Privacy policy

Last updated 7 October 2026

Mountains, Mates & Memories ("MMM") is an app for hiking groups and road-trip crews, on the web at mountainmates.co.za and on iPhone, iPad, Android, Apple Watch and Wear OS. I'm Maré Greyling, trading as Thevertex, and I am responsible for your personal information in MMM under South Africa's Protection of Personal Information Act (POPIA). This page says what MMM collects, why, who helps me run it, and what you can do about it.

What MMM collects

• Your account: your name, email address and/or mobile (WhatsApp) number, and a password if you set one. If you sign in with Apple or Google, I receive the name and email they share.
• Your location, only during an outing: while you record a hike or road trip, the app saves your position with the time it was taken, so your mates can see you on the live map and the memory can draw your trail. Nothing is tracked outside an outing. On iPhone this needs location set to "Always"; on Android, "While using the app" with a visible recording notification.
• Photos, clips and messages you take or send in an outing, with where and when they were taken.
• Outing details: outings you plan or join, your status (for example "I'm fine" or a help call), invites you send and answer, and your choices about sharing.
• Your device: the phone or watch model, operating system, app version, which permissions are allowed, and a push token so MMM can send alerts and ring a lost phone.
• Payments: handled by Paystack (cards) or Apple (in-app purchase). MMM keeps only the card brand and last four digits, never the full card number.
• Support requests you send, with any screenshot you choose to add.
• Launch updates: if you sign up on the website, your email, optional WhatsApp number and your consent.

Why it is used

• To run the outings: the live map, safety alerts, check-ins, help calls, finding a lost phone, and the shared memory afterwards.
• To sign you in, send your sign-in codes, and send invites and outing updates you asked for.
• To take payment for a plan, if you choose one.
• To answer support requests and fix problems.

MMM shows no advertising and never sells your personal information.

Who can see what

• The mates on an outing see your position and status during that outing.
• Photos and clips are visible to who you choose: only you, the group, or public. Nothing is public while an outing is live, and a public page only shows the mates who said yes. Public moment images have their location data removed.
• Club administrators see their own club's outings and roll-call.

Who helps me run MMM

These services process information for MMM, only for the purpose given:

• Google: maps, place search and Sign in with Google; Gemini and Lyria for optional AI stories, guide voices and music.
• Apple: Sign in with Apple, in-app purchases and iPhone notifications.
• Meta (WhatsApp Business): sign-in codes, invites and outing updates by WhatsApp.
• Expo and Firebase Cloud Messaging: push notifications to phones.
• Paystack: card payments.
• Anthropic (Claude): optional AI help with support requests and stories.
• Suno: optional songs made for an outing.
• An email provider, to send sign-in codes and notices by email.

AI features only receive what they need for that one task, and the group can switch AI off.

How long it is kept

• An outing's memory stays on the app for 30 days after it ends, unless the group archives it or you download it. Then it is removed from the list, kept as a restorable copy for 7 more days, and deleted.
• Your account stays until you delete it.

Your rights

You can see and correct your details in the app's Settings, download your outings, and delete your account at any time, in the app (Settings › Delete my account) or as explained on the delete your account page. You may also ask me what information I hold about you, or object to how it is used, by emailing hello@mare-greyling.com. If you are not satisfied with my answer, you can complain to South Africa's Information Regulator.

Security

MMM is served over HTTPS, photos and clips are streamed only to the people allowed to see them, and passwords are stored hashed, never in plain text.

Children

MMM is meant for adults. Children should only take part in an outing through a parent or guardian.

Changes

If this policy changes, the date at the top changes too, and important changes are announced in the app.

Contact

Maré Greyling (Thevertex) · hello@mare-greyling.com · mountainmates.co.za