Privacy Policy
Simmersong ("Simmersong", "we", "us", "our") operates the Simmersong mobile application ("the App"). This policy explains what data we collect, why, how we protect it, and what rights you have.
If you have questions, contact us at support@simmersong.com.
What we collect
Information you provide
- Account information — name and email address from Apple Sign-In or Google Sign-In. If you sign up with email and password, we store a hashed version of your password (we never store it in plain text).
- Preferences and settings — choices you make to personalize the App, such as dietary preferences or notification settings. We treat free-text preferences as general text, not structured health data.
- Content you create — recipes, meal plans, pantry inventory, grocery lists, notes, and any other content you add to the App.
- Household membership — if you join a household, other members can see your shared content (recipes, pantry, grocery lists). You can only belong to one household at a time.
Information collected automatically
- Device and usage data — we collect anonymized usage data (screens visited, feature usage, crash reports) to monitor app stability and improve the experience. We do not collect device identifiers for advertising purposes.
- Notification preferences — stored locally on your device to manage cooking reminders.
Information we do not collect
- Location data
- Contacts or address book
- Photos, camera, or microphone access
- Health or fitness data
- Financial information (see Payments for subscription billing)
How we use your data
| Purpose | Data used |
|---|---|
| Provide core features (recipes, pantry, grocery lists, meal planning) | Account info, recipes, pantry, grocery lists, preferences |
| Household sharing | Account info, recipes, pantry, grocery lists shared within your household |
| AI-powered features (ingredient substitutions, recipe suggestions) | Recipe text, pantry contents, dietary preferences — sent to third-party AI providers (see AI providers) |
| App stability and performance monitoring | Anonymized usage and crash data |
| Cooking reminders | Notification preferences (stored on-device only) |
| Communicate with you | Email address (service updates, responses to support requests) |
We do not sell your personal data. We do not use your data for advertising.
AI-powered features
Some features — like ingredient substitutions and recipe suggestions — send data to third-party AI providers to generate results. When you use these features, we send:
- The relevant recipe text
- Your pantry contents
- Your dietary preferences
What the AI providers do with this data:
- They process it to return results and do not use it to train their models under their standard API terms.
- They may retain inputs for a limited period (up to 30 days) for abuse monitoring and safety purposes, then delete them.
- We do not send your name, email, or account information to AI providers.
We review our AI providers' data handling terms regularly. If their policies change materially, we will update this section.
Where your data is stored
- Server-side data (account, recipes, pantry, grocery lists, household info) is stored in a PostgreSQL database hosted on Google Cloud Platform, in the United States.
- On-device data (notification preferences and local caches) stays on your device and is not transmitted to our servers.
We use industry-standard encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest to protect your data.
Who we share data with
We share data only with service providers that help us operate the App:
| Provider type | What they access | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud infrastructure | All server-side data | Database hosting and storage |
| AI providers | Recipe text, pantry contents, dietary preferences | AI-powered features |
| Analytics and monitoring | Anonymized usage and crash data | App stability and performance |
| Feature management | Anonymized usage data | Feature rollouts and experimentation |
These providers process data on our behalf under agreements that restrict them from using your data for their own purposes.
We may also disclose data if required by law or to protect the safety of our users.
Payments
We do not currently collect payment information. When we introduce subscriptions, payments will be processed through Apple's App Store or Google Play. We will not directly handle or store your credit card or billing details — those are managed entirely by Apple or Google under their respective privacy policies.
We will receive limited transaction data (subscription status, purchase date, expiration date) to manage your access. This section will be updated with specifics when subscriptions launch.
Data retention
- Account data — retained as long as your account is active.
- Recipes, pantry, grocery lists — retained as long as your account is active or until you delete them.
- Anonymized analytics — retained in aggregate form and not linked back to your account.
- Deleted accounts — when you delete your account, we delete your personal data within 30 days. Some anonymized, aggregated data may persist in analytics but cannot be traced to you.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:
- Access your personal data
- Correct inaccurate data
- Delete your account and associated data
- Export your data in a portable format
- Withdraw consent for optional data processing
- Opt out of the sale of personal data (we do not sell your data, but you may exercise this right regardless)
To exercise any of these rights, email support@simmersong.com. We will respond within 30 days.
Account deletion is available directly in the App under Settings. When you delete your account, your data is removed from your household and permanently deleted from our servers within 30 days.
California residents (CCPA/CPRA)
If you are a California resident, you have the right to:
- Know what personal information we collect and how it is used
- Request deletion of your personal information
- Opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information (we do not sell or share your information for cross-context behavioral advertising)
- Not be discriminated against for exercising your rights
To make a request, email support@simmersong.com.
European residents (GDPR)
If you are in the EU or EEA, our legal bases for processing your data are:
- Contract performance — providing the App's core features (recipes, pantry, grocery lists, household sharing)
- Legitimate interest — monitoring app stability and preventing abuse
- Consent — push notifications and optional AI-powered features
You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of prior processing. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
Data is transferred to the United States. We rely on standard contractual clauses and our providers' data protection agreements to safeguard international transfers.
Children
The App is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, contact us at support@simmersong.com and we will delete it.
Changes to this policy
If we make material changes, we will notify you through the App or by email before the changes take effect. Non-material changes (clarifications, formatting) may be made without notice.
Contact
Email: support@simmersong.com