ThymePrivacy Policy
Thyme is built to help you cook, not to harvest your data. This policy explains exactly what we collect, why, and who we share it with — in plain language.
The short version
We collect only what the app needs to work: your account email, the recipes and plans you create, and your subscription status. We use trusted providers to run the service and to power the AI features. We do not sell your data, show you ads, or track you across other apps. You can delete your account and everything in it at any time from inside the app.
Information we collect
Account information
When you create an account, we collect your email address and a unique account identifier through our authentication provider. If you sign in with Apple or Google, we receive the email associated with that sign-in. We never see or store your password.
Content you create
We store the things you make in the app so they're there when you come back: your saved recipes, meal plans, shopping lists, food preferences (such as dietary choices and allergies), and any photos you add to a recipe. This content is tied to your account and is visible only to you.
Photos and text you submit to AI features
When you use an AI feature — snapping your fridge, importing a recipe from a link or text, or generating a recipe — the relevant photo or text is sent to our AI processing providers to produce the result. A fridge photo is analyzed to detect ingredients; imported text or a scanned page is read to extract a recipe.
Subscription information
Purchases are handled entirely by Apple. We receive your subscription status (whether you have an active plan) so we can unlock premium features. We never receive your card details or payment information.
What we do not collect
- No advertising identifiers and no cross-app or cross-site tracking.
- No precise location.
- No contacts, browsing history, or health data.
How we use your information
- To create and secure your account and sign you in.
- To save and sync your recipes, plans, and preferences across your devices.
- To generate recipes and detect ingredients when you use the AI features.
- To provide premium features to subscribers and to process notifications you opt into.
- To fix bugs, keep the service reliable, and respond to your support requests.
Service providers we work with
We rely on a small number of established companies to run Thyme. They process data only to provide their service to us, under their own privacy commitments:
- Authentication — manages sign-in and your account credentials.
- Cloud database & storage — stores your recipes, plans, and photos.
- AI providers — Google (Gemini) analyzes photos and text to generate recipes and detect ingredients; a separate image provider generates recipe images on request.
- Apple — processes all subscription payments.
We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to anyone, and we do not share it for advertising.
Data retention
We keep your information for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, we remove your recipes, plans, shopping lists, preferences, and photos from our systems. Some records may persist briefly in backups before being overwritten.
Your choices and rights
- Delete your account — Settings → Delete Account removes your account and all associated content.
- Delete your data — you can clear your saved recipes, meal plan, and shopping list from Settings without deleting your account.
- Notifications — cooking and reminder notifications are opt-in and can be turned off in your device settings at any time.
- Access or questions — email us and we'll help with any request regarding your data.
Security
Your data is transmitted over encrypted connections and stored with access controls that scope every recipe, plan, and photo to your account. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your information and to limit what any single provider can access.
Children
Thyme is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we will remove it.
Changes to this policy
If we make material changes, we'll update the date at the top of this page and, where appropriate, notify you in the app. Continuing to use Thyme after an update means you accept the revised policy.
Contact us
Questions about your privacy? Email support@thymeapp.com and we'll get back to you.