Privacy policy

Last updated October 1, 2026

This policy covers the Smelter iPhone app, the Smelter Chrome extension, and this website. The short version: we collect what Smelter needs to work, we keep your private notes private, we don't sell your data, and you can delete your account at any time.

What we collect

Your account

• Your email address and password (stored hashed by our authentication provider), or your Apple or Google sign-in identifier if you use those.
• Your handle, and an optional bio and profile photo.

What you create

• Private notes you write on a page. Only you can see them.
• Public comments and reactions. Other Smelter users can see these on that page.
• Who you follow and who follows you, people you block, and reports you file.
• Chat messages in one-on-one chats you've accepted, and the notifications those create.

Notes, comments and chats are tied to the web address of the page they're about, so we store those addresses too, along with a page's title and preview image when someone has commented on it.

How you use Smelter

• Activity used to rank your Home feed: which feed items you saw, pages you opened from Smelter, when you opened the comment panel, and how long you spent on pages in the app's browser. This log can be read only by you and by our systems that build your feed, never by other users, and it's deleted after 90 days. We don't use your private notes to rank anything.
• Presence: while you're on a page in the app's browser, or have the extension's side panel open, other people on that same page can see your handle in real time. That live signal isn't saved.
• Trending: to show which sites have the most people on them right now, we store the one page each signed-in person is currently viewing. It's used only to count viewers, and people see the counts, not who is behind them.
• Push notifications: if you turn them on, we store your device's notification token so we can send you mentions and chat messages.

The Chrome extension

The extension reads the address of your current tab only while its side panel is open. It does nothing when the panel is closed. It never activates on non-web pages, localhost, internal or private network addresses, or addresses whose query looks like it carries a password, token or key. It doesn't track time spent on pages.

This website

The website doesn't use cookies or advertising or analytics trackers. Our hosting provider may log standard request information, like your IP address, for security and operation.

How we use it

• To run Smelter: show your notes and comments, presence, chats and notifications.
• To build your Home feed and Trending.
• To keep the community safe: handle reports and blocks, and remove content that breaks the rules.
• To secure the service and fix problems.

We do not sell your personal data, and we do not share it with advertisers or data brokers. Smelter doesn't show ads today. If that changes, we'll update this policy first and ask for consent where the law requires it.

Who can see what

• Only you: your private notes, your activity log, and your notification token.
• Other Smelter users: your handle, bio and photo; your public comments and reactions; your follows; and your handle in a page's "here now" list while you're on it. Comments, reactions and chat messages stay visible under your handle even after you delete your account (see below).
• The person you're chatting with: your messages in that chat.

We can access stored data to operate the service and to review reports, but we don't read private notes.

Service providers

We use a small number of companies to run Smelter. They process data only to provide their service to us.

• Supabase: database, sign-in, real-time features and file storage (servers in the United States).
• Apple and Google: Sign in with Apple, Google Sign-In, and delivery of push notifications.
• Cloudflare: hosting for this website and forwarding of support email.

We may also disclose information if the law requires it or to protect people's safety.

How long we keep it

• Your activity log: 90 days.
• Your account, private notes and profile details: until you delete your account.
• After you delete your account, your comments, reactions and chat messages stay, so other people's conversations aren't broken. They remain shown under your handle, which stays reserved. We delete your sign-in details (including your email address), private notes, activity log, follows, blocks, profile photo, bio and notification token.
• Live presence: not stored.

Your choices

• Edit or remove your profile details, notes and comments in the app.
• Turn push notifications on or off in your device's settings.
• Block people and report comments in the app.
• Delete your account: in the iPhone app, go to Me, then Edit Profile, and tap Delete Account at the bottom. This deletes your login, private notes and profile; the comments, reactions and chat messages you've already posted stay visible under your handle (see "How long we keep it"). If you can't use the app, email support@smelterapp.com and we'll do it for you. To have a specific comment or message removed, email us with a link or the details and we'll review it.
• You can also ask us for a copy of your data or to correct it. Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights, such as under the GDPR or the California Consumer Privacy Act. Email us and we'll help.

Security

Data is encrypted in transit. Notes and your activity log are protected by database rules that limit access to their owner. No system is perfectly secure, but we take care to protect what you give us.

Children

Smelter isn't intended for children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect their information. If you think a child has created an account, email us and we'll remove it.

Changes

If we change this policy in a meaningful way, we'll update the date above and tell people in the app or by email before it takes effect.

Contact

Questions about privacy? Email support@smelterapp.com.