Privacy Policy for CookSense

Effective date: 1 May 2026
Last updated: 1 May 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how CookSense ("we", "our", or "the app") collects, uses, stores, and shares your information when you use the CookSense mobile application. By using CookSense, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

1. Who we are

CookSense is an AI-powered cooking and wellness app developed by an independent developer based in Pakistan. CookSense helps users generate recipes from the ingredients they have, swap ingredients in recipes for dietary or allergy reasons, and track how meals affect their mood and energy.

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, contact us at: shelfware77tech@gmail.com

2. Information we collect

2.1 Camera and meal photos

When you use the fridge scanning feature, CookSense uses your device camera to capture photos of your ingredients. These photos are sent securely to Google's Gemini AI service to identify ingredients. Photos are processed in real time and are not stored permanently by CookSense or by Google after analysis is complete.

You may choose to type ingredients manually instead of using the camera. The camera permission is only used when you actively initiate a scan.

2.2 Anonymous device identifier

To enforce a fair free usage allowance (3 scans, 3 recipe generations, and 3 ingredient swaps per month), CookSense generates a stable anonymous identifier from your device's Android ID when you first launch the app. This identifier is not linked to your name, email, phone number, or Google account, and it is not shared with any third party.

2.3 Recipe and meal data you create

CookSense stores the recipes you save, the meals you log, the mood and energy check-ins you submit, and your dietary preferences (such as halal, vegetarian, gluten-free). This data is stored both on your device (in a local database) and in our cloud database (Google Firebase Firestore) so that it persists across reinstalls and is not lost.

2.4 Usage counters

We track the number of fridge scans, recipe generations, and ingredient swaps you perform each month for the purpose of enforcing the free tier. These numbers reset on the first day of each calendar month.

2.5 What we do NOT collect

• We do not collect your name, email address, phone number, or any contact information.
• We do not collect your location.
• We do not collect financial or payment information (CookSense is currently free to download and use).
• We do not access your contacts, calendar, files, or any other apps on your device.
• We do not use advertising trackers or share data with advertising networks.

3. How we use your information

• To provide core app functionality: generating recipes from your ingredients, suggesting ingredient substitutions, tracking your meal-mood patterns over time.
• To enforce the free tier: we use the anonymous device identifier to count usage against your monthly allowance.
• To improve the app: we may use anonymised, aggregated usage statistics (such as how many users scan the fridge each day) to improve features. Individual user data is never used for this.
• To send notifications you opt into: if you enable mood check-in reminders, CookSense will send a local notification 2 hours after you log a meal asking how you feel.

4. Third-party services we use

4.1 Google Gemini AI

When you scan your fridge or generate a recipe, the relevant data (an image or a list of ingredients plus your dietary preferences) is sent to Google's Gemini AI service for processing. Google's handling of this data is governed by the Gemini API Terms of Service and the Google Privacy Policy.

4.2 Google Firebase

CookSense uses Firebase Authentication (anonymous sign-in only — no account is created), Firebase Firestore (to store your saved recipes and usage counters), and Firebase Crashlytics (to detect and fix crashes). Firebase services are governed by Google's Firebase Privacy and Security policies.

5. How we protect your data

• All data sent between CookSense and Google services is encrypted in transit using HTTPS/TLS.
• Data stored in Firebase Firestore is encrypted at rest by Google.
• Your anonymous device identifier is stored in encrypted local storage on your device using the Android Keystore system.
• Access to our cloud database is restricted by security rules so that only authenticated devices can access their own data.

6. Data retention

Your saved recipes and mood log entries are retained until you delete them or until you request a full data deletion. Usage counters reset every calendar month. Meal photos are not retained after AI processing is complete.

7. Your rights — including the right to delete your data

You have the right to request deletion of all data CookSense holds about you at any time. To delete your data:

• From within the app: open Settings → Delete my data. This will remove all saved recipes, mood logs, and usage counters from both your device and our cloud database.
• By email: send a request to shelfware77tech@gmail.com from any email address — provide the approximate date you started using CookSense if possible. We will delete the associated data within 30 days.

You may also revoke camera and notification permissions at any time through your device's Settings → Apps → CookSense → Permissions.

8. Children's privacy

CookSense is intended for users aged 13 and older. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has used CookSense, please contact us and we will remove any associated data.

9. International data transfers

CookSense operates globally. Your data may be processed and stored on Google servers located in the European Union, United States, or other countries where Google operates Firebase data centres. By using CookSense, you consent to this international transfer.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. Significant changes will be communicated through the app before they take effect.

11. Contact us

For any privacy-related questions, requests, or concerns:

Email: shelfware77tech@gmail.com
Subject line: CookSense Privacy Inquiry

This Privacy Policy is provided by CookSense and complies with Google Play Developer Program Policies, GDPR (EU), CCPA (California), and PDPL (Saudi Arabia / UAE).