FoodieDegree – Privacy Policy
Thanks for using FoodieDegree. We designed the app to be simple, mostly offline, and privacy-friendly. This page explains what the app does with your data and, importantly, what it does not do.
Local-first • Optional account sync • Ad-supported
1) Information We Collect
You can use the core features of FoodieDegree without creating an account. In that mode, your ticked foods, scores and badges stay on your device and are not sent to our servers.
We collect different types of information depending on how you use the app:
1.1. When you use FoodieDegree without an account
- No name or contact details: we do not ask for your name, postal address or phone number.
- Local progress data: the list of foods you have marked as “tried”, your FoodieDegree and badges are stored locally on your device. We do not see this data.
- Technical and crash information: the operating system or app store (such as Google Play) may provide us with anonymous crash reports or basic diagnostics to help improve stability. These reports are generated by the platform and typically do not include personally identifiable information.
1.2. When you create an optional account and sync
If you choose to register an account to back up or sync your FoodieDegree data, we may process:
- Email address: used to create and manage your account and to send verification or important service messages.
- Password: stored in hashed form on our server, not as plain text.
- FoodieDegree data: the list of foods you have marked as tried, plus related scores and badges, so that we can sync them between devices and restore them if you reinstall the app.
Account-related data is stored on a database hosted by our provider (IONOS) and is used only to operate FoodieDegree’s sync and account features.
1.3. When you send suggestions or feedback
FoodieDegree may include a simple form where you can suggest new foods, corrections or improvements. If you use this form:
- We store the content of your message and any optional contact details you choose to provide (for example, an email address) so we can review your suggestion.
- This information is stored in a separate database table for administration and app-improvement purposes only.
2) Information Processed on Your Device
- App preferences (e.g., language, display options, vegan mode) are stored locally on your device so the app behaves as you expect.
- Food progress data (foods you marked as tried, your FoodieDegree, badges and category progress) is stored locally and only synced to our server if you explicitly create an account and enable sync.
- Session and authentication data: when you log in, authentication tokens and related session information are stored locally on your device to manage your session. This data is not shared with third parties and is used only for account and sync functionality.
3) Advertising
FoodieDegree uses Google AdMob to show banner ads. This is how we fund the app instead of charging you to download it.
AdMob is provided by Google and may collect certain information from your device, such as:
- IP address and general location (country or region);
- Device identifiers (for example, an advertising ID);
- Information about how you interact with ads.
Google uses this information to deliver, maintain and improve advertising services. For more details about how Google processes data for ads, please see Google’s own documentation and privacy policy.
You can usually control or reset your device’s advertising ID and ad personalisation preferences in your device settings.
4) What We Don’t Do
- We do not sell your personal data.
- We do not require an account to use the core FoodieDegree features.
- We do not perform continuous location tracking or background location tracking.
- We do not store or transmit precise GPS coordinates.
- We do not build marketing profiles about you outside what is necessary for the app to function and for advertising via AdMob.
5) Permissions
FoodieDegree requests only the permissions required for specific features:
- Internet access: to load ads, contact the server for optional account sync, and submit suggestions.
- Approximate location (optional): FoodieDegree may request access to approximate location (
ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION) only if you explicitly choose to use location-based country suggestions. This permission is never required to use the app, is used only in the foreground, and raw location coordinates are discarded immediately after resolving the country.
If you deny optional permissions, related features may be limited, but the app remains usable.
6) Account Deletion
If you created a FoodieDegree account, you can request deletion of your account and associated synced data at any time.
- Email us at FoodieDegree@xilliz.com from the same email address you used to register.
- Please include the subject line “FoodieDegree Account Deletion Request” so we can process it faster.
- We will delete your account and associated server-side data (such as your synced tried foods and badges). Requests are typically processed within 30 days.
- Local-only data: data stored only on your device is not automatically deleted by this request. You can remove local data by uninstalling the app or clearing the app’s storage in your device settings.
7) Children
The app is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided personal information through FoodieDegree, please contact us and we will address it promptly, including deleting data where appropriate.
8) Changes to This Policy
We may update this page as FoodieDegree evolves. Any changes will appear here with an updated “Last updated” date. If we make significant changes to how we handle personal data, we will take reasonable steps to inform you (for example, via an in-app message or a notice on our website).
9) Contact
Questions or requests about privacy? Email us at FoodieDegree@xilliz.com.
Note: If future versions of FoodieDegree introduce additional features such as analytics, push notifications or new online services, this policy will be updated before release to describe those changes clearly.