Privacy Policy

Introduction

CartChef LLC (“we”, “our”, or “us”) respects your privacy. This policy describes how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use the CartChef app and related services.

Information we collect

We collect information you provide and data necessary to run the app:

• Account information – Name, email address, and authentication data (e.g. via Apple Sign-In or email/password).
• Profile and preferences – Household size, cooking days, meal types, dietary preferences, cooking time, and notification settings.
• Your content – Meal plans, grocery lists, recipes you save or create, and favorites.
• Subscription/purchase data – Subscription status and entitlement info (synced with Apple for access control).
• Activity/usage data – Recent activity (e.g. meal plans, favorites, grocery list actions) used for the in-app activity feed and insights.

We do not collect location, photos, or contacts unless you explicitly provide them (e.g. in a recipe).

How we use your information

We use your information to provide, maintain, and improve CartChef: to sync your plans and lists across devices, generate grocery lists, send optional reminders, and support your account (e.g. password reset, subscription).

• AI features – Recipe standardization (e.g. import/cleanup), personalized weekly insights, and recommendations (using Firebase AI / Gemini).
• Subscription – To verify access, sync subscription status with Apple, and show "Manage Subscription."

We may use analytics to understand how the app is used and to improve it; this data is not used for advertising. We do not sell your personal information.

Data storage and security

Your data is stored using Firebase (Google). We use industry-standard practices to keep your data secure. AI processing (recipe assistant, insights) runs on Google infrastructure (Firebase AI); inputs and outputs are handled according to this policy and are not used to train general-purpose models for other products.

You can delete your account and associated data at any time from the app (Profile → Privacy & Security → Delete Account).

Third parties

• Firebase – Used for authentication, database (Firestore), and optionally analytics. Google's privacy policy applies.
• Firebase AI (Google) – Used for recipe assistant (standardization), weekly insights, and recommendations. Processing happens via Firebase/Google; see Google's privacy policy for that processing.
• Apple – Sign in with Apple and in-app purchases (subscription). Apple's privacy policies apply.

Children

CartChef is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

Data location

Data is stored and processed in the United States (and/or other regions where Firebase/Google operate).

Policy changes

We may update this policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date will be revised when we do. Continued use of the app after changes means you accept the updated policy.

Contact

For privacy questions or requests, contact us at privacy@getcartchef.com or via Support. For account or data deletion requests, you can also delete your account and data from the app (Profile → Privacy & Security → Delete Account).