Last updated: June 2026
Unite is a mobile app. We don't use browser cookies in the traditional sense — but we use similar technologies to keep you securely logged in and the app functioning. Here's exactly what they are and why.
Cookies are small data files stored on your device. Mobile apps use equivalent mechanisms — device tokens and session identifiers — to remember who you are between sessions. In Unite's case, these technologies serve one core purpose: keeping you securely logged in and delivering the right content to you.
| Technology | Provider | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Firebase Auth Token Essential | Google Firebase | A JWT stored securely on your device after phone OTP verification. Keeps you logged in and proves your identity to our servers. Without this, the app cannot function. |
| FCM Device Token Essential | Firebase Cloud Messaging | Routes push notifications to your specific device. Required to receive happening alerts, Family updates, and chat notifications. |
| Supabase Session Essential | Supabase | Maintains your authenticated session with our database so your data loads correctly and securely. |
| Stripe Session Payments | Stripe | Used by Stripe to process payments securely and prevent fraud. Governed by Stripe's own Cookie Policy. |
| Expo Device ID Analytics | Expo | An anonymous identifier for crash reporting and build diagnostics. Does not identify you personally. |
| App Preferences Essential | Unite (local) | Stores your in-app preferences locally (e.g. notification settings, map filters). Never transmitted off your device. |
We do not use advertising cookies, tracking pixels, or any technology designed to build a profile of you for marketing purposes. None of these tokens are shared with advertising networks.
The essential technologies above cannot be disabled without breaking the app. They are strictly necessary to verify your identity, deliver push notifications, load your data, and enforce the one-account-per-person rule that protects community integrity.
Because they are necessary for the app to function, we do not request separate consent — but we are transparent about what they are and what they do.