Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how Ess X LLC ("Company," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, and shares information in connection with your use of the iMeal AI mobile application ("App"). By using iMeal AI, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

When you use iMeal AI, you may provide us with the following information:

Account Information:

• Display name (for personalization)
• An anonymous account is automatically created when you tap "Get Started" on the welcome screen (by doing so, you agree to these terms)
• You may optionally link your account using Apple Sign-In or Google Sign-In (email address, name if provided)

Health and Fitness Information:

• Biological sex
• Date of birth / age
• Current weight and target weight
• Height
• Activity level
• Fitness goals (weight loss, muscle building, maintenance, etc.)

Dietary Information:

• Diet type (omnivore, vegetarian, vegan)
• Food allergies (peanuts, tree nuts, dairy, gluten, shellfish, eggs, soy, fish, sesame)
• Dietary restrictions (halal, kosher, pescatarian, keto, paleo, low-carb, etc.)
• Cuisine preferences
• Cooking style and time preferences
• Budget preferences

Meal and Nutrition Data:

• Meal entries (food names, portions, calories, macronutrients)
• Meal photos you capture
• Planned meals and meal schedules
• Meal times and reminder preferences

1.2 Information Collected Automatically

Device Information:

• Device type and operating system version
• App version

Usage Information (local only):

• Feature usage counts for subscription management
• App session data for functionality purposes

1.3 Information from Third-Party Sources

Apple Health (iOS):

With your explicit consent, we may read the following from Apple Health:

• Active calories burned
• Basal metabolic rate data
• Step count
• Workout duration

We do NOT access or store any other health data from Apple Health beyond what is listed above.

2. How We Use Your Information

2.1 To Provide the Service

We use your information to:

• Calculate personalized calorie and macronutrient targets based on your profile
• Track your daily nutrition intake and progress
• Provide AI-powered meal analysis from photos
• Generate personalized meal suggestions
• Create meal plans and grocery lists
• Sync activity data with Apple Health (with your consent)

2.2 For AI-Powered Features

When you use our AI-powered features (photo analysis, meal suggestions, meal planning):

Data sent to AI (transient):

• Meal photos (for photo analysis)
• Your dietary preferences and restrictions
• Remaining daily macronutrient targets
• Cuisine preferences

Important: All this data is stored ONLY on your device. We send it transiently to the AI service solely to provide features you request.

How your data is handled by the AI service:

• We use Google's Vertex AI (Gemini API) on a paid enterprise plan
• Under Google Cloud's data governance policies, your data is NOT used to train AI models
• Your data is NOT stored or logged by Google
• Data is encrypted in transit and processed transiently (in-memory only)
• We receive only the nutritional analysis results or meal suggestions
• All data processing is governed by the Google Cloud Privacy Notice

2.3 For Product Improvement (Analytics)

We use Mixpanel for product analytics to improve the App experience. Important:

• Analytics data is NOT linked to your personal identity
• We track only aggregated, anonymized usage patterns
• No personal health data, meal information, or profile details are sent to analytics
• Purpose: Understanding feature usage, identifying bugs, improving user experience
• You can opt-out of analytics in the App settings

For Mixpanel's privacy practices, see: https://mixpanel.com/legal/privacy-policy

3. Data Storage and Security

3.1 Local-First Architecture

YOUR DATA STAYS ON YOUR DEVICE. iMeal AI is designed with a local-first architecture:

• All personal data, meal logs, and preferences are stored locally on your device
• We do NOT maintain backend servers that store your personal data
• Your meal photos are stored in your device's app-specific storage
• Data is protected by your device's security features (passcode, Face ID, Touch ID)

3.2 Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services for specific functions:

Service	Purpose	Data	Stored?
Firebase Auth	User authentication	Auth tokens only	Tokens
Vertex AI	AI features	Photos, preferences, macros*	No
RevenueCat	Subscription management	Purchase events	Yes
Open Food Facts	Product lookup	Barcode numbers	No
Apple Health	Activity sync	Health metrics	Local
Mixpanel	Product analytics	Anonymized usage patterns	Yes**

*All this data stored ONLY on user device; sent transiently to provide AI features. Under Vertex AI enterprise plan: NOT stored, NOT logged by Google, NOT used for training.
**Mixpanel analytics are NOT linked to user identity.

3.3 Data Retention

• Your data remains on your device until you delete the App or clear app data
• Uninstalling the App removes all locally stored data
• Authentication records in Firebase are retained until you delete your account

4. Data Sharing

WE DO NOT SELL YOUR PERSONAL DATA.

We share information only in these limited circumstances:

4.1 Service Providers

• Google (Firebase Auth, Gemini AI): For authentication and AI features only
• RevenueCat: For subscription management only
• These providers process data according to their privacy policies and our agreements with them

4.2 Legal Requirements

We may disclose information if required by law, legal process, or government request.

4.3 Business Transfers

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, your information may be transferred. We will notify you of any such change.

5. Your Rights and Choices

5.1 Access and Control Your Data

• All your data is stored on your device and accessible within the App
• You can view and edit your profile, meal logs, and preferences at any time

5.2 Delete Your Data

• Delete individual meal entries within the App
• Uninstall the App to remove all locally stored data
• Request account deletion by contacting privacy@imealai.com

5.3 Apple Health Permissions

• You can grant or revoke Apple Health permissions at any time through iOS Settings
• Go to: Settings > Health > Data Access & Devices > iMeal

5.4 Opt-Out of AI Features

• You can choose not to use photo analysis (use manual entry or barcode instead)
• Using manual entry or barcode scanning does not send data to AI services

6. Apple Health Data

In compliance with Apple's HealthKit guidelines:

• We request only the minimum health data types necessary for our App's functionality
• We do NOT use Apple Health data for advertising or marketing purposes
• We do NOT sell Apple Health data to third parties, including advertising platforms and data brokers
• We do NOT share Apple Health data with third parties for their marketing or advertising purposes
• We do NOT use Apple Health data for purposes unrelated to health and fitness tracking
• Access to Apple Health is entirely optional and the App functions without it

7. Children's Privacy

iMeal AI is not intended for use by children under the age of 13 (or 16 in certain jurisdictions). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at privacy@imealai.com.

8. International Users

iMeal AI is operated from the United States. If you access the App from outside the United States, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the United States where our service providers are located.

9. California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

• Right to know what personal information we collect
• Right to delete personal information
• Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell personal information)
• Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@imealai.com.

10. European Users (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have certain rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

• Right to access your personal data
• Right to rectification of inaccurate data
• Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
• Right to restrict processing
• Right to data portability
• Right to object to processing

Legal Basis for Processing:

• Consent: For health data and optional features
• Contract: To provide the App's services
• Legitimate Interest: For security and fraud prevention

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@imealai.com.

11. Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your information:

• Data is stored locally on your device, protected by iOS security features
• All network communications use HTTPS encryption
• Authentication is handled through secure Firebase Authentication
• We use Firebase App Check to prevent unauthorized API access

However, no method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by:

• Posting the new Privacy Policy in the App
• Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• Sending a notification through the App for significant changes

Your continued use of the App after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

Copyright 2026 Ess X LLC. All rights reserved.