# Privacy Policy for MeshiMate
**Last updated: June 27, 2026**
This Privacy Policy explains how the MeshiMate mobile application ("MeshiMate,"
"the app," "we," "us") handles information. By using MeshiMate you agree to the
practices described here.
MeshiMate is a personal recipe and pantry app. It is designed to keep your
content on your device. We do not require an account, and we do not run a server
that stores your recipes.
---
## 1. Summary
- **Your recipes, pantry, shopping lists, and queue stay on your device.** We do
not upload them or store them on our servers — we don't have servers for them.
- **We show ads** through Google AdMob, which collects limited data to serve and
measure ads (including, with your permission, an advertising identifier).
- **We may collect anonymous usage analytics** to understand which features are
used and where the app is confusing — never the content of your recipes.
- **The "AI Helper" sends nothing on your behalf.** It only prepares text for you
to paste into your own assistant; MeshiMate has no AI backend.
- We do not sell your personal information.
---
## 2. Information we handle
### a. Information stored only on your device
Recipes, ingredients, pantry/stock items, shopping lists, the cooking queue, and
your settings are stored locally on your device. This information is not
transmitted to us and is not associated with any account. If you delete the app,
this data is removed with it.
### b. Advertising data (Google AdMob)
We use Google AdMob to display ads. To serve and measure ads, the Google Mobile
Ads SDK may collect:
- a mobile advertising identifier (e.g. Apple's IDFA), **only if you allow it**;
- device information (such as device type, operating system, and language);
- general (coarse) location inferred from your IP address;
- ad interaction data (such as ad views and taps).
This data is processed by Google. With your consent it may be used for
**personalized** ads; without consent, ads are **non-personalized** (contextual)
and do not use your advertising identifier for tracking.
### c. Usage analytics
We may use a privacy-focused, third-party analytics service to collect
**anonymous** usage data — for example, which screens are opened and which
features are used (creating a recipe, importing, generating a shopping list).
This is used only to improve the app. It does **not** include the contents of
your recipes and is not used to identify you. Our analytics does not use an
advertising identifier.
### d. The AI Helper
MeshiMate's AI Helper builds a text prompt for you to copy and paste into an
AI assistant of your choice (such as ChatGPT, Claude, or Gemini). **MeshiMate
does not send your recipe text, photos, or any other data to any AI service.**
Anything you paste into a third-party assistant is governed by that service's own
privacy policy, not this one.
---
## 3. How we use information
We use the limited information described above to:
- display and measure advertisements;
- understand, in aggregate, how the app is used so we can improve it;
- operate, maintain, and troubleshoot the app.
We do **not** sell your personal information, and we do not use your on-device
recipe content for advertising or analytics.
---
## 4. Advertising and your choices
- **App Tracking Transparency (iOS):** On Apple devices, the app will ask for
permission before any tracking that uses your advertising identifier. If you
decline, you will still see ads, but they will be non-personalized.
- **Consent (EEA / UK):** Where required, you will be shown a consent form
(provided through Google's User Messaging Platform) before personalized ads are
served. You can change your choice later from within the app where offered.
- **Reset/limit ad tracking:** You can reset or disable your advertising
identifier at any time in your device settings (iOS: Settings → Privacy &
Security → Tracking / Apple Advertising).
Learn how Google uses data from apps that use its services:
https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites
Google AdMob privacy information:
https://support.google.com/admob/answer/6128543
---
## 5. Third-party services
- **Google AdMob (advertising):** https://policies.google.com/privacy
- **Analytics provider (anonymous usage analytics):** governed by that provider's
privacy policy.
These third parties handle data in accordance with their own privacy policies.
---
## 6. Data retention and deletion
- **On-device data** remains until you delete it in the app or uninstall the app.
- **Advertising and analytics data** is retained by those third-party providers
according to their own retention policies.
To remove all data MeshiMate stores about you on your device, delete the app.
---
## 7. Children's privacy
MeshiMate is not directed to children under the age of 13 (or the equivalent
minimum age in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal
information from children. If you believe a child has provided us information,
please contact us so we can address it.
---
## 8. Your privacy rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights regarding your personal
information:
- **EEA/UK (GDPR):** rights to access, correct, delete, or restrict processing of
your data, and to object to processing or withdraw consent. Personalized ads in
these regions are served only with your consent.
- **California (CCPA/CPRA):** the right to know what personal information is
collected and to opt out of its "sale" or "sharing." We do not sell your
personal information.
Because most of your content stays on your device and we operate no account
system, the most direct way to exercise deletion rights is to delete the app. For
other requests, contact us using the details below.
---
## 9. International users
The third-party services we use (such as Google) may process data in countries
other than your own, including the United States. By using the app, you
understand that your information may be processed in those locations under those
providers' safeguards.
---
## 10. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise
the "Last updated" date above. Material changes will be reflected in the app or
its store listing. Continued use of the app after an update means you accept the
revised policy.
---
## 11. Contact
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, contact:
**MeshiMate** — Dan B
Email: meshimateapp@gmail.com
App identifier: com.meshimate.app