1. Acceptance of Terms

By downloading, installing, or using BubbleUp, you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service and our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the app.

2. Eligibility

To use BubbleUp, you must:

• Be at least 18 years of age
• Not be prohibited from using the service under applicable laws
• Have a device capable of accessing location services

3. Account Types

Anonymous Accounts

• You can use BubbleUp without registering by using a device-linked anonymous account
• Anonymous accounts are tied to your device ID
• You can upgrade to a registered account at any time

Registered Accounts

• Register with email/password, Google Sign-In, or Apple Sign-In
• Provides account recovery and cross-device access
• You are responsible for maintaining account security

Free Tier

• Daily Room Limit: 3 rooms per day
• Room Duration: Up to 6 hours
• Max Participants: 200 per room
• Advertisements: Includes banner and occasional interstitial ads powered by Google AdMob
• Ads may be personalized based on your interests (you can opt out via device settings or Profile → Privacy Preferences)

BubbleUp Pro (Subscriptions)

• Optional paid tiers (Monthly, Annual)
• Premium Features:

• No Advertisements: Completely ad-free experience
• Extended Room Duration: Up to 7 days (vs. 6 hours for free)
• Increased Daily Room Limit: 20 rooms/day (vs. 3 for free)
• Unlimited Participants: No cap (vs. 200 for free)

• Managed securely via RevenueCat and processed through Apple App Store or Google Play Store

4. How BubbleUp Works

Location-Based Discovery

• Rooms are tied to geographic locations
• You can discover and join rooms near your current location
• Location permission is required for the app to function

Room Location Options

• My Location (GPS) - Creates a room near your current location. Your exact position is converted to a Geohash (~5km area) on your device before being sent to our servers, protecting your precise location.
• Custom Location - Select any area on the map. The room will appear at the center of the nearest ~1km Geohash cell.

Ephemeral Rooms

• Rooms automatically expire after a set duration
• Free Tier Duration: 1-6 hours
• Pro Duration: Up to 7 days
• When a room expires, it becomes inaccessible to all users
• Room creators can close rooms early

Room Categories

• Social & Meetups, Events & Festivals, Food & Dining, Atmosphere & Music, Sports & Fitness, Hidden Gems & Sightseeing, News & Intel, Wait times & Retail, Deals & Pop-ups, Markets & Finds, Traffic & Transit, Lost & Found, Safety & Hazards, and General

5. Acceptable Use

You agree to use BubbleUp responsibly. You must NOT:

• Illegal Acts: Use the service for any unlawful purpose, or to solicit others to perform or participate in unlawful acts
• Targeting & Harassment: Stalk, harass, bully, or intimidate any individual or group
• Post illegal, harmful, threatening, or abusive content
• Share personal information of others without consent
• Impersonate any person or entity
• Spam, advertise, or promote commercial content
• Share sexually explicit content or solicit minors
• Attempt to hack, exploit, or disrupt the service

6. Room Creator Responsibilities

When you create a room, you have additional responsibilities:

• Use appropriate titles and descriptions
• Select the correct category for your room
• You can kick users who misbehave (they can rejoin)
• You can ban users who violate guidelines (permanent removal from your room)
• You can close your room at any time
• Room Creation Limits: 3 rooms per day for standard users, up to 20 rooms per day for Pro users

7. Subscriptions and Billing

BubbleUp offers "Pro" features via subscription. By subscribing, you agree to our billing terms:

• Billing: Subscriptions are processed through your Apple App Store or Google Play Store account.
• Auto-Renewal: Subscriptions automatically renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the end of the current period.
• Cancellation: You can manage or cancel your subscription at any time through the Profile menu in the app or directly in your device's store settings.
• Refunds: Refund requests are handled exclusively by Apple or Google, subject to their respective refund policies.
• Price Changes: We reserve the right to modify subscription fees. Any changes will be notified in advance.

8. Content Ownership

You retain ownership of content you post. By posting, you grant BubbleUp a license to display and distribute your content within the app during the room's lifetime. When the room expires, your content is archived.

You represent that you have the right to share any content you post and that it does not violate any laws or these terms.

9. Blocking and Reporting

• You can block users to receive a warning if they are present when you join a room
• Blocking does not hide messages: both you and the blocked user can still see each other's content
• Room creators can ban users who violate room rules

10. Termination

We may suspend or terminate your account if you:

• Violate these Terms of Service
• Engage in harmful or abusive behavior
• Create legal risk for BubbleUp

You may delete your account at any time through Settings. Account deletion is permanent.

11. Disclaimers

BubbleUp is provided "as is" without warranties. We do not guarantee:

• Uninterrupted or error-free service
• Accuracy of content shared by users
• Safety of in-person meetings with other users

12. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, BubbleUp shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages, including:

• Loss of data or profits
• Personal injury from offline meetings
• Actions of other users
• Service interruptions

13. Content Moderation

We reserve the right to:

• Remove or refuse any content without prior notice
• Suspend or terminate accounts for violations
• Cooperate with law enforcement when required

Content Filtering Methods:

• Manual review of all reported content
• User-driven moderation through reporting and blocking
• Room creators can ban users who post objectionable content

Moderation Response Time:

We commit to reviewing all reported content within 24 hours. Confirmed violations result in immediate content removal and permanent account suspension of the offending user.

Users are responsible for all content they post. BubbleUp acts as a platform provider, not a publisher of user content.

14. Reporting Violations

To report content or behavior that violates these Terms:

• Use the in-app Report feature on any message or user
• Email: localchat.official@gmail.com

We review all reports and take appropriate action.

15. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless BubbleUp and its operators from any claims, damages, or expenses arising from:

• Your use of the Service
• Content you post or transmit
• Violation of these Terms
• Infringement of any third-party rights

16. Governing Law

These Terms shall be governed by and construed in accordance with applicable laws based on your location:

• EU/EEA users - Laws of your country of residence
• US users - Laws of the State of Delaware
• Turkey users - Laws of the Republic of Turkey
• Other - Laws of the State of Delaware, USA

17. Changes to Terms

We may update these Terms of Service. Significant changes will be notified through the app. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.

18. Contact

For questions about these Terms of Service: