Privacy Policy

Updated September 29, 2026

OnlyIf is a private way to say what you are looking for, and to be introduced to someone only when they independently wanted something compatible. This policy explains what we collect, why, and what you can do about it. It describes OnlyIf as it works today, for people in the United States.

Who we are

OnlyIf operates the OnlyIf app and onlyif.app from the United States. Privacy questions go to privacy@onlyif.app.

Who OnlyIf is for

OnlyIf is only for adults 18 and older. During onboarding you confirm that you are at least 18. That confirmation is your attestation. It is not an identity check, and we do not store your date of birth.

We do not knowingly allow anyone under 18 to use OnlyIf. If you believe an account belongs to a minor, report it in the app or email privacy@onlyif.app. We will close an account we learn is under 18.

Information you give us

You sign in with a passkey. We do not ask for an email address, phone number, or password. Your biometric stays on your device. OnlyIf stores a public key that cannot unlock your device.

You choose a private username. We ask you not to use your real name, a social handle, an email address, or a workplace.

You tell us how you describe your gender, and which genders you are open to matching with. You can also add private alignment answers, boundaries, and curiosities.

You write each OnlyIf yourself. If you set a place for it, we store a coarse area and a radius, not a precise GPS trail.

After a mutual connection, messages and media you send are part of that conversation. You can block someone and submit a report. An invite code is stored if you use one to enter.

We do not ask for your legal name, date of birth, street address, government ID, or payment card to use OnlyIf today.

Information created when you use OnlyIf

We assign a random internal identifier to your account. Other members do not see it.

If you allow location for an OnlyIf, the app converts that reading into a coarse grid cell used for matching. Other members are not given your exact coordinates.

We keep safety records, including blocks and reports.

Our hosting provider keeps technical logs that can include an IP address, device data, and diagnostics. Those logs are used to operate and protect the service.

Sensitive information

An OnlyIf, a gender, a preference, or a private answer can reveal intimate information, including information about your sex life or sexual orientation. We use that information to operate matching, safety, and the features you choose to use.

We do not sell it, and we do not use it for advertising. Providing it in an OnlyIf or a private answer is not permission to use it for any other purpose. You can edit those answers, delete an OnlyIf, or delete your account.

How we use information

We use information to create and protect your account, interpret OnlyIfs, and look for a match that fits in both directions. A person is shown only when the match is mutual and both people choose to connect.

We also use it to deliver messages between people who have connected, to investigate reports, to enforce our terms, and to keep minors off OnlyIf.

Automated matching

Automated systems, including Google’s Gemini models, read the OnlyIf text and matching answers you submit. They turn that text into structured criteria, check it against our safety rules, and compare it with other people’s OnlyIfs.

We send the model the matching text it needs. We do not send it an email address, legal name, or government ID, because your profile does not contain those. We do not send it your exact GPS coordinates. A connection is not created by ranking a public directory of members.

What other members can see

Other members cannot browse profiles, search for you by name, or see a map of people nearby. Before you both choose to connect, they do not see your username, your OnlyIf, or your location.

After you both connect, they can see the connection screen and the messages you send. They still do not receive your exact coordinates. Your username is not your legal identity.

Do not put your name, contact details, workplace, or other identifying details in an OnlyIf or a message if you want them to stay private. The other person can copy, save, or photograph what you send.

Who receives information

Google Firebase hosts authentication, the database, file storage, and server functions in the United States. Google’s Gemini API interprets OnlyIf text for matching and safety.

OnlyIf administrators can access account records and message content to operate and protect the service. Chat is not end-to-end encrypted.

Other members receive only what the section above describes. We may also disclose information if we believe the law requires it, or to protect someone from serious harm.

We do not sell your OnlyIfs, intimate preferences, identity information, or precise location. We do not share them with advertisers, and we do not use advertising pixels.

Messages and media

Text messages are stored so the people in the conversation can read them. OnlyIf administrators can also access them.

Photos and videos are encrypted before they are stored. OnlyIf holds the keys needed to decrypt them. That protects the stored file. It is not end-to-end encryption from OnlyIf. View-once and hold-to-reveal reduce casual exposure. They do not stop screenshots or screen recording.

How long we keep information

Your account, username, private answers, OnlyIfs, connections, messages, and media stay while your account exists.

When you delete your account, those records are removed, along with your passkeys and recovery access, and you are signed out. Deletion cannot be undone. You can also delete a single OnlyIf without deleting the account.

When you delete your account, we remove your account identifier from safety reports. We may keep the report itself, without that identifier, to investigate abuse.

A residual copy of deleted information may remain in a backup until that backup expires. We do not restore a deleted account from backup on request.

Your choices

In the app you can edit your username and private matching answers, delete an OnlyIf, block someone, report a connection, and delete your account. Account deletion is under You, then Delete my account.

To ask for a copy of your information, a correction, or help deleting it, email privacy@onlyif.app. Tell us how to find the account. Do not send a government ID image or other documents we do not already have.

Cookies and similar technologies

The public website does not use advertising cookies or analytics pixels. The app uses local storage and similar technology that is required to keep you signed in. We do not load third-party tracking tools.

Security

We use encrypted connections, database access controls, and server-side checks for privileged actions. No service can promise that a breach is impossible. We treat protection of intimate information as part of operating OnlyIf.

Changes

If we change this policy in a material way, we will update the date on this page. If you have an account, we will also surface the change in the app when we can reach you there. Continued use after the update means the new policy applies. If you do not agree, delete your account.

Contact

Email privacy@onlyif.app. OnlyIf is offered from the United States.