BBQ Chef AI

Privacy Policy

Last Updated: August 5, 2026

Introduction

BBQ Chef ("we," "our," or "us") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting your personal information. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and protect your information when you use the BBQ Chef mobile application (the "App"), including its AI-powered recipe generation, community features, and subscription services.

Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create an account or sign in, we collect:

• Authentication Data: Your Firebase authentication identifier, sign-in provider (Google or Apple), and associated email address
• Profile Information: Display name, username, profile image URL, and cooking experience level (beginner, intermediate, or advanced) that you provide during onboarding
• Account Status: Account creation date and account standing

Recipe & Chat Data

• Chat Messages: Messages you send to our AI-powered BBQ recipe assistant to generate personalised recipes
• Generated Recipes: Recipes created for you, including ingredients, instructions, temperatures, timings, and equipment details
• Saved Recipes: Recipes you save to your collection, along with any edits you make

Community Data ("The Pit")

When you use our community features, we collect:

• Posts: Recipes and content you share publicly with the community
• Comments: Comments you leave on other users' posts
• Votes: Your upvotes on community posts
• Reports: Content reports you submit about other users' posts

Recipe Feedback

• Ratings: Whether you rated a recipe positively or negatively (thumbs up/down)
• Modification Status: Whether you modified a recipe before cooking
• Failure Reasons: If applicable, specific feedback such as cooking time, temperature, seasoning, or clarity issues
• Free Text Feedback: Any additional comments you provide about a recipe
• Context: Your experience level and equipment at the time of feedback

This feedback is used for service improvement to enhance recipe quality.

Photo & Image Data

• Recipe Photos: Photos you upload from your device's camera or photo library to accompany recipes or community posts
• Recipe Import Photos: When you use "Import from Photo", the photo you take of a recipe (e.g. a cookbook page or printout) is sent to our servers and processed by an AI service to transcribe it into a recipe. Import photos are processed in transit and are not stored on our servers.
• Recipe Import Text: When you use "Import from Notes", the recipe text you paste or type is sent to our servers and processed by an AI service to convert it into a structured recipe.
• Storage: Uploaded images are stored on a cloud-based image service

Subscription & Purchase Data

• Subscription Status: Whether you are on the free plan or Pitmaster Pro (monthly or annual)
• Purchase Identifiers: RevenueCat manages subscription status using anonymous identifiers linked to your account
• Payment Processing: All payment transactions are handled entirely by Apple (App Store) or Google (Play Store). We do not collect, process, or store your payment card details, billing address, or other financial information.

Usage & Analytics Data

We use Mixpanel (with EU data residency) to collect analytics data including:

• App Events: Sign-in activity, onboarding progress, recipe generation (category, duration, success/failure), recipe interactions (favourites, edits, deletions), community activity (posts, votes, comments, searches), paywall interactions, settings changes, and feedback submissions
• Account Properties: Subscription plan, measurement system preference, and equipment count

Device & Technical Data

• Device Information: Device type, operating system version, and App version for compatibility purposes
• Error Logs: Technical information about App crashes or errors to improve stability
• Connectivity Status: Whether your device is online or offline, to manage App functionality

Information We Do NOT Collect

• We do not access your device's location, microphone, or contacts
• We do not collect payment card details or billing information (handled by Apple/Google)
• We do not track you across other websites or apps
• We do not sell your data to third parties

How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information to:

• Generate Recipes: Process your chat messages to create personalised BBQ recipes using AI
• Provide Community Features: Display your public profile, posts, and comments to other users in The Pit
• Manage Subscriptions: Verify your subscription status and enforce plan limits (e.g., recipe generation limits for free users)
• Improve Service Quality: Analyse recipe feedback and usage patterns to enhance recipe quality and App features
• Ensure App Functionality: Monitor performance, prevent crashes, and ensure features work properly
• Prevent Abuse: Enforce rate limits, detect misuse, and moderate community content
• Provide Technical Support: Respond to technical issues and improve App stability

We do NOT use your information for:

• Advertising or marketing purposes
• Selling to third parties for commercial purposes
• Tracking across other apps or websites

Data Sharing & Third-Party Services

We share data with the following third-party services, each for a specific purpose:

OpenAI

We use OpenAI's services to generate recipes and to transcribe recipes you import. Your chat messages, recipe text you paste for import, and photos of recipes you submit for import are sent to OpenAI for processing (routed through our servers — never directly from your device). If you enable "Adapt to my BBQ setup", your cooking profile (equipment, experience level, preferences) is included so the recipe can be adapted to your gear. Please review OpenAI's privacy policy at: https://openai.com/privacy/

Firebase (Google)

We use Firebase for user authentication (Google Sign-In and Apple Sign-In) and token verification. Firebase processes your authentication credentials. Please review Firebase's privacy policy at: https://firebase.google.com/support/privacy

Mixpanel

We use Mixpanel for analytics with data hosted in the EU (api-eu.mixpanel.com). Mixpanel receives anonymised usage events and account properties. Please review Mixpanel's privacy policy at: https://mixpanel.com/legal/privacy-policy/

RevenueCat

We use RevenueCat to manage subscriptions and communicate with Apple/Google for payment verification. Please review RevenueCat's privacy policy at: https://www.revenuecat.com/privacy/

Cloud Image Service

Recipe photos you upload are stored on a cloud-based image hosting service.

Hosting

Our backend servers are hosted on Railway within the EU.

Community Features & Public Data

When you participate in The Pit (our community feature), please be aware that:

• Your username, display name, and profile image are visible to all App users
• Recipes and posts you share are publicly visible to all App users
• Comments you leave on posts are publicly visible
• Your upvote counts and comment counts on posts are visible
• Other users can search for and discover your public posts

You can control your community presence by choosing not to post or share content. Content you post publicly cannot be made private retroactively, though you may delete your own posts.

Data Storage & Security

Local Storage

• Your recipes, chat history, and profile preferences are stored locally on your device using an SQLite database
• Local data persists across App sessions until you delete the App or clear App data

Cloud Storage

• Account information, community posts, recipe feedback, and synced recipes are stored in a PostgreSQL database hosted on Railway within the EU
• Uploaded images are stored on a cloud-based image service
• All data transmission between the App and our servers uses industry-standard encryption (HTTPS/TLS)

Security Measures

• Firebase authentication tokens are verified on every request
• Rate limiting is applied to prevent abuse (30 requests per minute for authenticated users)
• Image uploads are limited to 50 per day per user

Data Retention

• Account Data: Retained for as long as your account exists. Deleted when you delete your account.
• Recipes & Chat History: Retained for as long as your account exists, both locally and on our servers. Deleted when you delete your account.
• Community Posts & Comments: Retained for as long as they exist. You may delete your own posts at any time.
• Recipe Feedback: Retained for as long as your account exists. Deleted when you delete your account.
• Uploaded Images: Retained for as long as the associated recipe or post exists.
• Analytics Data: Retained according to Mixpanel's data retention policy.
• Error Logs: Retained for up to 6 months for technical support.

Subscriptions & Payments

BBQ Chef offers both free and paid subscription tiers:

• Free Plan: Limited to 3 AI recipe generations and 5 recipe imports per month, and 10 recipes in your collection. Creating recipes from scratch is unlimited.
• Pitmaster Pro Monthly: £2.99/month for unlimited recipe generations, unlimited imports, and unlimited collection size
• Pitmaster Pro Annual: £29.99/year for unlimited recipe generations, unlimited imports, and unlimited collection size

All payment processing is handled by Apple (App Store) or Google (Play Store) through RevenueCat. We never collect, see, or store your payment details. Subscription management (cancellation, renewal) is handled through your Apple or Google account settings.

Device Permissions

The App may request the following device permissions:

• Camera: To take photos of your recipes for use in the App and community posts
• Photo Library: To select existing photos for recipes and community posts
• Network Access: Required for recipe generation, community features, and data syncing
• Screen Wake Lock: To keep your screen on while viewing a recipe during cooking

Your Privacy Rights

You have the right to:

• Delete Your Account: Use the in-app account deletion feature to remove your account and all associated data from our servers
• Delete Local Data: Uninstall the App to remove all locally stored data
• Delete Community Content: Remove your own posts and comments from The Pit
• Control Permissions: Manage camera and photo library access through your device settings
• Request Information: Contact us to learn what data we have associated with your account

For EU Users (GDPR)

You additionally have the right to:

• Access a copy of your personal data
• Rectify inaccurate personal data
• Restrict processing of your data
• Data portability
• Object to processing of your data
• Lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority

For California Users (CCPA)

You additionally have the right to:

• Know what personal information is collected and how it is used
• Request deletion of your personal information
• Non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

Children's Privacy

BBQ Chef does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 years of age. The App is intended for general audiences and contains no content inappropriate for children. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately.

International Users

If you are using the App outside the European Union, please note that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed within the EU where our servers are located. By using the App, you consent to this transfer. Our servers are located within the EU, providing data protection under GDPR regulations.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we make changes:

• We will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• For significant changes, we will provide notice within the App
• Continued use of the App after changes constitutes acceptance of the new policy

Data Minimisation

We follow the principle of data minimisation:

• We only collect data necessary for App functionality and service improvement
• We retain data only as long as needed or until you delete your account
• We do not sell, rent, or share your data with third parties for marketing purposes

Contact Information

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact us at:

Email: hello@techgeezer.ai

Legal Compliance

This Privacy Policy complies with:

• Apple App Store Review Guidelines
• Google Play Store Policies
• California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA)
• General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) where applicable
• Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA)

Definitions

• "App" refers to the BBQ Chef mobile application
• "Personal Information" means information that identifies or can be used to identify you
• "Usage Data" means information about how you use the App
• "AI Processing" means using artificial intelligence to generate recipe content
• "The Pit" refers to the App's community feature where users can share and discover recipes
• "Pitmaster Pro" refers to the App's paid subscription tier
• "Account Data" means information associated with your user account

By using BBQ Chef, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy and agree to the collection and use of your information as described herein.