CookBook AI — Privacy Policy

1. Local Data Storage

All recipes, ingredients, notes, and cooking history are stored locally on your device in a SQLite database. This data never leaves your device and is never transmitted to ByNeel or any third-party server. You can delete any recipe or data at any time directly in the app.

2. No Account Required

CookBook AI does not require an account, login, or registration. We do not ask for your name, email, phone number, or any personal identification. No data is ever associated with your identity.

3. API Key Security

To use AI features, you may provide your own Google Gemini API key. This key is stored securely in your device's native keystore (iOS Keychain or Android Keystore) with encryption. Your API key is never transmitted to ByNeel and is not logged, stored, or backed up on any server. Your key is used exclusively to communicate with Google's API.

4. Camera Permission

CookBook AI requests camera access to enable photo scanning (OCR) of recipes from books or websites. Photos are processed entirely on your device using local machine learning models. We do not store, send, or analyze your photos. Photos are deleted after processing unless you explicitly save them within the app.

5. Microphone Permission

CookBook AI requests microphone access to enable voice dictation for ingredient and note input. Audio is sent directly to your device's built-in speech-to-text engine (not to ByNeel). We do not record, store, or transmit your voice. Voice processing is entirely local to your device.

6. Google Gemini API

When you use AI-powered features (recipe generation, ingredient suggestions, cooking tips), requests are sent directly from your device to Google's Gemini API. Google's privacy policy applies to these API calls. ByNeel does not receive, store, or analyze these requests. You control when and whether AI features are used. Note: only the free version uses AI; premium features operate locally without API calls.

7. Google AdMob (Free Version)

The free version of CookBook AI displays ads served by Google AdMob. AdMob may collect limited data (device identifiers, app usage) to serve personalized ads. ByNeel does not control or access this data. Google's AdMob privacy policy applies. You can upgrade to the premium version to remove ads entirely.

8. No Analytics or Tracking

We do not use analytics services, crash reporting, or any tracking technology to monitor how you use CookBook AI. We do not know how many recipes you save, which features you use, or any other usage information. Your app behavior is completely private.

9. Policy Updates

This privacy policy may be updated occasionally. Updates will be posted here with an updated "Last updated" date. Your continued use of CookBook AI indicates acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy or how CookBook AI handles your data, please contact us at contact@byneel.com