Terms of Service

Last Updated: January 30, 2026

Welcome to PingCircle

These terms govern your use of PingCircle (the "Service"). By creating an account or using our app, you agree to these terms. If you don't agree, please don't use PingCircle.

1. Account Requirements

To use PingCircle, you must:

• Be at least 13 years old (users 13-17 need parental consent)
• Provide accurate information during signup
• Keep your login credentials secure
• Use Sign in with Apple for authentication
• Not share your account with others
• Have only one account per person
• Not create accounts using automated means (bots)

2. Acceptable Use

You agree to use PingCircle respectfully and lawfully. You may NOT:

Prohibited Behavior

• Harassment: Bully, threaten, or harass other users
• Hate Speech: Share content promoting hate based on race, religion, gender, sexuality, or identity
• Spam: Send excessive or unsolicited pings
• Misinformation: Deliberately spread false information about health, safety, or elections
• Illegal Content: Share anything illegal in your jurisdiction
• Sexual Content: Share explicit, sexual, or adult content
• Violence: Promote or glorify violence or self-harm
• Impersonation: Pretend to be someone else

Technical Restrictions

• Attempt to hack, reverse engineer, or exploit the app
• Scrape data or use automated bots
• Overload our servers with excessive requests
• Bypass security features or rate limits
• Access other users' accounts without permission
• Use PingCircle to distribute malware or viruses

Commercial Use

• Use PingCircle for commercial purposes without written permission
• Resell or redistribute the Service
• Use for marketing, advertising, or promotional purposes

3. Content Ownership

Your Content

You own everything you create in PingCircle—your check-ins, pings, reflections, and any other content. We don't claim ownership of your content.

However, by using the Service, you grant us a limited license to:

• Store and display your content to friends you've added
• Process your content to provide features (like insights)
• Make backups to prevent data loss

This license ends when you delete your content or account.

Our Content

PingCircle's design, code, branding, features, and documentation are our intellectual property. You may not:

• Copy, modify, or distribute our software
• Use our trademarks without permission
• Create derivative works based on PingCircle

4. Privacy & Data

Your privacy is critical. Please read our Privacy Policy to understand how we handle your data.

Key points:

• We collect minimal data necessary for the Service
• We never sell your data
• You can export or delete your data anytime
• All ping messages are end-to-end encrypted

5. Ghost Mode & Streaks

Ghost Mode

• You can activate Ghost Mode anytime for any reason
• Ghost Mode pauses your streak without breaking it
• Friends will see you're in Ghost Mode but can still send gentle pings
• You can set a duration or leave it open-ended
• Emergency pings (🆘) may still reach you

Streaks

• Streaks track consecutive days of check-ins
• Missing a check-in (outside Ghost Mode) may reset your streak
• We don't guarantee streak preservation in case of technical issues
• Streak data is stored securely but may be lost if you delete your account

6. Ping Token System

• Tokens are earned through engagement (check-ins, replies, milestones)
• Tokens are spent to send pings
• Tokens have no monetary value and cannot be purchased, transferred, or sold
• We reserve the right to adjust token earning/spending rates with notice
• Token balances do not transfer if you delete your account
• We may grant or revoke tokens to prevent abuse

7. Subscription & Payments

Note: PingCircle is currently free. If we introduce paid features in the future, we'll update these terms.

For future premium features:

• All payments processed through Apple In-App Purchases
• Subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled
• Cancel anytime from iOS Settings
• No refunds for partial periods
• Pricing subject to change with 30 days notice

8. Termination

We May Suspend or Terminate Your Account If You:

• Violate these terms repeatedly
• Engage in harmful behavior toward other users
• Attempt to compromise app security
• Use the app for illegal purposes
• Create multiple accounts to circumvent bans
• Fail to respond to safety concerns

You May Delete Your Account Anytime:

• Go to Settings → Account → Delete Account
• All your data will be permanently deleted within 30 days
• This action cannot be undone
• You can create a new account later if desired

Effects of Termination:

• You lose access to all content and data
• Your constellation is removed from friends' views
• All streaks and achievements are lost
• Ping token balance is forfeited
• Premium subscriptions (if any) are cancelled

9. Disclaimers

Crisis Resources

• National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: 988
• Crisis Text Line: Text HOME to 741741
• Emergency Services: 911
• SAMHSA National Helpline: 1-800-662-4357

Service "As Is"

PingCircle is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind. We strive for 99.9% uptime but cannot guarantee:

• Uninterrupted or error-free service
• Specific results or outcomes
• Compatibility with all devices
• Preservation of all data in all circumstances
• Resolution of all bugs immediately

10. Limitation of Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law:

• We're not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages
• Our total liability is limited to $100 USD or the amount you've paid us in the past 12 months (currently $0)
• We're not responsible for third-party services (Apple, Firebase, etc.)
• We're not liable for user-generated content or actions

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold PingCircle harmless from any claims arising from:

• Your violation of these terms
• Your violation of any law or third-party rights
• Your content or conduct on the Service
• Your use of the Service

12. Changes to Terms

We may update these terms to reflect changes in our practices or legal requirements. Material changes will be announced via:

• Email notification (30 days in advance)
• In-app notification
• Banner on the terms page

Continued use after changes means you accept the updated terms. If you don't agree, stop using the Service and delete your account.

13. Governing Law & Disputes

Governing Law

These terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles.

Dispute Resolution

Before filing a lawsuit, you agree to try to resolve disputes informally by contacting us at legal@pingcircle.app.

Arbitration

If informal resolution fails, disputes will be resolved through binding arbitration, not court litigation, except:

• Small claims court cases (under $10,000)
• Intellectual property disputes
• Injunctive relief requests

Class Action Waiver

You agree to resolve disputes individually, not as part of a class, collective, or representative action.

14. Miscellaneous

Entire Agreement

These terms, along with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and PingCircle.

Severability

If any provision is found unenforceable, the rest remains in effect.

No Waiver

Our failure to enforce any right doesn't waive that right.

Assignment

You may not transfer your account. We may transfer our rights and obligations to another company (e.g., in case of acquisition).

Force Majeure

We're not liable for failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control (natural disasters, wars, pandemics, etc.).

15. Contact & Feedback

Legal Questions:
Email: legal@pingcircle.app

General Questions:
Email: support@pingcircle.app

Terms Feedback:
Found something confusing? We want our terms to be readable. Send feedback to: feedback@pingcircle.app

Mailing Address:
PingCircle, Inc.
Attn: Legal Department
[Your Address]

16. Acknowledgment

By creating an account, checking the "I agree" box, or using PingCircle, you acknowledge that you've read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms of Service.

Document Version: 1.0
Last Updated: January 30, 2026
Effective Date: January 30, 2026