Introduction
PlantDoc ('we', 'our', or 'us') is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle your photos and personal information when you use our mobile application to identify plants and receive personalized care guidance using artificial intelligence.
Information We Collect
PlantDoc is designed with privacy in mind. We process the following information to provide identification and care services:
- Photos You Submit: When you take a picture or choose one from your library, the image is sent to our AI provider (Anthropic) to identify the plant and generate care instructions. Photos are processed in-memory for the identification request and are not stored on our servers afterward.
- Your Garden Collection: Your scanned photos, identification results, care details, and any plants you save to 'My Garden' are stored locally on your device only. We do not have access to this collection and it never leaves your phone.
- Chat Messages (Pro): When you ask follow-up questions about a plant, your messages and the associated photo context are sent to our AI provider to generate a response. Conversations are stored locally on your device.
- App Preferences & Stats: Settings such as your language, onboarding answers (plant goals, plant types, experience level), daily streaks, and scan counts are stored locally on your device.
- Subscription Status: Your Pro subscription status is verified through Apple App Store or Google Play. We store an anonymous receipt locally to keep your subscription active across sessions.
How We Use Your Information
- To analyze your photo and return a plant identification with common name, scientific name, native regions, and a fun fact.
- To generate personalized care guidance — watering, sunlight, temperature, humidity, soil, care level, and pet/child toxicity.
- To power the in-app AI chat so you can ask follow-up questions about a specific plant (Pro subscribers only).
- To maintain your local garden collection, daily streaks, and stats (total scans, unique species, scan trends).
- To validate Pro subscriptions and unlock unlimited scans and AI chat features.
Camera & Photo Library Access
PlantDoc requests permission to access your camera and photo library only when you tap to take a new photo or choose one from your gallery. We use the system-provided pickers and access individual photos only as you select them. We never browse, scan, or upload your library in the background.
Data Security
We take your data security seriously. All communication between the app and our AI provider uses HTTPS encryption. Your scan history, chat conversations, garden collection, and preferences are stored locally on your device — they are never uploaded to our servers and we have no way to access them remotely.
Third-Party Services
Anthropic (Claude AI)
We use Anthropic's Claude AI vision and language models to identify plant species and power the in-app chat. Photos and messages you submit are sent to Anthropic for processing in accordance with Anthropic's privacy and data usage policies. Anthropic does not use API inputs or outputs to train its models.
Apple App Store / Google Play Billing
Pro subscriptions are processed through Apple App Store or Google Play. We do not have access to your payment information. All billing, renewals, and refunds are handled by the respective platform under its own privacy policy.
In-App Purchases
PlantDoc offers a Pro subscription (weekly or yearly) that unlocks unlimited plant scans and the full AI chat feature. A 3-day free trial is available with eligible plans. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renew is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. You can manage or cancel your subscription at any time through your Apple ID or Google Play account settings.
Data Retention
Photos and chat messages are processed by our AI provider only for the duration of the request needed to generate a result. They are not retained on our servers. Your local scan history, garden collection, notes, and conversations remain on your device until you delete them individually or uninstall the app, at which point they are removed.
Plant Care Disclaimer
PlantDoc provides general plant identification and care guidance for informational purposes only. AI identifications and care recommendations may be inaccurate or incomplete. Toxicity information should never be your sole source for decisions involving pets, children, or human consumption — always consult a veterinarian, poison control, or qualified professional in those cases.
Children's Privacy
Our app is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with information, please contact us so we can take appropriate action.
Your Rights
Because almost all your PlantDoc data is stored locally on your device, you are in full control. You can delete individual scans, clear your entire garden collection, or uninstall the app to remove all locally stored data. For any other privacy-related requests, contact us at the address below.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be reflected in the app and on this page with an updated date.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or suggestions about our Privacy Policy, do not hesitate to contact us at boukali.mustapha@gmail.com.