Effective Date: July 2025
Last Updated: August 2025

Privacy-First Design

RecipeRX is built with privacy-by-design principles. We believe your health information should stay private and secure on your device.

No Account Required

RecipeRX works without requiring user accounts. You can use all features immediately without providing personal information, creating passwords, or signing up for services.

Local-Only Data Storage

What Stays on Your Device (Encrypted)

• Health Information: Health goals, dietary restrictions, and preferences you enter during setup
• Personal Preferences: Cooking skill level, family size, cuisine preferences, and app settings
• Recipe Data: Saved recipes, personal notes, meal plans, and grocery lists
• Usage Patterns: Your app usage remains entirely on your device

What We Never Collect or Store

• ❌ No Personal Identity: No names, email addresses, phone numbers, or contact information
• ❌ No Account Data: No usernames, passwords, or login credentials
• ❌ No Health Data Upload: Your health information never leaves your device
• ❌ No Location Tracking: We don't track where you are or where you go
• ❌ No Usage Analytics: We don't monitor how you use the app
• ❌ No Device Access: We don't access your photos, contacts, or other apps

How We Use Your Information

Primary Uses

• Recipe Generation: Provide personalized recipe recommendations based on your health conditions and preferences
• App Functionality: Enable meal planning, grocery list generation, and recipe saving features
• User Experience: Remember your preferences and settings across app sessions
• Health Safety: Ensure recipe recommendations are appropriate for your stated health conditions

Secondary Uses

• App Improvement: Analyze usage patterns to improve app functionality (data is anonymized)
• Technical Support: Diagnose and fix technical issues
• Legal Compliance: Meet legal obligations and enforce our terms of service

Data Storage and Security

Local Storage

• On-Device: Your preferences, saved recipes, meal plans, and grocery lists are stored locally on your device
• UserDefaults: We use iOS UserDefaults for storing user preferences securely
• No Cloud Sync: Your personal data is not automatically synced to cloud services

Third-Party Services

• AI APIs: We send anonymized requests to AI services (Google Gemini, OpenAI) for recipe generation
  • Health conditions and preferences are included in requests but not linked to your identity
  • AI providers may log requests for their own improvement purposes
  • We do not share personal identifiers with AI services

Security Measures

• Encryption: All API communications use HTTPS encryption
• API Key Security: Third-party API keys are stored securely within the app
• No Server Storage: We do not operate servers that store your personal data
• Device Security: Data security relies on your device's built-in iOS security features

Data Sharing and Disclosure

We Do Not Share Personal Data

• We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties
• We do not share your health information with other users or external parties
• We do not use your data for advertising or marketing purposes

Limited Exceptions

We may disclose information only in the following circumstances:

• Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or government regulation
• Safety Concerns: To prevent harm to you or others in emergency situations
• Business Transfer: In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets (with user notification)

Your Privacy Rights

Data Control

• Access: All your data is stored on your device and accessible through the app
• Modification: You can edit or update your preferences and information at any time
• Deletion: You can delete all data by using the "Reset App" feature in Settings
• Export: You can manually copy your recipes and meal plans if needed

Opt-Out Options

• Recipe Generation: You can stop using AI-powered recipe generation at any time
• Data Collection: You can limit data usage by not entering health information (though this reduces personalization)

Children's Privacy

RecipeRX is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us so we can delete such information.

International Users

If you are using RecipeRX from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States where our AI service providers are located. By using the app, you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States.

Health Information Disclaimer

Not Medical Advice

• RecipeRX provides nutritional suggestions for general wellness purposes only
• The app is not intended to provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment
• Always consult with qualified healthcare providers before making dietary changes

Health Data Handling

• Your health conditions are used solely to customize recipe recommendations
• We implement safeguards to ensure recipes avoid ingredients that conflict with stated health conditions
• Health information is not shared with any parties outside of anonymized AI requests

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make changes:

• We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• We will provide notice of significant changes through the app or other appropriate means
• Your continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the new policy

Data Retention

• Local Data: Remains on your device until you delete the app or reset your data
• API Logs: Third-party AI services may retain anonymized request logs according to their own policies
• Analytics: Any usage analytics we collect are retained for no more than 24 months

Third-Party Services

RecipeRX integrates with the following third-party services:

Google Gemini AI

• Purpose: Recipe generation
• Data Shared: Health conditions, dietary preferences (anonymized)
• Privacy Policy: Google's Privacy Policy

OpenAI GPT (Optional)

• Purpose: Alternative recipe generation
• Data Shared: Health conditions, dietary preferences (anonymized)
• Privacy Policy: OpenAI's Privacy Policy

Contact Information

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at:

Email: reciperxsupport@proton.me
Subject Line: RecipeRX Privacy Inquiry

Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)

For users in the European Union, our legal basis for processing your personal information includes:

• Consent: When you provide explicit consent for specific processing activities
• Legitimate Interest: For app functionality, security, and improvement purposes
• Vital Interest: For health-related safety features that protect your wellbeing

California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

California residents have additional privacy rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act:

• Right to Know: Request information about personal data collection and use
• Right to Delete: Request deletion of personal information (use "Reset App" feature)
• Right to Opt-Out: Opt out of sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
• Non-Discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights

This Privacy Policy is designed to be comprehensive and transparent about our data practices. We are committed to protecting your privacy while providing you with personalized, health-conscious recipe recommendations.