Welcome to Sous, the AI-powered recipe companion app. Your privacy is important to us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use our app.
Key Point: Sous is designed with privacy in mind. All your recipes and personal data are stored locally on your device. We do not have access to your recipe collection or personal information.
1. Information We Collect
1.1 Data Stored on Your Device
The following information is stored locally on your iPhone and never transmitted to our servers:
Recipes: All recipes you add, including titles, ingredients, instructions, and notes
Folders and Organization: Your custom folders, tags, and favorites
Chat History: Conversations with the AI cooking assistant for each recipe
App Preferences: Your settings such as measurement units (metric/imperial), display preferences, and screen wake settings
Shopping Lists: Any shopping lists you generate from recipes
1.2 Data Processed Through Our Service
When you use AI features in Sous, certain data is temporarily processed:
Recipe Text: When you add a recipe by pasting text or a URL, that content is sent to our secure backend for AI processing to extract structured recipe data
Chat Messages: Questions you ask the AI cooking assistant are processed through our AI service to generate helpful responses
Recipe Context: When using the AI chat feature, relevant recipe details are included to provide contextual answers
1.3 Technical Data
Our backend service may collect minimal technical data for operational purposes:
Rate Limiting Data: A device identifier is used solely to enforce rate limits (100 requests per hour) and prevent abuse. This identifier is not linked to any personal information
App Version: We may collect the app version you are using for compatibility and debugging purposes
2. How We Use Your Information
Recipe Parsing: To intelligently extract and structure recipe data from text or web pages you provide
AI Cooking Assistance: To answer your cooking-related questions and provide recipe suggestions
Recipe Scaling: To calculate accurate ingredient adjustments when you change serving sizes
Service Operation: To maintain rate limits and prevent abuse of the AI service
3. Data Sharing and Third Parties
3.1 AI Processing
Sous uses Google Gemini AI to power its intelligent features. When you use AI features:
Your recipe content and chat messages are processed through Google's Gemini API
This data is transmitted through our secure Cloudflare-hosted backend (we do not store this data)
Google processes this data according to their Privacy Policy
3.2 Backend Infrastructure
Our backend service is hosted on Cloudflare Workers, which provides:
Secure HTTPS encryption for all data in transit
No persistent storage of your recipe data or chat conversations
Rate limiting to ensure fair usage
3.3 What We Don't Do
We do not sell your personal information to third parties
We do not share your recipe data for advertising purposes
We do not build profiles about you based on your cooking preferences
We do not retain your recipe content or chat history on our servers
4. In-App Purchases and Subscriptions
Sous offers a premium subscription ("Sous Pro") through Apple's App Store:
All payment processing is handled directly by Apple
We do not receive or store your payment information
Subscription status is verified through Apple's StoreKit framework on your device
Timer notifications are generated entirely on your device
We do not use push notification services or collect push tokens
You can enable or disable notifications through your device's Settings app
6. Data Security
We implement appropriate security measures to protect your information:
Local Storage: Recipe data is stored using Apple's SwiftData framework with device-level encryption
Secure Transmission: All communications with our backend use HTTPS encryption
API Security: Our AI service API key is stored securely on our backend servers, never in the app
No Cloud Sync: Your data remains on your device unless iCloud sync is explicitly enabled in future updates
7. Your Rights and Choices
7.1 Data Control
Delete Recipes: You can delete any recipe at any time from within the app
Clear Chat History: You can delete conversation history for any recipe
Uninstall: Removing the app from your device deletes all locally stored data
7.2 Limit AI Usage
If you prefer not to use AI features:
You can manually edit any recipe after initial parsing
AI chat is optional and can be avoided entirely
Core recipe storage and timer functionality work without any network connection
8. Children's Privacy
Sous is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us so we can take appropriate action.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any significant changes by:
Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
Providing notice within the app for material changes
Your continued use of Sous after any changes indicates your acceptance of the updated policy.
10. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at: