Privacy policy
Your data belongs to you. Here we explain in plain words which data goes where and when.
The short version
- No account, no cloud on our side: your entries (meals, weight, water, workouts, profile) stay on your iPhone. We have no access to them.
- AI only when you ask for it: when you scan a photo or create recipes, the photo or ingredient list goes through our server to Google Gemini. We do not store this content.
- Barcodes: only the barcode number is sent to Open Food Facts to look up nutrition data.
- Website without tracking: no cookies, no analytics, no ads.
- Contact and beta: we only use your details to reply to you or to invite you to the beta.
1. Who is responsible?
Macrova, run by A. Ledinic, Switzerland, is responsible for processing personal data in connection with the iPhone app “Macrova” and the website macrova.ch (more details in the imprint).
For any privacy questions, contact us at support@macrova.ch.
2. Principles and legal bases
We process personal data in accordance with the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (FADP). Where the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) applies, we rely on these legal bases: providing the features you request (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR), your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) and Art. 9(2)(a) GDPR) and our legitimate interest in a secure and working service (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR).
We process as little data as possible. We do not sell data, show ads or build profiles about you.
3. The app
3.1 Storage on your iPhone
Everything you log in Macrova is stored only on your iPhone: profile details (e.g. name, date of birth, sex, height, goal, activity, diet and wishes), meals, weight, water, workouts, steps, settings and, if turned on, meal photos and your profile picture. There is no Macrova account and no database with your entries on our side.
Whether this data is included in a backup of your iPhone (e.g. iCloud Backup) depends on your iOS settings. “Delete all data and start over” in the app, or deleting the app, removes all data from your device.
3.2 Photo scan, fridge scanner and recipes (AI)
Only you start these features. The app then sends the following content to our server api.macrova.ch:
- photo scan: the photo of your meal (downsized),
- fridge scanner: your photos of your fridge or pantry,
- recipes: the ingredient list, your goal (e.g. lose weight), your diet (e.g. vegetarian) and your optional wishes (e.g. “no nuts”),
- and the selected language.
Our server runs on Cloudflare and forwards the request to Google’s Gemini API. Google creates the answer (e.g. recognised ingredients and estimated nutrients), which is returned to the app unchanged. Your name, age, weight and other profile details are not sent. We do not store the photos or texts.
To prevent misuse of our server, we limit the number of requests. For this we technically use your IP address and a device ID that Apple assigns per app vendor (it changes when you delete the app). Cloudflare keeps technical logs such as time, requested address, status code and IP address for a few days for operation and security.
Google processes the content to generate the answer. According to Google’s terms for the paid Gemini API, Google does not use this content to improve its products. Google may store it for a limited time to detect abuse. Please do not photograph people, ID cards or documents.
Where this content could allow conclusions about your health (e.g. your goal “lose weight”), we only process it because you explicitly trigger the feature.
3.3 Barcode scan
When you scan a barcode, the app looks up the nutrition data directly in the free Open Food Facts database. Only the barcode number is sent. As with any request on the internet, Open Food Facts sees your IP address. Open Food Facts data is available under the Open Database License (ODbL).
3.4 Steps, reminders and permissions
The app reads steps from your iPhone’s motion sensor. They never leave your device. Reminders are local notifications scheduled by your iPhone itself. We do not run a push server. Macrova only accesses the camera, photos, motion data and notifications with your permission. You can change this at any time in the iOS Settings.
3.5 Export, backup and PDF report
The app only creates CSV exports, PDF reports and backup files when you ask for them. You decide where you save them and with whom you share them.
3.6 App Store and TestFlight
Macrova is distributed by Apple (App Store, or TestFlight for the beta). Apple processes data under its own responsibility, e.g. for downloads. When we invite you to the beta, we pass your email address (and your first name, if given) to Apple. Through TestFlight, Apple provides us with information such as invitation and installation status, crash reports and the feedback you send via TestFlight. See Apple’s privacy policy for details.
4. The website
4.1 Hosting and server logs
The website runs on Cloudflare. When you visit it, technically necessary data is processed, such as IP address, date and time, page requested, browser and operating system. Cloudflare uses this data to deliver the website and protect it from attacks, and deletes it after a short time.
4.2 No cookies, no tracking
The website sets no cookies and uses no analytics, advertising or social media services. Fonts and scripts are not loaded from third-party servers. If you choose the light or dark design, your browser stores this choice locally (localStorage). It stays on your device.
4.3 Calorie calculator
The calorie calculator runs entirely in your browser. Your inputs are neither transmitted nor stored.
4.4 Contact form and email
When you write to us via the form, we send your topic, name (optional), email address, message, language and time through our server by email to our mailbox. If you write directly to support@macrova.ch, Cloudflare forwards your email to our mailbox. Our mailbox is hosted by Google (Gmail). We send replies via the email service Resend (sent from servers in the EU).
We only use this information to handle your request and delete it when it is no longer needed for that purpose, unless we are legally required to keep it.
4.5 Beta waiting list
When you sign up for the beta, we process your email address, first name (optional), language and time of sign-up. We only use this to invite you to the beta and to tell you when it starts. The legal basis is your consent, which you can withdraw at any time by emailing support@macrova.ch. We delete your details after the beta ends or after you withdraw your consent.
5. Recipients and service providers
We use the following service providers. They only process data to the extent needed for their task:
| Provider | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Cloudflare, Inc., USA | Hosting of the website and our server, protection against attacks, email forwarding, delivery of form messages |
| Google LLC, USA, or Google Ireland Limited, Ireland | AI analysis via the Gemini API; email mailbox (Gmail) |
| Resend, Inc., USA (sending via servers in the EU) | Sending our replies by email |
| Open Food Facts, France | Nutrition data for barcodes (queried directly by the app) |
| Apple Inc., USA, or Apple Distribution International Ltd., Ireland | Distribution of the app (App Store, TestFlight) |
6. Transfers abroad
Some providers are based in the USA or process data there. Cloudflare and Google are certified under the Swiss-U.S. and EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework, which Switzerland and the EU recognise as providing adequate protection. Where this does not apply, we rely on the European Commission’s standard contractual clauses, which are also recognised by the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC). EU countries are considered to provide adequate protection from a Swiss perspective.
7. How long we keep data
- Photos and texts for the AI features: not stored by us.
- Technical logs at Cloudflare: a few days.
- Support messages: as long as we need them to handle your request and any follow-up questions.
- Beta waiting list: until the end of the beta or until you withdraw your consent.
- Data in the app: on your iPhone until you delete it.
8. Data security
All connections to the website and our server are encrypted (HTTPS). The access key for the AI is stored only on our server, not in the app. Requests are rate-limited to prevent abuse. iOS protects the data on your iPhone when a passcode is set.
9. Your rights
You have the right to request information about your data, to have it corrected or deleted, to object to processing, to receive your data in a common format and to withdraw your consent at any time. Just email us at support@macrova.ch.
Your entries in the app are stored only on your iPhone, so we can neither see nor delete them. You can do that yourself in the app at any time.
You can also lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. In Switzerland this is the Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC, edoeb.admin.ch). In the EU it is the data protection authority of your country of residence.
10. Age
Macrova is intended for people aged 16 and over. Younger people should only use the app with their parents’ consent and ideally after talking to a professional.
11. Changes
We update this privacy policy when the app, the website or the law changes. The current version on this page applies.