Privacy Policy

Last updated: 10 October 2026

CookIt (listed on the App Store as “Cook It! - Recipe Collection”, “the app”) is developed and maintained by Mariana Steblii, an independent developer based in Denmark, who is the data controller for the personal data described here. This Privacy Policy explains what data the app collects, why, where it is stored, who it is shared with, and what choices you have.

1. Data We Collect

Account data. When you create an account: your email address, display name, optional profile photo, and the sign-in method you use (email and password, Sign in with Apple, or Google Sign-In).

Your content. The recipes, recipe images and videos, categories, notes, links, meal plans, cooking history (for example, when you mark a meal as cooked), shopping lists and item photos you create, and the starter recipes you choose during Kitchen setup. This content is linked to your account so it can be saved and synced across your devices. The app asks for camera and photo library access only so you can add photos to your recipes and shopping items; only the photos you choose are uploaded.

Shared shopping lists. If you share a shopping list or join one through an invite link, its content is visible to and editable by every member of that list. Anyone who has the invite link can join. Members see the list content only. Your name and email address are not shown to other members.

Subscription data. If you subscribe to CookIt Pro, we store your subscription status, plan, expiry date and App Store transaction identifiers, so your Pro access works on all your devices. We also store whether you have a Founding Cook grant. Payment is handled entirely by Apple. We never receive your payment card details.

Usage counters. We count how many times you use certain features to apply Free plan limits (for example your free meal-plan shopping list) and to protect the AI features from abuse.

Feedback. If you send feedback from the app: your message, the contact email you give, your account email, user ID, device model and app version.

Diagnostics and usage data. See section 5.

2. How We Use Your Data

Your data is used to:

• create and manage your account;

• save and sync your content across your devices;

• provide the app’s features, including shared lists, meal planning and AI-powered shopping list tidying;

• provide and verify CookIt Pro subscriptions;

• protect the app and its services from abuse and fraud;

• answer your feedback and support requests;

• improve app stability and understand general app usage.

We do not use your content for advertising, and we do not sell your data.

Legal bases (EU/EEA users). We process your data to perform our agreement with you (providing the app and your subscription), on the basis of our legitimate interests (security, abuse prevention, app stability and improvement), and to meet legal obligations.

3. AI Features

To tidy ingredient lists (Smart Merge and Generate Shopping List), the text of the ingredient lines is sent to OpenAI for processing. Your name, email address or account ID are never sent with it. OpenAI does not use this data to train its models and may keep it for up to 30 days for abuse monitoring before deleting it.

To avoid repeat requests, the app remembers tidied ingredient lines on your device only. This memory is not backed up and is cleared when you sign out or delete your account.

4. How Data Is Stored

Your data is stored on Google Firebase. Your recipes, categories, notes, meal plans, shopping lists and account profile are stored in the European Union. Your images and videos, sign-in data, analytics and crash reports are processed in the United States, under the safeguards described in section 6. Data is encrypted in transit and at rest.

5. Analytics, Crash Reporting and Performance

The app uses Firebase Analytics to understand which features are used, Firebase Crashlytics to collect crash reports and diagnostic information, such as device model, iOS version, app version and technical crash details, and Firebase Performance Monitoring to measure how fast the app loads and responds.

This data is linked to your account ID, so we can find the reports that belong to your account when you contact us. Analytics also records your app language and how many recipes, categories, notes and favourites you have, as counts only.

Analytics and crash reports never include text you type, such as recipe titles, ingredients, notes, category names, shopping list items or search terms. They also never include your images or videos.

The app also uses Apple’s App Attest and DeviceCheck services (through Firebase App Check) to confirm that requests come from a genuine copy of the app.

6. Who We Share Data With

We share data only with the service providers needed to run the app, and only for that purpose:

• Google: Google Sign-In and Firebase (authentication, database, file storage, cloud functions, analytics, crash reporting and performance monitoring);

• Apple: Sign in with Apple, in-app purchases and subscription verification, app integrity checks;

• OpenAI: ingredient lines for AI shopping list tidying (see section 3);

• Resend: delivering the feedback you send to the developer by email.

Some of these providers process data outside the EU/EEA, for example in the United States. Where they do, the transfer is protected by appropriate safeguards, such as the EU–US Data Privacy Framework or the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses.

We do not sell, rent or share your personal data for marketing purposes.

7. Data Retention and Account Deletion

Your data is kept for as long as your account exists.

You can delete your account at any time from Profile → Delete account. This permanently deletes:

• your account and Firebase Authentication record;

• your recipes, images, videos, categories, notes, meal plans, shopping lists and other content;

• your subscription records and usage counters;

• feedback you sent from the app.

When you delete your account, you leave any shared shopping lists you belong to. If you were the last member, the list is deleted. Otherwise it stays available to the remaining members, including items you added to it.

A minimal deletion record with no personal content is kept for 7 days to make sure the deletion completes safely. Some technical logs and backups may remain for a limited time for security, debugging or legal reasons.

Deleting your account does not cancel a CookIt Pro subscription. Cancel it in your Apple ID settings. Apple keeps its own purchase records under Apple’s privacy policy.

8. Your Rights

Depending on where you live, including the EU/EEA, you may have the right to access, correct, delete or export your personal data, to restrict or object to its processing, and to withdraw consent where processing is based on consent. To make a request, contact us using the email below.

If you are in the EU/EEA, you also have the right to complain to a data protection authority. In Denmark that is Datatilsynet (datatilsynet.dk).

9. Children

CookIt is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we change the “Last updated” date. If a change is significant, we will let you know in the app.

11. Contact

Questions about this Privacy Policy or your data: 📧 cookit@fastmail.com