Privacy Policy
Geo-Grocer ("we," "our," or "us") is a location-aware grocery list app. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. We keep it simple: we collect only what we need to make the app work.
1. Information We Collect
- Account information — your email address, display name, and a hashed password, used solely for authentication and to identify you to household members.
- Location data — your device's location is used in real time to detect when you are near a saved store and to place store pins on the map. On iOS, we request "Always" location permission so geofence alerts can fire even when the app is in the background or closed. We do not store a history of your location or share it with any third party.
- Store and list data you enter — store names, addresses, geofence radius preferences, and any grocery lists or items you create. This data is stored on our servers so it is available across your devices and, where you choose, visible to household members you share lists with.
- Household member information — when you invite someone to your household, we store their email address to look up their account. Once accepted, their display name is shown to you within the app. We do not share household member data with third parties.
- Push notification tokens — if you enable notifications, your device's push token (including FCM tokens on iOS) is stored to deliver geofence alerts, shopping reminders, and household activity notifications. You can revoke this at any time in device or Profile settings.
- Usage data — basic server logs (timestamps, HTTP status codes) for debugging and uptime monitoring. These logs do not contain personally identifiable location data.
2. What We Do Not Collect
- We do not track your location history or movement patterns.
- We do not sell, rent, or share your personal data with advertisers.
- We do not use third-party analytics SDKs that profile you across sites.
- We do not display ads.
3. How We Use Your Information
- To authenticate you and keep your account secure.
- To provide geofence alerts when you arrive near a saved store, including in the background.
- To notify household members when you are near a store where they have items waiting.
- To notify household members when a shared grocery list is fully completed.
- To sync your grocery lists across your devices.
- To send scheduled shopping reminders and idle-list nudges you have opted into.
- To display shared lists to household members you have granted access.
- To diagnose errors and maintain service reliability.
4. Location Permission
Location access is the core feature of Geo-Grocer. On iOS we request "Always Allow" location permission so that geofence alerts can be delivered even when the app is running in the background or is closed. On web we request standard browser Geolocation permission.
If you grant only "While Using the App," geofence alerts will work only when the app is open. If you deny location permission entirely, you can still manage grocery lists manually, but geofence alerts will not work.
Your coordinates are processed on-device and used only in real-time comparisons against your saved store locations. We do not log or retain raw coordinates on our servers.
5. Data Storage and Security
Your data is stored in a secured database. Passwords are hashed with a strong one-way algorithm and are never stored in plain text. All communication between your device and our servers uses HTTPS.
6. Third-Party Services
Google Maps / Places API — used to display maps and look up store hours. When the map is used, your browser may send coordinates to Google's servers subject to Google's Privacy Policy.
Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) — used to deliver push notifications on iOS. Your device token is registered with Firebase to route notifications. FCM is subject to Google's Firebase Privacy Policy.
We do not control how these third-party services process data sent to them.
7. Data Retention and Deletion
Your account and all associated data (stores, lists, items, household connections) are retained as long as your account is active. You may delete your account at any time from the Profile page, which permanently removes all your data from our servers.
8. Children's Privacy
Geo-Grocer is not directed to children under 9 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it promptly.
9. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy as the app evolves. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date above. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
10. Contact
Questions or concerns? Email us at support@geo-grocer.com.