Privacy Policy
Last updated 18 September 2026
Swell Scout doesn't have accounts, servers or analytics, so we have no way to collect anything about you. The one thing that does leave your phone is your location, and this page explains exactly when and where it goes.
The short version
- We don't run a server, so we never receive, store or see your data.
- There's no account, no sign-up, no email address and no advertising ID.
- No analytics, no crash reporting and no tracking code of any kind.
- When you use your location, your coordinates go to two public forecast services, NOAA and Open-Meteo, so they can send back data for that spot. Nothing else leaves your phone.
- You don't have to share your location at all. You can type a place or ZIP code instead.
Where your location goes
To show you the surf at a spot, the app has to ask public data services about it. Some of those requests have to include the coordinates. Others don't, because the app figures out what it needs on your phone first. Here's every request the app makes and what's in it:
| Service | What it gets | Why |
|---|---|---|
National Weather Service api.weather.gov |
Your coordinates | Time zone, local forecast office, forecast area and coastal marine zone |
Open-Meteo api.open-meteo.com |
Your coordinates | Wave and wind forecast for that spot |
NDBC buoys ndbc.noaa.gov |
Nothing | The app downloads the readings for every buoy in the country and picks out the nearby ones on your phone |
NOAA Tides & Currents tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov |
A station number only | The app picks the right tide station on your phone, using data that comes with the app, and then asks for that station's tides |
The Weather Service, NDBC and Tides & Currents are run by the US government, and Open-Meteo is run independently. Each has its own privacy policy. We don't have a business relationship with any of them, we can't tie a request back to you, and we can't see their logs.
Your saved spots, settings and cached conditions are stored privately on your phone. They aren't backed up to us, since we don't have anywhere to put them.
Turning it off
- You can say no when the app asks for your location, or turn it off later in Android Settings → Apps → Swell Scout → Permissions. The app still works; you just type in places by name or ZIP code.
- The app never asks for background location, so it can't see where you are when it isn't open.
- Uninstalling the app deletes everything, including your saved spots and cached data. We don't have a copy on a server, so there's nothing for you to ask us to delete.
Notifications
Surf alerts are scheduled and sent by your phone itself. There's no push service, and the app never registers or sends anything that identifies your device.
Children
Swell Scout isn't aimed at children, and it doesn't collect anything that could identify anyone, whatever their age.
Changes
If the app ever starts sending something new, we'll update this page before that version comes out and change the date at the top.
Contact
Questions about this policy? Email [email protected].