Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 23, 2026

SnapChef ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application and website.

1. Information We Collect

Account Information: When you create an account, we collect your email address and display name through Google Sign-In or email/password authentication via Firebase Authentication.

Usage Data: We collect information about how you use the app, including recipes generated, food analyses performed, and feature interactions. This data is stored locally on your device.

Camera & Photos: When you use the camera or upload photos for ingredient scanning or food analysis, these images are processed by our AI service (OpenAI) to generate recipes or nutritional information. Images are sent to the AI service for processing only and are not permanently stored on our servers.

Health Data: Health goals, water tracking, and meal logging data you enter is stored locally on your device using browser localStorage.

2. How We Use Your Information

To provide AI-powered recipe generation and food analysis
To manage your account and authenticate your identity
To track your usage limits (free tier vs. premium)
To save your preferences, favorites, and meal plans locally
To send notifications you have opted into (water reminders, meal reminders)
To improve our services and user experience

3. Data Storage

Local Storage: Most of your data (recipes, favorites, meal plans, health data, shopping lists) is stored locally on your device using browser localStorage. This data is not transmitted to our servers.

Cloud Services: We use Firebase (Google) for authentication and Netlify for hosting. Your account credentials are managed securely by Firebase Authentication.

AI Processing: When you generate recipes or analyze food, your text prompts and images are sent to OpenAI's API for processing. Please refer to OpenAI's Privacy Policy for their data handling practices.

4. Data Sharing

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties. We share data only with:

Firebase (Google): For authentication services
OpenAI: For AI recipe generation and food analysis (text and image data)
Netlify: For hosting our application

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate security measures to protect your information. All data transmission is encrypted via HTTPS. Authentication is handled by Firebase's secure infrastructure. However, no method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure.

6. Your Rights

You have the right to:

Access your personal data stored in the app
Delete your account and associated data
Clear all locally stored data through the Settings page
Opt out of notifications at any time
Request information about what data we hold

7. Children's Privacy

SnapChef is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected such information, please contact us immediately.

8. Cookies & Tracking

SnapChef does not use cookies or third-party tracking tools. We do not serve advertisements. All analytics data is stored locally on your device.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy in the app and updating the "Last updated" date.

10. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

Email: snapchef.app@gmail.com