Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 22, 2026

This Privacy Policy describes how Sentient Things, Inc. (“Sentient Things,” “we,” “us”) collects, uses, and shares information when you use Tide Alerts — the website at tidealerts.com, the Tide Alerts iOS and Android apps, and related Tide Alerts services (together, the “service,” “app and website”).

It also covers the Flood Levels website (floodlevels.com) where that site uses the same Sentient Things account and product stack. Flood Levels is not a shipped native app in this policy.

This policy is about the software service. Hardware purchases, leases, shipping, and store checkout happen on the Sentient Things Store and are covered by that store’s own notices — see Hardware and the Sentient Things Store.

Information we collect

Account information

You can browse maps, station pages, charts, tables, and calendars without creating an account.

If you create an account, we collect:

Email address and a password, if you register with email
Sign in with Apple or Google identifiers and the profile information those providers send us (typically email; sometimes a name or profile photo). Apple may give you a Hide My Email relay address instead of your personal email
Optional display name
Optional phone number, if you add one to your account (SMS alerts are not turned on today)

We use Firebase Authentication to create and sign you in. Account data is used to keep you signed in, sync favorites and alert subscriptions, send verification and account emails, and deliver email alerts you subscribe to.

Location (optional)

Tide Alerts can use your device location to center the map when you tap the locate control, and to sort the station list by distance when you choose Near me. Both are opt-in: we request location only after that tap, not on page load.

Location is optional. You can refuse the system prompt and still browse, search, and sort stations by region or name
Coordinates used for Near me stay on the device for the current session; we do not store a location history
On iOS and Android we request when-in-use location only. The iOS “Always” usage string exists because a location library includes that API; the app never asks for Always / background location
We do not sell location, use it for advertising, or build a movement history
Approximate region from your IP address may be used on the website (and in the app’s WebView) to decide whether to show a cookie-consent prompt. That is not the same as map locate or Near me

Email alerts

If you subscribe to a public alert, we use your account email (and your chosen station / alert) to send those messages. Alerts today are email only. We do not send push notifications, and SMS is not enabled.

We do not use alert subscriptions for advertising.

Preferences and saved content

Depending on your settings, we may store:

Favorite stations
Units, theme, and similar display choices
Notification-channel preferences (email on or off)
Alert subscriptions and related alert-profile data

Signed-in preferences are stored with your account (Firebase). Guest favorites and similar choices may be stored locally on the device or in the browser — see Cookies and similar technologies.

Device and usage information

When you use the app or website, our servers and the WebView typically receive:

IP address, date/time, and requested pages
Browser or WebView type and basic device information
Referring page, if a browser sent one

The native apps may also keep offline pages and recently loaded map tiles on the device so the app can show a fallback when the hosted service cannot be reached. That cache is for reliability, not a separate analytics product.

Analytics

If you allow analytics, we use Google Analytics 4 (measurement ID configured for this Tide Alerts backend) so we can improve the app and website. That is the only purpose.

When analytics is on, we measure:

Which pages are opened (automatic page views)
Whether features are used — for example search, favorites, share, unit-system changes, station list sort/filters, Near me, map pin selection, and starting an alert subscription
Screen-size bucket using the same layout breakpoints as the app (xs / sm / md / lg / xl / 2xl, Tailwind defaults). This is the CSS viewport width, grouped — not a custom record of your exact pixel dimensions
Whether the session is the website or the native app WebView

We do not send the text you type into search, your email, account IDs, precise location, or an advertising ID.

Analytics is off unless you allow the analytics category in cookie / privacy settings (or, outside regions where we show a prompt first, until you change that choice). You can turn analytics off at any time from Cookies in the footer.

We do not use analytics for advertising, remarketing, marketing personalization, selling data, or building advertising profiles. Ad storage / ad personalization and Google Signals are turned off in our Google Analytics configuration.

What we do not collect

Tide Alerts does not:

Access the camera, photos, microphone, or contacts
Collect an advertising ID
Ship push-notification tokens
Take payment cards or shipping addresses inside the Tide Alerts app or tidealerts.com account

Share and calendar features use your device’s share sheet or calendar app. We do not receive a copy of who you shared with, beyond what those system apps already do.

How we use information

We use the information above to:

Operate the app and website (map, stations, charts, tables, calendars)
Create and secure your account (including Sign in with Apple and Google)
Send email verification, password reset, and email alerts you asked for
Save favorites and preferences you choose
Center the map when you allow location
Sort the station list by distance when you choose Near me
Measure feature usage and screen-size layouts when you allow analytics, so we can improve the service
Detect abuse, fix outages, and keep the service secure
Respond when you contact us

We share information with service providers who run the service for us, including:

Google Firebase (Authentication and related account / preference storage)
Apple and Google when you use their sign-in
Google Analytics 4, if you allow analytics (product improvement only; not advertising)
Map and tile providers used to draw the map
Email delivery for account and alert messages

NOAA and similar public data sources are not a “share” of your personal information; the app displays public water-level data.

We may also disclose information if required by law, or to protect Sentient Things, our users, or the public.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for third-party advertising in the Tide Alerts app or website.

Cookies and similar technologies

On the website, we use cookies and similar technologies. In the native apps, the same product runs in a WebView, so you will see cookies, local storage, and Firebase session data — not a separate “cookie-only” product, and not an advertising ID.

Categories:

Essential — sign-in, security, and making the service work. Always on
Preferences — favorites, units, and display choices (optional)
Analytics — Google Analytics 4 for product improvement only (optional; not advertising)

There is no advertising-cookie category.

Details and how to change your choices: Cookies Policy. The footer Cookies control opens settings; it is not a substitute for this Privacy Policy.

Your choices

Location — allow or deny in the system prompt, and later in iOS/Android Settings
Account — update email, name, and sign-in methods under Settings → Account
Delete account — Settings → Account → Delete account. You will be asked to confirm and may need to sign in again. Deletion removes the Firebase account and related account data we store. It cannot be undone
Email alerts — unsubscribe from an alert or change notification preferences in the service
Cookies / analytics — footer Cookies, or see the Cookies Policy
Sign in with Apple — manage or revoke access in your Apple ID settings; Hide My Email is controlled by Apple

If you have questions about information we hold, email us using the contact below. We will respond as required by applicable law. This paragraph describes our practices; it is not legal advice about GDPR, CCPA, or any other statute.

Data retention

Account data is kept while the account exists, then removed when you delete the account (or when we close an account)
Email alert subscriptions last until you unsubscribe or delete the account
Server logs are kept for a limited time for security and operations
Analytics is retained according to our Google Analytics settings
On-device cache (including offline pages) stays on the device until the app or OS clears it

Children

Tide Alerts is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

Hardware and the Sentient Things Store

Tide gauges and related hardware are sold or leased at store.sentientthings.com. Checkout, payment cards, billing and shipping addresses, and store analytics are handled by that store (currently Shopify) under its privacy notice:

store.sentientthings.com/policies/privacy-policy

The Tide Alerts app and website do not collect payment cards for hardware. If you buy or lease equipment, use the store policy for order information, and this policy for your Tide Alerts account and app/website use.

Hardware service terms (lease, equipment return, subscription fees, and the customer data license) are on the store, not in this privacy page:

Tide Alerts Terms and Conditions of Service (store)

Changes

We may update this Privacy Policy when our practices or the service change. The “Last updated” date at the top will change. Continued use of the app or website after an update means you accept the revised policy.

Contact

Sentient Things, Inc.
Re: Privacy
172 Daniels Island Road
Mashpee, MA 02649
United States

Email: sales@sentientthings.com

Account and alert messages may show a From name of support@sentientthings.com. For privacy questions, use sales@sentientthings.com.

Documentation: docs.tidealerts.com