Type | Who receives it | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Location (precise) | Google (Places API) Not collected by us | Finding and showing nearby cafes |
| IP address, technical data | Google (Places API) | Providing the API, preventing abuse |
| Cafe Log, settings | No one (stored on your device) | Providing app features |
| Advertising identifier | Google (AdMob) | Serving and measuring ads |
| IP address, device data | Google (AdMob) | Serving ads, preventing fraud |
Other than the transmissions to Google described in Sections 3, 4 and 7, we do not provide information about you to any third party. This does not apply where disclosure is required by law.
The app is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13.
We may change this policy when we consider it necessary, without prior notice. The revised policy takes effect when it is posted on this page. If we make a significant change, we will say so in the app or on this page.
Last updated: 24 August 2026