Fork Folks Privacy Policy
Effective November 11, 2026 ยท Published by The News Bakery LLC
Our promise
- Pay onceOne price per app. Every feature included.
- No subscriptionsNothing renews. Nothing to cancel.
- No adsNothing to scroll past. Nobody paying to reach you.
- No accountsNo sign-up, no password, no email address.
- PrivateWhat you enter stays on your phone.
Fork Folks ("the app") is a map of restaurants that were featured on food travel TV shows. This policy explains, in plain words, what the app does and does not do with information.
What we collect
The app has no account, no sign-in, and no analytics, advertising or tracking code of our own. We receive information only in two cases: when the app downloads its list of closed restaurants from our website (our server sees the request's IP address and standard technical details), and when you choose to email us (we receive your email address and message).
How long we keep it
When the app downloads the closed-restaurant list from our website, our web host sees the request's IP address and standard technical details, as any website would. We have not turned on stored request logs for this site in its configuration, and we do not keep or use those requests to identify anyone. We keep support emails as long as needed to answer them and for up to 24 months. To ask us to delete an email you sent, write to chef@thenewsbakery.com. Data on your phone is deleted when you delete the app.
What stays on your phone
The spots you save, the spots you mark as Been there, your road trip and your settings are saved only on your device, in the app's private storage. The app keeps them out of iCloud Backup and Android's automatic cloud backup. Delete the app and they are gone.
Location
The app uses your location only when you tap Near me. Your phone asks for permission the first time you tap it, for use while the app is open, and an approximate location is enough. Fork Folks uses your location only on your phone, to center the map and show nearby spots. Fork Folks does not save your location and does not send it to us. The map inside the app is provided by Google Maps, which may receive information from your device under Google's privacy policy. If you tap Start trip, your trip opens in Apple Maps or Google Maps, which may use your location under their own privacy policies. The app never asks for background location. If you say no, Near me shows a short note about turning location on, and the rest of the app works the same. You can turn off location for Fork Folks at any time in your phone's settings; Near me then stops and the rest of the app works the same.
When the app goes online
The app goes online for two things only:
- The map, from Google Maps. The map on your screen is drawn by Google's map software for phones (Google Maps SDK), and your phone talks to Google to load it. Google publishes a list of what this software collects on Android. By default it collects: your IP address; request details, such as your phone's operating system version, name, model, brand and form factor, and the version of the map software; an identifier that the map software creates for itself, which Google describes as pseudonymous; and stack traces and crash numbers if the map software crashes. When an app moves the map for you, as Fork Folks does, it can also collect map interaction events, such as panning and zooming. Google says it uses these to understand how the software is used, to count its daily active users, to make it more stable, and to maintain and improve Google services. Google's Privacy Policy also lists IP address among the things it can use to work out location. The full list is on Google's Maps SDK for Android data disclosure page, and Google handles this information under Google's Privacy Policy.
- A list of closed restaurants. When the app opens, it downloads one small public file from thenewsbakery.com that lists restaurants that have closed. The request carries nothing about you: no account, no identifier and no cookies. Like any website, the server sees the internet address the request came from, and we do not keep it to identify anyone.
Let's Go, sharing and email
When you tap Let's Go or Start trip, the app hands the restaurant's name and address to your phone's maps app (Google Maps on Android; Apple Maps or Google Maps on iPhone). What that app does next is covered by its own privacy policy. Share and Share my trail open your phone's share sheet, and the text or picture goes only where you send it. Report a problem opens your own email app with a message to us that you can read before you send it.
Purchases
The app is a one-time purchase from the App Store or Google Play. Apple or Google handles the payment under their own terms, and we never receive your payment details. The app has no in-app purchases.
Children
The app is a general restaurant guide for adults and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children.
Independent guide
Fork Folks is an independent app made by The News Bakery LLC. It is not affiliated with, sponsored by, or endorsed by any TV host or food creator, any host's estate, or any television network, streaming service, online channel, show, or production company. Show and channel names are used only to identify where a restaurant was featured.
Changes
If this policy changes, the new version will be posted on this page with a new effective date.
Contact
Questions: chef@thenewsbakery.com. The News Bakery LLC.