MyChef Privacy Policy

Effective date: 2026-07-12 Last updated: 2026-07-12

This Privacy Policy explains how MyChef ("MyChef", "we", "us", or "our") collects, uses, and shares information when you use the MyChef mobile app and related services (the "Service"). MyChef is operated by Jason Aaron Chumney. If you have questions, contact us at mychefsupport@gmail.com.

The short version

• You must be at least 13 to use MyChef. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. See Children's Privacy.
• We collect the information you give us (your account, food preferences, pantry, and — only if you opt into fitness features — basic body metrics) plus how you use the app.
• Fridge/pantry photos you scan are sent to our AI provider to detect ingredients, and are not stored by us after processing.
• We share data only with the service providers that make the app work (listed in Section 7). We do not sell your personal information, and we don't show third-party ads.
• You can delete your account and data at any time from Profile → Delete account, or by emailing us.

1. Information you give us

Account. When you create an account (via Apple or Google sign-in) we receive your email address, a name if your provider shares one, and a unique user ID. We do not receive or store your Apple/Google password.

Profile & food preferences. The answers you give during onboarding and in your profile: your goals, household size, cooking skill, time available, cuisines you like, kitchen equipment, foods you love or avoid, and any dietary restrictions or allergies you enter (including free-text notes, which are processed by AI to tailor recipes — see Section 3).

Health & fitness data (optional). Only if you turn on fitness features, we collect the metrics you enter: gender, current and goal weight, height, and activity level. You can skip this entirely; the core app works without it. We use it solely to tailor recipes and calorie targets — never for advertising.

Kitchen & activity content. Items in your pantry, recipes you generate/save/cook, ratings and written reviews, meal plans, grocery lists, cooking streaks, and estimated grocery savings.

Community content. If you use group chats, we store the messages, recipe shares, username, and group membership you create. This content is shared with the other members of those groups. Your username and the display name on your reviews are visible to other users.

Purchases. If you subscribe, the purchase is processed by Apple or Google and our payments provider (RevenueCat). We receive your subscription status and a purchase identifier — we never receive your full credit-card number.

2. Information we collect automatically

Photos you scan. When you scan your fridge, pantry, or spice cabinet, the photo is sent to our AI provider to identify ingredients (see Section 3). We do not store the scanned photos after they are processed — we keep only the list of detected items you confirm.

Barcodes. When you scan a product barcode, the code is sent to a product database to look up the item.

Device & technical data. A device push-notification token (only if you enable notifications), plus standard technical information needed to operate and secure the Service (e.g. IP address seen by our server for rate-limiting and abuse prevention, and error logs). We do not collect your precise location, your contacts, or your photo library beyond the specific images you choose to scan.

3. How AI processing works

MyChef's scanning, recipe generation, and "Chef" assistant are powered by a third-party AI provider (Anthropic, via its Claude API). To provide these features we send the relevant input to Anthropic:

• Fridge/pantry/spice scans: the photo you captured.
• Recipe generation & the Chef assistant: the relevant context (your pantry items, food preferences, dietary restrictions, and the questions you ask).

This data is processed to return your result. Under Anthropic's commercial API terms, inputs and outputs are not used to train its models. We send only what's needed for the feature and do not attach advertising identifiers.

4. How we use your information

We use the information described above to:

• Create and secure your account and authenticate you.
• Detect ingredients from your scans and generate recipes, plans, and grocery lists tailored to you.
• Track cooking streaks, savings, ratings, and progress.
• Power group chats and recipe sharing between members you choose.
• Process subscriptions and enforce plan limits.
• Send notifications you've opted into (e.g. trial-ending reminders, weekly recaps, expiry nudges).
• Prevent abuse, debug problems, and keep the Service safe (including rate-limiting by IP).
• Comply with legal obligations.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for third-party advertising.

5. How we share information

We share information only:

• With the service providers listed in Section 7, who process it on our behalf to run the app.
• With other users, for the community content you choose to post (group messages, recipe shares, your username, and your public reviews).
• For legal reasons, if required by law or to protect the rights, safety, and security of our users or the Service.
• In a business transfer, if MyChef is involved in a merger, acquisition, or asset sale (you'll be notified of any change in control of your data).

6. Your rights and choices

• Access & update: view and edit your profile and preferences in the app.
• Delete your account and data: use Profile → Delete account, or email mychefsupport@gmail.com. Deleting your account removes your personal data from our systems, subject to limited retention described in Section 9.
• Notifications: turn push notifications off in the app or your device settings at any time.
• Regional rights: depending on where you live (e.g. the EEA/UK under GDPR, or California under the CCPA/CPRA), you may have rights to access, correct, delete, port, or restrict processing of your data, and to object to certain processing. We honor these requests — contact us to exercise them. We do not sell personal information as defined by those laws.

7. Third-party services we share data with

Each provider processes data under its own privacy policy and our agreements with them.

8. Children's privacy (13+)

MyChef is intended for users aged 13 and older. When you first open the app, we ask for your date of birth; if it indicates you are under 13, you are not permitted to use MyChef and are blocked from creating an account. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

If you believe a child under 13 has provided us personal information, please contact mychefsupport@gmail.com and we will delete it promptly. Where a higher minimum age applies by law in your region (for example, the minimum digital-consent age under GDPR), that higher age applies.

9. Data retention

We keep your information for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account, we delete your personal data from our production systems, except where we must retain limited records to comply with legal, tax, security, or dispute-resolution obligations. Scan photos are not retained after processing (see Section 2). Backups are purged on a rolling schedule.

10. Security

We protect your information with industry-standard measures, including encrypted transport (HTTPS), authenticated and access-scoped APIs, row-level database security, input validation, and rate limiting. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your data and respond promptly to issues.

11. International users

MyChef is operated from the United States, and your information may be processed in the U.S. and other countries where our providers operate. Those countries may have different data-protection laws than yours. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards for international transfers.

12. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we'll update the "Last updated" date and, where appropriate, notify you in the app. Your continued use of the Service after an update means you accept the revised policy. This policy is governed by the laws of the State of Colorado, USA.

13. Contact us

Questions, requests, or concerns about this policy or your data:

Email: mychefsupport@gmail.com