Legal · Maclo
Privacy Policy for Maclo
Last updated: June 16, 2026
This Privacy Policy describes how Maclo (“the App”, “we”, “us”) handles your information when you use our mobile application.
Summary
Maclo is a nutrition macro tracker. Your food log entries and goals are stored locally on your device. We do not require you to create an account to use the app’s core features. Some optional features (AI macro estimation and subscriptions) involve sending limited data to third-party service providers as described below.
Information We Collect
1. Food Log Data (Local Storage)
The food entries you log (food name, calories, protein, and timestamps) and your daily macro goals are stored locally on your device using a local database. This data is not transmitted to us or stored on our servers, except as described in “Data Export/Import” below.
2. AI Macro Estimation (Optional Feature)
If you use the “Estimate” or “Photo” features to estimate calories and protein:
- Text descriptions of food you enter, or photos of food/meals you provide, are sent to Google’s Vertex AI service (Gemini model) for processing via our secure backend (Firebase Cloud Functions). The request never goes directly from your device to the AI service.
- This data is used solely to generate a nutritional estimate (calories and protein). Under Google’s Vertex AI data governance policy, your inputs are not used to train Google’s models and are not retained beyond the scope of the request.
- We do not store the photos or text you submit for estimation on our own servers.
- We store a count of your daily AI requests server-side (in Google Firestore) solely to enforce fair-use limits. This counter is tied to a hashed, anonymous identifier derived from your subscription — not your name or email.
- Technical logs (including your anonymous user identifier and a short excerpt of the AI-generated response) are written to Google Cloud Logging as part of normal server operation and are retained for approximately 30 days before automatic deletion.
3. Anonymous / Device Identifiers
We use Firebase (App Check, Authentication, Cloud Functions) to secure communication between the app and backend services and to enforce usage limits (e.g., AI request limits for free users). This may involve:
- A device-generated, anonymous installation/authentication identifier.
- App integrity signals (via Google Play Integrity API) used to verify requests are coming from a genuine, unmodified copy of the app.
These identifiers are not linked to your name, email, or other directly identifying information.
4. Subscription and Purchase Information
Maclo offers optional Pro subscriptions through Google Play Billing, managed via RevenueCat. When you subscribe:
- RevenueCat receives purchase/transaction data (such as your anonymous app user ID, subscription status, and purchase tokens) from Google Play to verify and manage your subscription entitlements.
- We do not receive your payment details (e.g., credit card numbers) — these are handled entirely by Google Play.
- See RevenueCat’s Privacy Policy for details on how they process this data.
5. Data Export / Import
The app includes an optional feature to export your food log data (e.g., to back up or transfer it). If you choose to use a cloud-based export/import feature, your food log data may be temporarily transmitted to and processed by our Firebase Cloud Functions backend solely to facilitate the export/import. We do not use this data for any other purpose and do not sell or share it with third parties.
How We Use Information
We use the information described above only to:
- Provide core app functionality (food logging, history, analytics).
- Provide AI-powered macro estimation (when you choose to use it).
- Manage and verify Pro subscription entitlements.
- Enforce fair-use limits on AI requests for free-tier users.
- Maintain app security and prevent abuse (via Firebase App Check / Play Integrity).
Data Sharing
We do not sell your personal information. We share limited data only with the following third-party service providers, each acting as a data processor:
| Provider | Purpose | Data Shared |
|---|---|---|
| Google Firebase (Auth, Functions, App Check, Firestore) | Security, backend functions, quota tracking | Anonymous device identifiers, daily AI request count |
| Google Vertex AI (Gemini) | AI macro estimation | Food descriptions/photos (for AI requests only; not retained or used for training) |
| Google Cloud Logging | Server-side operational logs | Anonymous user identifier, AI response excerpts; auto-deleted after ~30 days |
| RevenueCat | Subscription management | Anonymous app user ID, purchase/entitlement data |
| Google Play Billing | Payment processing | Purchase transaction data (handled by Google) |
Data Retention and Deletion
- Food log data stored locally on your device remains until you delete it or uninstall the app.
- You can delete all locally stored data at any time by uninstalling the app or using any in-app data deletion option.
- To request deletion of any data associated with your anonymous identifiers (e.g., subscription records), contact us using the details below.
Children’s Privacy
Maclo is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
Security
We rely on industry-standard security practices provided by Google Firebase and Google Play to protect data in transit. Local data stored on your device is protected by your device’s operating system security.
Your Choices
- AI estimation features are optional — you can use the app’s manual food logging without sending any data to AI services.
- You can manage or cancel your subscription at any time through Google Play’s subscription settings.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted with an updated “Last updated” date.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:
Email: [email protected]