Privacy Policy

Last Updated: December 18, 2025

Welcome to PlantCare Companion AI. We are committed to protecting your privacy and ensuring the security of your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your data when you use our mobile application.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

  • Plant Data: Information about your plants including names, species, photos, watering schedules, and care notes
  • Photos: Images you capture or upload for plant identification and growth tracking
  • User Preferences: Your language preferences, notification settings, and app customization choices
  • Journal Entries: Notes, observations, and records you create in your plant journal

1.2 Automatically Collected Information

  • Device Information: Device type, operating system version, and app version
  • Usage Data: How you interact with the app, features you use, and app performance data
  • Camera and Sensor Data: Light level measurements from device sensors when using the lux meter feature

1.3 AI Processing Data

  • Plant Identification: Images you submit for AI-powered plant identification
  • AI Interactions: Your queries and interactions with AI-powered features for improving service quality

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

  • Provide Core Services: Enable plant identification, care tracking, reminders, and other app features
  • Personalization: Customize your experience based on your preferences and plant collection
  • Notifications: Send you watering reminders, plant care tips, and app updates based on your settings
  • AI Improvement: Train and improve our AI models for better plant identification accuracy
  • App Enhancement: Analyze usage patterns to improve features and user experience
  • Technical Support: Diagnose and fix technical issues you may encounter

3. Data Storage and Security

3.1 Local Storage

Most of your data is stored locally on your device, including:

  • Plant collections and care records
  • Journal entries and notes
  • Photos and growth tracking data
  • App preferences and settings

3.2 Cloud Storage (Optional)

If you enable cloud backup features:

  • Your data is encrypted in transit and at rest
  • We use industry-standard security protocols
  • You can delete your cloud data at any time through app settings

3.3 Security Measures

We implement various security measures to protect your information:

  • Encryption of sensitive data
  • Secure API communications
  • Regular security audits and updates
  • Access controls and authentication

4. Third-Party Services

Our app may use third-party services for specific functionalities:

4.1 AI Services

Plant identification features use AI services that may process your images. These services:

  • Process images only for identification purposes
  • Do not store images permanently without your consent
  • Comply with applicable data protection regulations

4.2 Analytics

We may use analytics services to understand app usage and improve performance. These services collect anonymized data that cannot identify you personally.

5. Your Privacy Rights

You have the following rights regarding your data:

  • Access: Request access to your personal data
  • Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information
  • Deletion: Request deletion of your data from our systems
  • Export: Request a copy of your data in a portable format
  • Opt-Out: Disable data collection features or notifications at any time

6. Children's Privacy

Our app is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us immediately.

7. Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as necessary to provide our services. Locally stored data remains on your device until you delete it. Cloud-backed data is retained according to your preferences and can be deleted at any time.

8. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence. We ensure appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any significant changes through the app or via email. Your continued use of the app after changes indicates acceptance of the updated policy.

10. California Privacy Rights

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

  • Right to know what personal information is collected
  • Right to know if personal information is sold or disclosed
  • Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information
  • Right to deletion of personal information
  • Right to non-discrimination for exercising CCPA rights

11. GDPR Compliance

For users in the European Economic Area (EEA), we comply with the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). Your rights include:

  • Right to access your personal data
  • Right to rectification of inaccurate data
  • Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
  • Right to restrict processing
  • Right to data portability
  • Right to object to processing

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact us:

We aim to respond to all inquiries within 30 days.

By using PlantCare Companion AI, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and agree to its terms.