This policy explains what data we collect, why we collect it, and how you can control it. We will always notify you before any material change in how your data is used.
Who we are
BiteWise is a food recommendation app. When we say "BiteWise," "we," "us," or "our" in this policy, we mean the team behind the BiteWise app. You can reach us at contact@usebitewise.com.
What we collect
We collect only what we need to make the app work:
- Account information — your email address when you sign up, or basic profile info if you sign in with Google or Apple.
- Onboarding taste calibration — during setup, you rate 25 dish photos on a 1–10 scale. We store the dish name and your rating. This is used to build your initial taste profile.
- Taste profile — an AI-generated summary of your preferences, including liked and disliked cuisines, favourite and avoided ingredients, and a plain-text summary. This is updated each time you submit feedback and is the primary signal used to personalise your recommendations.
- Menu photos — images you take or select from your photo library to scan a menu. These images are sent to our AI to generate recommendations and are stored in your account so that features like "More options" can re-analyse the same menu without requiring you to re-upload it.
- Mood input — if you type what you're in the mood for (e.g. "something light and spicy"), that free-text is stored alongside the recommendation session it relates to.
- Restaurant names — the name of the restaurant, either detected from the menu image or entered by you, is stored with each recommendation session.
- Recommendation history — every recommendation session is stored, including all items shown to you, the AI's predicted ratings and reasoning for each pick, which item you ordered, and any additional picks you requested via "More options."
- Feedback and notes — after a meal you can rate how much you enjoyed the food (1–10), how good the recommendation was (1–10), and leave free-text notes about the dish. All of this is stored and used to improve future recommendations.
- Diagnostic and crash data — if the app crashes or encounters an error, basic diagnostic information (device type, OS version, error details) may be collected to help us fix bugs. This data is not linked to your identity.
We do not collect your contacts, browsing history, or any data unrelated to the app's core function.
Camera access: BiteWise requests access to your camera solely to allow you to photograph menus for scanning. We do not record video or use the camera for any purpose other than generating your food recommendations.
Photo library access: BiteWise requests access to your photo library solely to allow you to select existing menu photos for scanning. We do not access, upload, or store any photo from your library other than the specific image you choose to submit.
How we use your data
- To generate personalised food recommendations based on your taste history, mood, and the menu you scan.
- To re-analyse a stored menu image when you request additional recommendations ("More options") without requiring you to re-upload the photo.
- To update your taste profile after each meal rating so future recommendations improve over time.
- To display your recommendation history inside the app.
- To operate and maintain your account.
- To respond to support requests you send us.
We do not currently sell your data or use it for advertising. In the future, we may use aggregated or anonymized data for advertising, analytics, or commercial purposes, or share data with partners. If we do, we will update this policy and notify you in advance so you can make an informed decision about your continued use of the app.
Third-party services
BiteWise uses a small number of trusted services to operate:
- Supabase — stores your account, taste profile, menu images, recommendation history, and feedback data securely. Supabase Privacy Policy.
- Anthropic — processes menu images and generates recommendations using AI. When you scan a menu, we send the menu image(s), your feedback history, your taste calibration ratings, and your taste profile to Anthropic's API. This data is used solely to generate your recommendations. Anthropic Privacy Policy.
- TheMealDB — a public food database used during onboarding to display dish photos for you to rate. No personal data is sent to TheMealDB; the app only retrieves publicly available dish information from their API. TheMealDB.
- Apple / Google — if you use Sign In with Apple or Continue with Google, those providers handle authentication under their own privacy policies.
Data retention
We keep your data for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, all of your data — including your taste profile, ratings, and feedback history — is permanently deleted within 24 hours.
Your rights
- Access — you can see all your data inside the app.
- Deletion — you can delete your account at any time from the app's Settings. This permanently removes all your data.
- Correction — contact us if you believe any of your data is inaccurate.
- Portability — contact us to request a copy of your data.
California residents (CCPA)
If you are a California resident, you have the following rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):
- Right to know — you can request details about the personal information we collect, use, and share.
- Right to deletion — you can request that we delete your personal information. You can do this directly in the app via Settings, or by contacting us.
- Right to opt out of sale — we do not currently sell your personal information. If this changes, we will update this policy and provide a clear opt-out mechanism before doing so.
- Right to non-discrimination — we will not discriminate against you for exercising any of these rights.
To exercise these rights, contact us at contact@usebitewise.com.
Children
BiteWise is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with their information, please contact us and we will delete it.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the app evolves. If we make significant changes, we'll let you know through the app or by email. The date at the top of this page always reflects the most recent update.
Contact us
Questions about this policy or your data? Email us at contact@usebitewise.com — we'll get back to you promptly.