CloseOnes Terms of Use
These Terms of Use ("Terms") are a binding agreement between you and CircleRootTech LLC, a Utah limited liability company ("CircleRootTech," "we," "us," "our"), about your use of the CloseOnes mobile app, its website, and related services (together, the "App").
Our Privacy Policy explains what information we collect and how we use it. It is part of these Terms. You accept both together when you check the box and tap Agree & Continue.
PLEASE READ CAREFULLY. SECTION 17 CONTAINS A BINDING ARBITRATION AGREEMENT AND A CLASS ACTION WAIVER THAT AFFECT YOUR LEGAL RIGHTS. YOU MAY OPT OUT OF ARBITRATION WITHIN 30 DAYS (SECTION 17.5). SECTIONS 4, 5, 6, 13, 14, AND 15 LIMIT OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO YOU.
1. Accepting these Terms
1.1 You must accept these Terms and the Privacy Policy before you use the App. You accept them by checking the box and tapping Agree & Continue. If you do not agree, do not create an account or use the App.
1.2 We record the date, time, and version of the Terms you accepted.
1.3 Changes. We may update these Terms. If a change is material, we will ask you to accept the new version in the App before you continue using it. If you do not accept, you may delete your account. Changes do not apply to a dispute that arose before the change.
2. Who may use CloseOnes
2.1 You must be at least 18 years old and able to form a binding contract. CloseOnes is not for children. If we learn an account belongs to someone under 18, we will delete it.
2.2 You may not use the App if you are barred from doing so by law, or if we have previously removed you from the App.
3. What CloseOnes is, and what it is not
3.1 CloseOnes is a social tool for staying in touch with people you choose: small private circles, check-ins, questions, reminders, and Bridges, a private space to think about people you have drifted from.
3.2 CLOSEONES IS NOT A HEALTH CARE, MENTAL HEALTH, MEDICAL, COUNSELING, THERAPY, CRISIS, OR EMERGENCY SERVICE. Nothing in the App is medical, psychological, legal, or professional advice. Using the App does not create a doctor–patient, therapist–client, or any professional relationship. Wellness content, crisis resource links, message starters, and supportive notes are general information only.
3.3 IF YOU ARE IN DANGER OR THINKING ABOUT HARMING YOURSELF, CALL 911 (US) OR YOUR LOCAL EMERGENCY NUMBER, OR CALL OR TEXT 988 (US SUICIDE & CRISIS LIFELINE). Do not rely on the App, your circle, or any reply from another person to get help.
4. Mood check-ins and what other people do
4.1 When you send a check-in such as "Having a hard time," it goes to the people you chose. We do not monitor check-ins, we do not alert emergency services or anyone else, and no one at CloseOnes will reach out to you.
4.2 The people in your circle are not our employees, agents, or trained helpers. They have no duty to read, reply, or help, and we are not responsible for whether, when, or how they respond. A lack of response is not a sign of anything and is outside our control.
4.3 Notifications can be delayed, fail, or be turned off. Do not rely on the App to deliver anything urgent.
4.4 Mood check-ins are health information. Before your first mood check-in, we will ask for your separate consent under our Consumer Health Data Privacy Policy. You can withdraw that consent at any time in the App.
5. Bridges, reconnecting, and contacting other people
5.1 Bridges is a private journal and planning space. It lets you write about people you know, describe how you feel about them, choose small optional steps, see message ideas, and get optional reminders. It does not contact anyone for you.
5.2 YOU ALONE DECIDE WHETHER, WHEN, AND HOW TO CONTACT ANYONE. Every message is written, edited, and sent by you, through apps you choose. We never send messages for you.
5.3 Reconnecting carries real emotional risk. Reaching out to someone may lead to rejection, silence, conflict, renewed hurt, grief, anxiety, distress, or other outcomes you did not expect or want. YOU UNDERSTAND AND VOLUNTARILY ACCEPT THESE RISKS. The App cannot predict or influence how anyone will react. To the fullest extent permitted by law, CircleRootTech is not responsible for any emotional, psychological, relational, financial, or physical consequences of your decision to contact, or not contact, any person.
5.4 Message starters are hand-written suggestions. They are not advice about what you should say or do. You are fully responsible for anything you send, including any message based on a starter.
5.5 "Letting go" and "Not safe to contact." These labels only change what the App shows you: they turn off reminders and suggestions for that person. They are not a safety, protection, or monitoring service. They do not block anyone, notify anyone, report anything, or keep anyone from contacting you. If you feel unsafe, contact local law enforcement, call 911 (US), or reach a domestic violence or crisis service.
5.6 You must respect other people's boundaries and the law. You must not use the App to contact, locate, monitor, or harass anyone who has asked you not to contact them, has blocked you, or is protected by a court order, restraining order, or no-contact order. You are solely responsible for knowing and following any order or law that applies to you.
5.7 Writing about other people. Your Bridges notes and other content may include information about people who do not use CloseOnes and have not agreed to it. You are responsible for that content. Do not write anything unlawful, defamatory, or that you have no right to record. Bridges content is private to you, and we do not review it, but you must still follow Section 9.
5.9 Adding or inviting other people. When you add someone to a circle or invite someone who does not use CloseOnes, you confirm that, to the best of your knowledge, they are at least 18 years old and have given you permission to share their name and phone number with us for that purpose.
5.8 Reminders are optional and only as frequent as you choose. They never show a person's name. You can turn them off at any time.
6. Your relationships and your choices are your own
6.1 CloseOnes is a tool. We do not guarantee any result, including that you will feel less lonely, repair or keep any relationship, or receive any reply.
6.2 You are responsible for your own decisions, actions, and well-being, and for your interactions with other people, on or off the App, including any meet-ups you arrange. Use good judgment and take reasonable safety precautions when meeting anyone in person.
7. Your account
7.1 You sign in with your mobile phone number. You must give accurate information and keep your phone and account secure. You are responsible for activity on your account.
7.2 Text messages. By giving us your phone number, you agree to receive one-time verification codes and important account notices (such as the inactive-account notices in Section 7.5) by text message from our provider. Message and data rates may apply. We never send marketing texts. Reply STOP to stop account-notice texts; you can still sign in with verification codes.
7.3 Notifications. If you allow them, we send push notifications about activity in your circles and optional reminders. You can turn them off in the App or your phone's settings.
7.4 Deleting your account. You can delete your account at any time in Profile → Delete Account. This permanently erases your account and data as described in the Privacy Policy and cannot be undone.
7.5 Inactive accounts. CloseOnes will permanently delete accounts that have been completely inactive for a continuous period of two (2) years, as described in our Privacy Policy. Before taking any action on an inactive account, CloseOnes will send two notifications to the contact information linked to your account: (a) Initial Warning: a push notification (if you allow them) and a text message (SMS) about thirty (30) days before the scheduled deletion; and (b) Final Warning: a push notification (if you allow them) and a text message (SMS) about seven (7) days before the scheduled deletion. Opening the App at any time before the deletion date keeps your account and cancels the deletion. If you do not open the App within thirty-seven (37) days of the initial warning, your account and its data may be permanently deleted. We are not responsible if a notice does not reach you (for example, if your number has changed or notifications are off).
8. Your content
8.1 "Your content" means anything you add to the App: your name, check-ins, answers, questions, reactions, circle details, Bridges entries and notes, and messages you draft.
8.2 You keep ownership of your content. You give us a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to store, process, transmit, and display your content only to operate the App for you and the people you choose to share with. This license ends when your content is deleted, except as needed to finish the deletion.
8.3 We do not sell your content, use it for advertising, or send it to any AI service.
8.4 You are responsible for your content and promise you have the right to share it.
9. Things you must not do
You agree not to:
- harass, threaten, stalk, intimidate, bully, or abuse anyone;
- contact anyone in violation of Section 5.6;
- post content that is unlawful, defamatory, hateful, sexually explicit, violent, or that encourages self-harm or harm to others;
- impersonate anyone or misrepresent your relationship with anyone;
- add someone's phone number to a circle or invite without a legitimate reason to contact them;
- access or try to access other people's accounts or data;
- scrape, copy, reverse engineer, or interfere with the App or its security;
- use the App for any illegal purpose.
We may remove content or suspend or end accounts that break these rules, at our discretion.
10. Paid features
If we offer paid features, prices, renewal terms, and cancellation are shown before you buy. Purchases are handled by Apple under Apple's terms, and refunds are handled by Apple. Except where required by law, payments are non-refundable.
11. Third-party services
The App relies on services from other companies, including Google (Firebase), Twilio, Expo, and Apple, and it opens other apps (such as Messages) when you choose to share. We are not responsible for third-party services, and their own terms and policies apply.
12. Our intellectual property
The App, its design, text, illustrations, and software belong to CircleRootTech and are protected by law. We give you a personal, revocable, non-transferable license to use the App for its intended purpose under these Terms.
13. Disclaimer of warranties
THE APP IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE," WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, AND AVAILABILITY. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT THE APP WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, SECURE, OR ERROR-FREE, THAT NOTIFICATIONS OR REMINDERS WILL BE DELIVERED, OR THAT USING THE APP WILL IMPROVE YOUR WELL-BEING OR RELATIONSHIPS. Some places do not allow these exclusions, so some may not apply to you.
14. Limitation of liability
14.1 TO THE FULLEST EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, CIRCLEROOTTECH AND ITS OWNERS, MEMBERS, OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND CONTRACTORS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR FOR ANY EMOTIONAL DISTRESS, MENTAL ANGUISH, LOSS OF RELATIONSHIPS, PERSONAL INJURY, OR SELF-HARM, ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO: (A) YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE APP; (B) ANY CONTACT OR ATTEMPTED CONTACT WITH ANY PERSON, OR ANY PERSON'S RESPONSE OR LACK OF RESPONSE; (C) ANY CONDUCT OR CONTENT OF OTHER USERS OR THIRD PARTIES; (D) ANY CHECK-IN, REMINDER, OR NOTIFICATION THAT WAS OR WAS NOT DELIVERED; OR (E) UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS TO YOUR DATA, EVEN IF WE WERE TOLD THESE DAMAGES WERE POSSIBLE.
14.2 OUR TOTAL LIABILITY FOR ALL CLAIMS RELATED TO THE APP WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (A) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM, OR (B) US $50.
14.3 These limits apply to every theory of liability and even if a remedy fails of its essential purpose. They do not limit liability that cannot be limited by law, such as liability for our gross negligence or intentional misconduct where the law does not allow it to be limited.
15. Assumption of risk and release
15.1 You understand that using a social and emotional connection app, writing about painful relationships, and reaching out to people can bring up difficult feelings, and you voluntarily assume those risks.
15.2 To the fullest extent permitted by law, you release CircleRootTech from claims arising from disputes or interactions between you and any other person, including people you contact or write about through the App. If you are a California resident, you waive California Civil Code § 1542, which says: "A general release does not extend to claims that the creditor or releasing party does not know or suspect to exist in his or her favor at the time of executing the release and that, if known by him or her, would have materially affected his or her settlement with the debtor or released party."
16. Indemnification
To the extent permitted by law, you will indemnify and hold harmless CircleRootTech and its owners, members, officers, employees, and contractors from third-party claims, damages, losses, and reasonable attorneys' fees arising from your violation of these Terms or the law, or from content you post that infringes or violates someone else's rights. This does not apply to claims caused by our own negligence or misconduct.
17. Dispute resolution and binding arbitration
PLEASE READ THIS SECTION CAREFULLY. IT AFFECTS YOUR RIGHTS, INCLUDING YOUR RIGHT TO FILE A LAWSUIT IN COURT.
17.1 Informal dispute resolution. Before starting any formal legal proceeding, you and CloseOnes agree to try to resolve the dispute informally. You agree to notify CloseOnes of your claim by emailing thecircleroottechllc@gmail.com, including your name, the phone number on your account, a way to reach you, and a description of the claim. CloseOnes will contact you using the contact information you provide. If the dispute is not resolved within thirty (30) days of the initial notice, either party may start binding arbitration.
17.2 Mandatory binding arbitration. Any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms, the App, or the breach, termination, enforcement, interpretation, or validity of these Terms (together, "Disputes") will be resolved only by binding arbitration, not in a court of law, except that each party keeps the right to bring an individual action in small claims court.
17.3 Arbitration rules and governing law. The arbitration will be administered by the American Arbitration Association ("AAA") under the AAA Consumer Arbitration Rules then in effect, except as changed by this Section. The Federal Arbitration Act governs the interpretation and enforcement of this Section.
17.4 Venue and location. You and CloseOnes agree that any arbitration hearings will take place in Salt Lake County, Utah. However, if traveling to Utah creates a financial or logistical hardship for you, you may choose to have the arbitration: (1) by video or telephone conference, or (2) in your home county of residence, as permitted under the AAA Consumer Arbitration Rules.
17.5 30-day right to opt out. You have the right to opt out of, and not be bound by, the arbitration provisions in this Section. To do so, email thecircleroottechllc@gmail.com within thirty (30) days of your first use of the App. Your notice must include your name, the phone number on your account, and a clear statement that you wish to opt out of binding arbitration. If you opt out, all other parts of these Terms still apply to you.
17.6 CLASS ACTION AND JURY TRIAL WAIVER. TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, YOU AND CLOSEONES AGREE THAT ANY PROCEEDINGS TO RESOLVE DISPUTES WILL BE CONDUCTED ONLY ON AN INDIVIDUAL BASIS AND NOT IN A CLASS, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION. YOU UNDERSTAND THAT BY AGREEING TO ARBITRATION, YOU ARE WAIVING THE RIGHT TO A JURY TRIAL AND THE RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY CLASS ACTION OR REPRESENTATIVE PROCEEDING.
17.7 Time limit to bring claims. To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, any Dispute must be filed within the limitation period set by law, except that where the applicable law permits shortening that period by contract to no less than one (1) year, the Dispute must be filed within one (1) year from the date it arose, or it is permanently barred.
17.8 If any part of this Section is found unenforceable, the rest still applies, except that if the class action waiver is found unenforceable for a Dispute, that Dispute must proceed in court, not in arbitration.
18. Governing law and venue
These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Utah, without regard to conflict-of-law rules. For any matter not subject to arbitration, you and we agree to the exclusive jurisdiction of the state and federal courts located in Salt Lake County, Utah.
19. Ending these Terms
You may stop using the App and delete your account at any time. We may suspend or end your access if you break these Terms, if required by law, or if we stop offering the App. Sections that by their nature should survive (including 3, 5, 6, and 13–19) survive termination.
20. Apple
If you downloaded the App from Apple's App Store: these Terms are between you and CircleRootTech, not Apple; Apple has no duty to provide maintenance or support; Apple is not responsible for any claims relating to the App; and Apple and its subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these Terms and may enforce them.
21. General
These Terms and the Privacy Policy are the entire agreement between you and us about the App. If any part is unenforceable, the rest remains in effect. Our failure to enforce a part is not a waiver. You may not transfer these Terms; we may transfer them in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets. Headings are for convenience only.
22. Contact
CircleRootTech LLC
Email: thecircleroottechllc@gmail.com
Mailing address: 7533 S Center View Ct, Ste N, West Jordan, UT 84084, USA
Website: https://maribella83.github.io/closeness-website/