Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 19, 2026

MealBuddy ("the App") is operated by an individual developer ("Operator," "we," "our," or "us"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use the MealBuddy mobile application.

By using the App, you consent to the data practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the App.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Account Information

When you create an account, we collect:

  • Name (from your Google or Apple account, or as entered manually)
  • Email address (from your authentication provider)

Authentication is handled through Google OAuth or Apple Sign-In. We do not collect or store your password.

1.2 Personal Information

To personalize your meal recommendations, you may provide the following during onboarding:

  • Gender
  • Nationality
  • Age
  • Height and weight
  • Activity level

1.3 Dietary & Health Preferences

  • Diet style (e.g., omnivore, vegetarian, vegan, pescatarian, halal)
  • Body goal (e.g., weight loss, lean bulk, maintenance)
  • Favorite cuisines
  • Allergies (from a list of common allergens including: dairy, eggs, peanuts, tree nuts, wheat, gluten, soy, fish, shellfish, and sesame)

IMPORTANT: Allergy and dietary preference data is self-reported by you and is used solely for filtering recipe recommendations. This data is not verified by any medical professional. You are solely responsible for ensuring your allergy profile is accurate and up to date. See our Terms of Service for full allergy disclaimers.

1.4 Meal Planning Data

  • Meal schedule (breakfast, lunch, dinner, snack times and enabled/disabled status)
  • Budget per meal
  • Cooking time preference per meal
  • Daily calorie goal
  • Daily protein goal

1.5 Fridge Contents

You can manually enter ingredients you have available. This data is used solely to match you with recipes that use your existing ingredients.

1.6 Liked Meals

When you swipe right on a meal suggestion or save a recipe, it is stored in your liked meals list. This includes the recipe name, ingredients, nutritional data, and cuisine information.

1.7 Information We Do NOT Collect

  • We do not collect precise location data
  • We do not access your contacts, photos, or camera
  • We do not record audio or video
  • We do not collect browsing history or data from other apps

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Create and manage your account
  • Generate personalized meal recommendations based on your fridge contents, dietary preferences, allergies, and body goals
  • Schedule local push notifications at your preferred meal times with meal suggestions
  • Store your preferences so they persist across sessions
  • Improve and optimize the App experience

We do not use your data for advertising, profiling for third parties, or any purpose unrelated to providing the App's core functionality.

3. Legal Basis for Processing

For users in jurisdictions that require a legal basis for data processing (such as the EU/UK under GDPR), we process your data under the following grounds:

  • Contract performance — Processing necessary to provide you with the App's services
  • Legitimate interests — Improving the App, maintaining security, and preventing abuse
  • Consent — Where required by applicable law (e.g., for optional data such as health-related preferences)
  • Legal obligations — Where we are required by law to retain or disclose data

You may withdraw consent at any time by deleting your account or contacting us.

4. Technology & Third-Party Services

4.1 Authentication

We use Firebase Authentication (provided by Google) to handle account creation and sign-in via Google OAuth and Apple Sign-In. Firebase Authentication is subject to Google's Privacy Policy.

4.2 Data Storage

Your profile data, preferences, and liked meals are stored in Firebase Firestore, a cloud database operated by Google. Recipe images displayed in the App are served from Firebase Storage.

4.3 Notifications

MealBuddy uses local push notifications only. Notifications (meal reminders, streak reminders, fridge expiry alerts, weekly summaries) are generated and scheduled entirely on your device. No data is sent to any external server for notification purposes.

4.4 Image Caching

Recipe and ingredient images are downloaded from Firebase Storage and cached locally on your device to improve performance. No personal data is transmitted during this process.

5. Data Storage & International Transfers

Your data is stored using Google Firebase infrastructure, which may process and store data in the United States or other countries where Google operates data centers.

If you are located outside the United States, your data may be transferred to and processed in a country with different data protection laws than your own. By using the App, you consent to this transfer. Google's infrastructure complies with industry-standard security certifications.

6. Data Sharing

  • We DO NOT SELL your personal data to any third party.
  • We DO NOT share your data with advertisers.
  • We DO NOT share your data with data brokers.

The only third-party service that processes your data is Google Firebase, which provides authentication, database, and storage services. Google processes this data as a data processor on our behalf, subject to their terms of service and privacy policy.

We may disclose your information if required by law, legal process, or government request, or to protect the rights, safety, or property of MealBuddy, its users, or the public.

7. Analytics & Tracking

MealBuddy currently does not use any analytics, tracking, or advertising SDKs. We do not use cookies, fingerprinting, or any other tracking technologies.

If we implement analytics in the future, this policy will be updated before any data collection begins.

8. Data Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data, including:

  • All data is transmitted over secure, encrypted connections (HTTPS/TLS)
  • Firebase services comply with industry security standards and certifications
  • Authentication tokens are handled securely via Firebase Auth

However, no method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure. While we strive to protect your data, we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for keeping your device and account credentials secure.

9. Data Retention

  • We retain your personal data only for as long as your account is active and as needed to provide you with our services.
  • Upon account deletion, all personal data is permanently deleted from our systems within 30 days.
  • We may retain anonymized, aggregated data that cannot be used to identify you for the purpose of improving the App.
  • We may retain certain data where required by law for compliance, legal, or security purposes.

10. Data Deletion

You can delete your account at any time from within the App (Settings > Delete Account). When you delete your account:

  • Your profile data is removed from Firebase Firestore
  • Your authentication record is removed from Firebase Auth
  • Locally cached data (preferences, liked meals, fridge contents) is cleared from your device
  • This action is permanent and irreversible

You may also contact us at the email below to request data deletion.

11. Your Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

  • Right to Access — Request a copy of the personal data we hold about you
  • Right to Correction — Update your personal data at any time through the App settings
  • Right to Deletion — Request that we delete your personal data, or delete your account directly from the App
  • Right to Data Portability — Request your data in a portable, machine-readable format
  • Right to Restrict Processing — Request that we limit how we use your data
  • Right to Object — Object to certain types of data processing
  • Right to Withdraw Consent — Withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent
  • Right to Lodge a Complaint — File a complaint with your local data protection authority

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at support@getmealbuddy.com.

12. Children's Privacy

MealBuddy is not directed at children under the age of 13. 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 and we will take steps to delete such information promptly.

13. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be indicated by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.

For material changes, we will make reasonable efforts to notify you (e.g., through an in-app notice). Your continued use of the App after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your personal data, please contact us at:

support@getmealbuddy.com