Privacy Policy
Last updated: March 31, 2026
PlantCare is designed with privacy in mind. We collect the minimum data needed to provide plant care services. We do not sell your data to anyone.
1. Information We Collect
1.1 Information You Provide
- Plant data: Plants you add, their names, care preferences, and environment settings (location type, pot size, season, etc.)
- Photos: Images you take for plant identification or disease diagnosis
- Care logs: Watering, fertilizing, and other care actions you record
1.2 Automatically Collected Information
- Device identifier: An anonymous, randomly generated ID stored on your device to manage your account
- Usage data: Feature usage counts (e.g., number of AI scans) for quota management
- Subscription status: Whether you have an active premium subscription
1.3 Information We Do NOT Collect
- Your real name, email address, or phone number (unless you sign in with Apple)
- Your precise GPS location
- Contacts, messages, or browsing history
- Data from other apps on your device
2. How We Use Your Information
| Data | Purpose | Stored Where |
|---|---|---|
| Plant data & care logs | Provide personalized care schedules | On your device (local database) |
| Device identifier | Manage AI usage quotas and premium status | Cloudflare (encrypted) |
| Photos (AI scan) | Identify plants and diagnose diseases | Processed in memory, not stored permanently |
| Subscription status | Verify access to premium features | Apple / Cloudflare (mirror) |
| Usage metrics | Enforce daily limits and improve the product | Cloudflare (anonymous) |
3. Photo Processing
When you use the Plant Identification or AI Diagnosis features:
- Your photo is compressed on-device before being sent to our servers
- Our server forwards the image to OpenAI's API for analysis
- The image is processed in memory and not permanently stored on our servers
- The original photo remains on your device only
- OpenAI processes images according to their privacy policy
4. Third-Party Services
We use the following third-party services:
| Service | Purpose | Data Shared |
|---|---|---|
| Cloudflare Workers | Backend API, authentication | Anonymous device ID, usage counts |
| Cloudflare D1 | Database for user records | Anonymous device ID, subscription status |
| OpenAI | Plant identification and disease analysis | Plant photos (temporary processing) |
| Apple StoreKit | Subscription management | Managed by Apple |
5. Data Storage and Security
- Local data: All plant records, care logs, and settings are stored locally on your device using an encrypted SQLite database
- Backend data: Minimal data (anonymous ID, subscription mirror, usage counts) is stored on Cloudflare's globally distributed infrastructure
- Transmission: All data sent between your device and our servers is encrypted using HTTPS/TLS
- No passwords: We use device-based authentication; no passwords are stored
6. Data Retention
- Local data: Stored until you delete the app or remove individual plants
- Backend records: Anonymous device records are retained for the duration of your subscription plus 30 days
- AI usage logs: Retained for 90 days for quota management, then deleted
- Photos: Never stored on our servers beyond the time needed for processing (typically under 30 seconds)
7. Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Access: View all data stored locally in the app
- Delete: Delete all your data by removing the app. For backend data deletion, contact us
- Opt out: Use the app offline without any data being sent to our servers (AI features will be unavailable)
- Portability: Your plant data is stored locally and travels with your device
8. Children's Privacy
PlantCare does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. The app does not require account creation and does not collect names, emails, or any identifying information by default.
9. Subscriptions and Payments
All payments are processed by Apple through the App Store. We do not collect, store, or have access to your payment information, credit card numbers, or Apple ID. Subscription management is handled entirely by Apple's StoreKit framework.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of significant changes by posting a notice in the app. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last revised.
11. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data rights, contact us at:
Email: support@plantcare.app