Brownie is an iOS app for managing groceries, pantry inventory, recipes, meal planning, and nutrition logs. This Privacy Policy explains what information Brownie ("Brownie", "we", "us", or "our") collects, how we use it, and the choices you have.

If you do not agree with this Privacy Policy, please do not use Brownie.

1. Information we collect

Account information

When you create an account or sign in, we collect information needed to create and secure your account, such as:

  • Email address
  • Display name
  • Authentication provider identifiers
  • Optional profile photo or avatar

If you sign in with Apple or Google, we receive the limited account information you authorize those providers to share with Brownie. We do not access your inbox, contacts, calendar, or unrelated account data.

Grocery, pantry, recipe, and meal content

Brownie stores the content you create or import so the app can function and sync across your devices. This may include:

  • Grocery lists, grocery items, quantities, notes, categories, checked status, and item history
  • Pantry items, storage locations, expiration dates, consumption logs, and inventory history
  • Recipes, ingredients, cooking steps, imported recipe links or text, generated recipe content, and saved recipe photos
  • Meal logs, nutrition logs, water intake, meal notes, meal photos, saved quick adds, recent foods, macro goals, nutrition preferences, and body profile information you choose to enter

Some nutrition and body profile information may be sensitive. Brownie uses it only to provide nutrition, meal logging, personalization, and related app features.

Camera, photos, barcode, receipt, and document data

With your permission, Brownie may use your camera or photo library to scan grocery items, barcodes, pantry items, receipts, recipe photos, or meal photos. Depending on the feature you use:

  • Images may be processed on your device.
  • Images or image-derived text may be sent to Brownie's backend and AI service providers to identify food, estimate nutrition, import recipes, or create lists.
  • Barcodes may be sent to Open Food Facts to look up product and nutrition information.
  • If you choose to save a meal or recipe photo to your photo library, that copy is stored in your device photo library and may be handled by Apple Photos or iCloud according to your device settings.

Voice and speech data

If you use voice input, Brownie requests microphone and speech recognition permission. Audio is used to create a transcript for the command you are giving, such as adding grocery or pantry items. Brownie may send the resulting transcript to our backend and AI service providers to parse the request and create app content. Brownie stores the resulting items or logs you choose to save.

Location data

If you use nearby store or price comparison features, Brownie may request access to your location while you are using the app. Location is used to find nearby grocery stores through Apple location and map services. Brownie does not store your precise location in our database for this feature.

Notifications and preferences

If you enable notifications, Brownie stores notification preferences and schedules local reminders for features such as pantry expiration dates, meal reminders, price alerts, and cook timers. You can change notification permissions in iOS Settings or Brownie's in-app settings.

Technical, security, and diagnostic data

We collect limited technical information needed to operate and protect the service, such as app version, platform, account activity timestamps, authentication tokens, Firebase App Check tokens, and request metadata. We may also receive diagnostics that you choose to share through Apple or that are generated by services we use to keep the app reliable and secure.

AI correction data

When you correct AI-generated results, Brownie may store correction records to improve app quality. These records may include your account identifier, session identifier, the original input, the AI result, your correction, the field that changed, confidence information, timestamp, and app version.

2. How we use information

We use information to:

  • Create, authenticate, and secure your account
  • Sync your groceries, pantry, recipes, meals, settings, and nutrition data across devices
  • Let you collaborate on shared grocery lists with people you invite
  • Scan barcodes, receipts, pantry items, recipe content, and meal photos
  • Estimate nutrition, parse voice commands, create recipes, generate meal insights, and power other AI-assisted features you request
  • Personalize app features such as nutrition goals, saved quick adds, recipe recommendations, and pantry suggestions
  • Schedule notifications you enable
  • Provide support, troubleshoot issues, prevent abuse, and improve app reliability
  • Comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms

We do not sell your personal information. We do not use third-party advertising SDKs or track you across other companies' apps and websites for advertising.

3. Shared grocery lists

When you join or invite someone to a shared grocery list, collaborators on that list may see:

  • The shared list name and list contents
  • Item details, notes, quantities, checked status, and who added items
  • Collaborator display names, email addresses, and avatars where available

Collaborators cannot see your private pantry, private recipes, nutrition logs, meal photos, body profile, saved quick adds, or other grocery lists unless you separately share that information through app features.

4. Third-party services

Brownie uses service providers to operate the app. These providers may process information only as needed to provide their services to Brownie, protect the service, comply with law, or perform other permitted business purposes. They are not permitted by us to use your personal information for their own advertising.

Services used by Brownie may include:

  • Firebase and Google Cloud: authentication, database, file storage, security, backend functions, and infrastructure
  • Google Sign-In: optional account sign-in
  • Sign in with Apple: optional account sign-in
  • Anthropic: AI analysis and generation for features such as meal photo analysis, receipt parsing, voice transcript parsing, recipe import, recipe generation, grocery list creation, and weekly nutrition insights
  • Spoonacular: recipe search and recipe-related data
  • Open Food Facts: barcode product and nutrition lookup
  • Apple services: iOS permissions, camera, photo library, speech recognition, notifications, location, maps, and App Store distribution

Your use of third-party sign-in, device services, or external data sources may also be subject to those providers' own privacy policies.

5. When we share information

We may share information:

  • With people you invite to shared grocery lists, as described above
  • With service providers that help us operate Brownie
  • If required by law, subpoena, court order, or valid legal process
  • To protect Brownie, our users, or others from fraud, abuse, security threats, or harm
  • In connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganization, or sale of assets, subject to appropriate protections for user data

We do not sell or rent your personal information.

6. Your choices and controls

You can:

  • Edit or delete grocery lists, pantry items, recipes, meal logs, saved quick adds, and other content in the app
  • Export app data using Brownie's in-app export tools where available
  • Delete your account in Brownie's settings or contact us for help
  • Turn off notifications in Brownie or iOS Settings
  • Revoke camera, photo library, microphone, speech recognition, and location permissions in iOS Settings
  • Leave shared lists or delete lists you own

To request access, correction, export, or deletion of your data, contact us at support@brownieapp.us.

7. Account deletion and retention

We keep account data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide Brownie. When you delete your account, we delete account data from active systems within a reasonable period, generally within 30 days, unless we need to retain limited information for legal, security, fraud prevention, or backup purposes. Backup copies may persist for up to 90 days before they are overwritten or deleted.

Content saved outside Brownie, such as photos saved to your device photo library, may remain under your control in Apple Photos or iCloud and must be managed there.

8. Security

Brownie uses technical and organizational safeguards designed to protect your information, including HTTPS, Firebase authentication, Firebase App Check, access rules, and restricted backend access. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Children

Brownie is not directed to children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information to Brownie, please contact us at support@brownieapp.us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

10. International processing

Brownie and its service providers may process information in the United States and other countries. Data protection laws may differ from those in your location.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date and may provide additional notice in the app or by other reasonable means.

12. Contact us

If you have questions or requests about this Privacy Policy or Brownie's privacy practices, contact us at support@brownieapp.us.