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Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 1, 2026

Overview

Culinario ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application.

Privacy by Design

Culinario is a local-first learning app. It requires no account. Lessons completed, practice results, settings, and detailed learning history are stored on your device and, when you enable progress sync, mirrored to your own private iCloud database. Leagues and Friends are separate, optional public features described below.

Information We Collect

We collect minimal information necessary to provide our service:

• Device Information: Basic device identifiers used for app functionality, crash diagnostics, and performance monitoring.
• Usage & Analytics Data: If you enable anonymous diagnostics in Settings, Google Firebase receives pseudonymous usage statistics such as lessons started and completed, screens viewed, and purchase-funnel steps. This is tied to a random app-instance identifier, not your chef name or email.
• Crash & Performance Data: If you enable anonymous diagnostics in Settings, Firebase Crashlytics and Performance Monitoring receive diagnostic reports such as stack traces, device model, OS version, and performance traces. This setting is off by default.
• Subscriptions: RevenueCat receives a device-specific customer identifier and purchase/subscription history to manage access to Culinario Plus.

Information We Do NOT Collect

• Your email or account credentials (no account is required)
• Contacts, photos, or location data
• Your learning progress or practice history on our servers
• Any personally identifiable information sold or shared with advertisers

Leagues & Optional Friends

Weekly Leagues start automatically so every player can participate. Friends is a separate opt-in feature. Culinario uses only the following information in the app's public CloudKit database:

• Leagues: Your chosen chef name, avatar, weekly XP, league tier, and a random app-only identifier.
• Friends: Your chosen chef name, avatar, streak, weekly XP, recent streak days, friend connections, quest participation, and the same random app-only identifier.

Other Culinario users can see the information required for these features. You can opt out of Leagues or disable Friends from Profile → Settings → Data & Privacy. Doing so stops future publication and requests deletion of the corresponding standings, public friend profile, and outgoing friend connections.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide and maintain the app's core functionality
• Improve and optimize the learning experience
• Diagnose technical issues

Data Storage & iCloud Sync

Your progress, settings, and preferences are stored locally on your device using Apple's SwiftData, and mirrored to your private iCloud database (CloudKit) so your progress follows you across your devices. This data lives in your personal iCloud account — we cannot access it. If iCloud is unavailable, your data is kept locally on the device.

Subscriptions & Payments

Culinario is offered as a subscription with a free trial. All payments are handled by Apple's In-App Purchase system — Culinario never sees or stores your payment card details. We use RevenueCat to manage and verify subscription status across your devices; RevenueCat receives a device-specific identifier and your purchase/subscription history (e.g. active plan, renewal date) to do this, not your name, email, or payment information.

Third-Party Services

Our app uses the following third-party services:

• Apple App Store: For app distribution and subscription billing.
• Apple iCloud (CloudKit): For optional private progress sync, automatic weekly League participation with an opt-out, and optional Friends.
• RevenueCat: For managing subscription status and entitlements. See RevenueCat's privacy policy.
• Google Firebase (Analytics, Crashlytics & Performance Monitoring): When you opt in, for pseudonymous usage analytics, crash diagnostics, and performance monitoring, tied to a random app-instance identifier rather than your social profile. See Firebase's privacy and security information and Google's privacy policy.

Children's Privacy

Culinario can be used by users of all ages. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 without parental consent. Weekly Leagues use only the limited app profile described above and can be disabled; Friends and anonymous diagnostics remain off by default.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at ios.sweetapps@gmail.com.