Last Updated: January 28, 2026
1. Introduction
Cal Aide ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application.
2. Information We Collect
2.1 Personal Information
- Email address (for account creation and login)
- Password (if using email registration, securely hashed)
- Apple ID identifier (if using Apple Sign In)
- Name (optional, obtained via Apple Sign In or manually entered)
- Profile photo (optional, stored locally on your device)
2.2 Health and Fitness Data
- Height, weight, age, and gender
- Food intake and nutritional information (calories, protein, carbs, fat, fiber)
- Exercise and activity logs
- Daily step count (if connected to Apple Health)
- Water intake tracking
- Weight goals and progress
- Photos of meals (stored locally on your device for tracking; analyzed via AI for nutrition data)
- Fasting and eating window preferences
- Health plan participation (e.g., Weight Loss, Muscle Builder, Intermittent Fasting)
2.3 Technical Information
- Device information (model, OS version)
- Device identifiers (IDFA with your consent, IDFV)
- App usage analytics and interaction data
- Crash reports and error logs
- IP address and general location (city/country level)
3. How We Use Your Information
- Provide personalized nutrition and fitness recommendations
- AI-powered food recognition and calorie tracking
- Display personalized meal recommendations and community food insights
- Track your progress and help you achieve your health goals
- Provide daily, weekly, and monthly insight reports
- Manage health plans and challenges (Smart Weight Loss, Muscle Builder, 16:8 Fasting, Eat the Rainbow, etc.)
- Improve app functionality and user experience
- Process subscription payments securely via Apple
- Send important service updates and notifications
- Send promotional emails, newsletters, and marketing communications about new features, special offers, and health tips
- Provide customer support
3.1 Email Communications
By creating an account with Cal Aide, you consent to receive the following types of email communications:
- Transactional Emails: Account verification, password resets, subscription confirmations, and important service announcements
- Marketing Emails: Promotional offers, new feature announcements, health tips, newsletters, and special discounts
- Engagement Emails: Progress updates, motivational content, and personalized recommendations to help you achieve your health goals
Opt-Out: You may unsubscribe from marketing emails at any time by clicking the "Unsubscribe" link at the bottom of any marketing email, or by contacting us at feedback@calaide.com. Please note that even if you opt out of marketing emails, you will still receive essential transactional emails related to your account and subscription.
4. Third-Party Services
We use the following third-party services to provide our app functionality:
- Google Gemini: For AI-powered food analysis and image recognition. Food images and descriptions are sent to Google's Gemini API for nutritional analysis. Google's AI privacy policy applies.
- Apple Sign In: For secure authentication. Apple's privacy policy applies to authentication data.
- Apple In-App Purchase: For subscription management and payment processing. Apple's privacy policy applies to payment information.
- Google Cloud Platform: For secure data storage (Cloud SQL, Cloud Storage), hosting (Cloud Run), and backend services. Data is encrypted at rest and in transit.
- TikTok for Business SDK: For advertising attribution and measuring the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns. TikTok may collect device identifiers and app interaction data to help us understand how users discover our app. TikTok's privacy policy applies to data collected through their SDK.
We carefully select third-party services that maintain high privacy and security standards.
4.1 Advertising and Attribution Partners
We work with advertising partners to measure the effectiveness of our marketing efforts:
- TikTok: We use TikTok's SDK to track app installs and measure advertising performance. This helps us understand which ads are effective and improve our marketing. Data collected may include device identifiers, app events (such as app launch), and interaction data.
You can limit ad tracking by enabling "Limit Ad Tracking" in your device settings or declining the App Tracking Transparency prompt when first using the app.
5. Data Storage and Security
- Your data is encrypted in transit using SSL/TLS protocols
- Stored securely on Google Cloud servers with industry-standard encryption at rest
- Food photos uploaded by admins for recommendations are stored in Google Cloud Storage
- Your personal food tracking photos remain on your device and are not uploaded to our servers
- We implement multi-layer security measures to protect your information
- Payment information is processed by Apple and never stored on our servers
- Regular security audits and updates
- Access to user data is strictly limited to authorized personnel
6. Data Sharing and Disclosure
We do NOT sell your personal information to third parties. We only share your data in the following circumstances:
- With your explicit consent
- With service providers necessary for app functionality (as listed in section 4)
- To comply with legal requirements, court orders, or government requests
- To protect our rights, safety, or property
- In connection with a business transfer (merger, acquisition, etc.)
7. Your Privacy Rights
You have the right to:
- Access: Request a copy of your personal data
- Correction: Update or correct inaccurate information via the app settings
- Deletion: Request deletion of your account and data via the "Delete Account" option in the app
- Export: Download your data in a portable format
- Opt-out: Unsubscribe from marketing communications
- Restrict Processing: Limit how we use your data
To exercise these rights, contact us at feedback@calaide.com
8. Data Retention
We retain your data as follows:
- Active accounts: Data is retained as long as your account is active
- Deleted accounts: Data is retained for 30 days after deletion for account recovery purposes
- After 30 days: All personal data is permanently deleted from our systems
- Legal requirements: Some data may be retained longer if required by law
- Anonymous analytics: Aggregated, anonymized data may be retained indefinitely for research and improvement
9. Children's Privacy
Cal Aide is not intended for users under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we discover that we have collected information from a child under 13, we will delete it immediately. If you believe we have collected information from a child, please contact us at feedback@calaide.com
10. International Data Transfers
Your data may be transferred to and processed in the United States where our servers are located. We ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place to protect your data in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
11. Cookies and Tracking Technologies
We use the following tracking technologies:
- Session tokens for authentication
- Local caching for improved app performance
- Analytics to understand app usage patterns
- Advertising attribution SDKs (TikTok) to measure marketing campaign effectiveness
- Device identifiers (IDFA with consent, IDFV) for ad attribution
11.1 App Tracking Transparency
On iOS 14.5 and later, we will request your permission before tracking your activity across other companies' apps and websites. You can change this permission at any time in your device's Settings > Privacy > Tracking.
11.2 Opting Out of Tracking
You can limit tracking by:
- Declining the App Tracking Transparency prompt
- Enabling "Limit Ad Tracking" in your device settings
- Adjusting privacy settings in Settings > Privacy > Tracking
12. Health Information Disclaimer
Important: Cal Aide provides general nutrition and fitness information. It is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult with qualified healthcare professionals before making health decisions based on app recommendations.
13. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, operational, or regulatory reasons. We will notify you of significant changes by:
- Posting the new policy in the app
- Updating the "Last Updated" date
- Sending you an email notification (for material changes)
Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the new policy.
14. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)
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 (we don't sell data)
- Right to deletion
- Right to non-discrimination for exercising privacy rights
15. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)
If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):
- Legal basis for processing: Consent and contract performance
- Right to withdraw consent at any time
- Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority
- Right to data portability
16. Contact Us
If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:
Email: feedback@calaide.com
17. Consent
By using Cal Aide, you consent to this Privacy Policy and agree to its terms.