MealTime Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 24, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how MealTime collects, uses, discloses, and protects information when you use the MealTime iOS app, the MealTime share extension, related links and pages under getmealtime.com, and related backend services (collectively, the "Service").

MealTime is developed and published by the individual developer behind the MealTime app ("MealTime", "we", "us", or "our").

1. Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to information processed through:

  • the MealTime iOS app;
  • the MealTime share extension;
  • related support, sharing, sync, and subscription services;
  • related websites or universal links used by MealTime; and
  • communications you send to us through app support channels.

This policy does not apply to third-party services that have their own privacy policies, including Apple, Google, Firebase, RevenueCat, and any website or social platform from which you import content.

2. Information We Collect

A. Information you provide directly

Depending on how you use MealTime, we may collect:

  • account information, such as your email address, display name, authentication provider, and account identifier;
  • profile information, such as your profile photo and profile settings;
  • recipe content you create, save, edit, import, or share, including recipe names, ingredients, steps, notes, tags, cooking times, servings, nutrition fields, and attached images;
  • cookbook, grocery list, and meal plan information, including names, items, schedules, collaborators, and membership details;
  • content you submit to import or AI features, including recipe URLs, copied text, screenshots, photos, ingredient images, transcribed text, AI prompts, and chat content;
  • preferences and settings, such as language, measurement units, onboarding selections, dietary preferences, allergen settings, kitchen equipment limitations, country, and notification choices; and
  • support communications and any information you include when contacting us.

B. Information collected automatically or generated in the app

We may collect or generate:

  • usage and analytics data, such as onboarding progress, feature interactions, recipe import events, saves, sharing actions, paywall events, purchase events, and AI feature usage;
  • device, app, and diagnostic data, such as app version, locale, error states, crash information, and performance information;
  • subscription metadata, such as entitlement status, product identifiers, trial dates, renewal status, and billing period dates;
  • share and collaboration metadata, such as share codes, invite links, membership status, and join events; and
  • local app data stored on your device, such as settings, cached data, recent AI generation history, review prompt counters, and exported files you choose to create.

C. Information from third parties

We may receive information from third parties when you use their services with MealTime, including:

  • Apple Sign In, such as your Apple-linked account identity information;
  • Google Sign-In, such as your email address, display name, and profile photo URL;
  • Apple subscription systems and RevenueCat, such as subscription status and entitlement information; and
  • Firebase services used to authenticate users, store content, and operate the service.

D. Permissions and device access

If you grant permission, MealTime may access:

  • your camera, to capture recipe photos, screenshots, ingredient images, and profile images;
  • your photo library, to import recipe images or choose a profile photo;
  • your microphone, to record recipe dictation; and
  • notifications, to send reminders and local app notifications such as timers or trial reminders.

If you do not grant a permission, related features may not work. You can change these permissions at any time in your device's Settings app.

E. Information we do NOT collect

  • **Dictation audio:** When you use voice dictation, audio is processed locally on your device using Apple's speech recognition services. MealTime does not store dictation audio on your device or on our servers. Dictation audio is never sent to our servers. Only the resulting transcribed text is transmitted for recipe processing.
  • **Location data:** MealTime does not collect precise or coarse location data.
  • **Contacts:** MealTime does not access your contacts.

3. How We Use Information

We use information to:

  • create and manage your account, including anonymous accounts and linked accounts;
  • sync your content across devices;
  • store and organize recipes, cookbooks, grocery lists, favorites, and meal plans;
  • process recipe imports from links, text, images, and voice dictation;
  • provide AI-assisted features, including recipe extraction, ingredient analysis, meal generation, meal planning, and chat-based assistance;
  • personalize the app based on your settings and preferences;
  • support sharing and collaboration features, including invite links, share codes, and membership management;
  • process subscriptions, restore purchases, and determine premium access;
  • provide export and deletion tools;
  • send you notifications you have opted into (such as trial reminders);
  • monitor usage, fix bugs, maintain security, and improve the app; and
  • comply with legal obligations and enforce our terms and policies.

We do not use your personal information for cross-app tracking or third-party targeted advertising. We do not sell your personal information.

4. AI and Import Processing

MealTime includes server-assisted import and AI features. When you use those features, the content you submit may be processed on our servers or by third-party AI service providers acting on our behalf.

This can include:

  • recipe URLs you ask us to fetch;
  • copied recipe text;
  • recipe screenshots and photos;
  • ingredient photos;
  • transcribed recipe dictation text (not audio — see Section 2E);
  • AI prompts, chat requests, and follow-up messages; and
  • related context such as language, country, measurement units, allergen settings, and kitchen equipment preferences.

AI-generated content is provided for informational and convenience purposes only. MealTime does not verify allergen information, nutritional accuracy, or food safety of AI-generated content. See the Terms of Use for important disclaimers about AI-generated content.

Please do not submit sensitive personal information through AI or import features unless it is necessary for the feature you are using.

5. How We Share Information

We may share information in the following circumstances:

A. Service providers and infrastructure providers

We may share information with vendors that help us operate MealTime, including providers for:

  • authentication (Firebase Authentication);
  • cloud database and storage (Firebase Firestore, Firebase Storage);
  • analytics and diagnostics (Firebase Analytics);
  • subscription and entitlement management (RevenueCat);
  • sign-in services (Apple Sign In, Google Sign-In); and
  • backend AI processing (third-party AI service providers).

These service providers process information on our behalf and are contractually required to use it only for the purposes we specify.

B. Sharing and collaboration features

If you use MealTime's sharing or collaboration features, information may be shared with other users or recipients at your direction. For example:

  • if you share a cookbook, grocery list, meal plan, or recipe, recipients may be able to view, import, or join that content;
  • share links and share codes may allow access to content by anyone who receives them; and
  • your profile name, photo, and contributions may be visible to collaborators in shared spaces.

Please share carefully. If you give a link or code to another person, they may be able to access the related content.

C. Legal, safety, and business transfers

We may disclose information if reasonably necessary to:

  • comply with law, regulation, legal process, or valid government requests;
  • protect the rights, safety, and security of MealTime, our users, or others;
  • investigate fraud, abuse, or security incidents; or
  • support a merger, financing, reorganization, sale of assets, or similar transaction, in which case we will notify users of any change in ownership or use of personal information.

6. Data Storage and Retention

We keep information for as long as reasonably necessary to provide MealTime, operate the service, resolve disputes, enforce agreements, meet legal obligations, and protect against abuse.

In practice:

  • account and profile information is generally retained while your account is active;
  • recipe, cookbook, grocery list, meal plan, and related content is generally retained until you delete it or your account is deleted, subject to shared-content limitations described below;
  • subscription records and basic transaction-related metadata may be retained for accounting, fraud prevention, legal compliance, and entitlement history;
  • analytics, diagnostics, and logs may be retained for operational and security purposes for limited or rolling periods;
  • export files created by the app are stored on your device until you delete them or your device removes them; and
  • local cache, settings, and temporary or semi-persistent device files may remain on your device until removed by the app, cleared by the system, or deleted by you.

If you delete your account, we will take reasonable steps to delete or disassociate information associated with your account within 30 days, except where retention is necessary for legal, security, backup, fraud-prevention, or operational reasons.

**Shared-content note:** If you contributed content to shared cookbooks, grocery lists, meal plans, or shared recipe flows, some content may remain available to other collaborators or recipients even after your account is deleted, because that content is already part of a shared space or another user's collection.

7. Your Choices and Rights

Depending on how you use MealTime and where you live, you may have the right to:

  • access or update your profile information directly in the app;
  • export certain content using MealTime's in-app export tools;
  • delete recipes, cookbooks, grocery lists, meal plans, or your account through the app;
  • disable notifications in iOS Settings;
  • revoke camera, photo-library, or microphone permissions in iOS Settings;
  • manage or cancel subscriptions through your Apple account settings;
  • request access, correction, deletion, portability, or restriction of personal information, where provided by law; and
  • withdraw consent where processing is based on consent.

To exercise any privacy rights not available through the app, contact us at mealtime.support@gmail.com. We may need to verify your identity before acting on the request.

We will respond to privacy requests within the time required by applicable law (typically 30 days, or as otherwise required by your jurisdiction).

8. International Data Transfers

MealTime and the service providers we use (including Firebase and Google Cloud) may process and store information in countries other than the one where you live, including the United States. Those countries may have data-protection laws that differ from the laws in your jurisdiction.

Where required by applicable law (including the EU General Data Protection Regulation), we rely on appropriate safeguards for international data transfers, such as the service provider's standard contractual clauses or other approved transfer mechanisms.

9. Legal Bases for Processing (EEA, UK, and Similar Jurisdictions)

Where applicable (including under the GDPR), we process personal information on one or more of the following legal bases:

  • **Contract:** To provide the app and the features you request, including account creation, content storage, sync, sharing, and subscription management.
  • **Legitimate interests:** To secure, maintain, analyze, and improve MealTime; to prevent fraud and abuse; and to communicate with you about the Service. We balance these interests against your rights and freedoms.
  • **Consent:** Where you choose to enable notifications, camera, microphone, photo access, analytics, or similar optional features. You can withdraw consent at any time through device settings or in-app controls.
  • **Legal obligation:** To comply with applicable laws and regulations.

10. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures to protect information, including encryption of data in transit and at rest through our infrastructure providers. However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your device, your Apple ID or sign-in credentials, and any share links or share codes you distribute.

If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at mealtime.support@gmail.com.

11. Children's Privacy

MealTime is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through MealTime.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has provided personal information to us, please contact us at mealtime.support@gmail.com so we can review and delete the information promptly.

If we learn that we have collected personal information from a child under 13 without verifiable parental consent, we will take steps to delete that information as quickly as possible.

12. Third-Party Services

MealTime integrates with third-party providers. Their handling of your information is governed by their own terms and privacy policies. Key third-party services include:

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we may provide notice in the app, on a related website, or by other reasonable means. Your continued use of MealTime after an updated policy becomes effective means the updated policy will apply going forward.

We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, want to make a privacy-related request, or wish to file a complaint, please contact us at:

Email: mealtime.support@gmail.com

If you are in the European Economic Area and are not satisfied with our response, you may also have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority.