← Back to The Shortlist

Privacy Policy

Effective 18 May 2026 · Last updated 18 May 2026

The short version

We don't collect any data about you. The Shortlist runs entirely in your browser. Your quiz answers, the names you swipe, and the shortlist you build all stay on your own device. The only thing that ever leaves your device is the URL you choose to share with your partner — and that goes directly to them, not through us.

Who we are

The Shortlist is a free web app developed and operated by M & K Studios, based in the United Kingdom. The app is hosted at theshortlistapp.uk and distributed on Google Play.

If you have any questions about this policy or your data, get in touch: Stormarx@hotmail.com.

What data we collect

None on our servers. We don't have a backend database. We don't have user accounts. We never see your quiz answers, the names you've liked, or anything else you do inside the app.

What's stored on your device

The app saves a few things locally using your browser's standard storage (localStorage) so the app can remember where you left off:

All of this lives on your device. It never gets uploaded to any server we control.

You can clear everything any time by tapping "Start fresh" inside the app, by clearing your browser's data for this site, or by uninstalling the app from your home screen.

What you share with your partner

When you tap "Send to partner" or "Send the matches back," the app generates a URL that contains your encoded quiz answers and the names you've liked. You then share this URL through whatever messaging app you choose — WhatsApp, Messages, email, anything you like.

The content of that URL doesn't pass through our servers. It goes directly from your messaging app to whoever you sent it to.

If you share that URL on a public channel, anyone who opens it can see the answers and likes encoded inside. We recommend sharing it only with your partner.

Third-party services

Hosting — Vercel

The website is hosted on Vercel. When your browser loads the site, Vercel automatically logs some technical information about the request — your IP address, the page path, the browser user-agent, and a timestamp. These are standard server logs and Vercel retains them for a limited period in line with their own retention practices. We don't access or analyse these logs. Vercel's privacy policy: vercel.com/legal/privacy-policy.

Distribution — Google Play

If you installed The Shortlist via the Google Play Store on Android, Google may collect information related to that installation (device identifiers, install and uninstall events, crash reports). This is governed by Google's own privacy practices, not ours: policies.google.com/privacy.

What we don't use

  • No analytics services (no Google Analytics, no Mixpanel, no PostHog, no Plausible)
  • No error or crash tracking (no Sentry, no Bugsnag)
  • No advertising or remarketing
  • No third-party cookies
  • No Facebook pixels, no TikTok pixels, no tracking pixels of any kind
  • No fingerprinting
  • No third-party fonts or scripts that could track you (except Google Fonts on this policy page; the main app loads its fonts the same way)

Children

The Shortlist is intended for adults choosing a baby name together. The app is not designed for or directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from children. If you believe a child has used the app and you'd like us to address it, please contact us at the email above.

Your rights

Under the UK GDPR, the EU GDPR, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA), and similar privacy laws around the world, you have rights over your personal data — to access it, correct it, delete it, port it, or object to its use.

Because we don't collect or store any personal data on our servers, most of these rights are satisfied automatically: all your data is already in your own browser, and you can view it, export it, or delete it yourself using your browser's standard tools or the in-app "Start fresh" button.

If you'd like to make a specific request about the limited technical log data held by Vercel on our behalf, email us at the address above and we'll do our best to help within 30 days.

Changes to this policy

If we update this policy, we'll change the "Last updated" date at the top of the page. Any material changes — anything that genuinely affects what data the app handles — will also be flagged inside the app the next time you open it.

Contact

Questions, concerns, or just want to say hi?

Stormarx@hotmail.com