1. Who provides ChowGuide
ChowGuide is provided by Ming Guo, an independent developer (collectively, “ChowGuide,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). This policy explains how information is handled when you use the ChowGuide iOS app or contact support.
2. Privacy at a glance
- You do not need a ChowGuide account.
- Your food log and dietary preferences remain on your device.
- Menu photos and recognized text are processed on device and are not uploaded to us.
- Plus table-guide updates are downloaded without sending your menu, log, preferences, or purchase identifier.
- We do not use advertising SDKs or track you across apps or websites.
- Apple processes payments, and ChowGuide uses Apple StoreKit to verify purchases and restore Plus access.
3. Information processed only on your device
The following information is processed locally and is not collected by us:
- Food-log entries, including meal date, dishes, serving amounts, restaurant name, notes, and estimated nutrition.
- Ordering preferences, including spice level, less-oil and vegetarian requests, and allergy reminders.
- Menu photos captured with the camera or selected through Apple’s photo picker.
- Recognized menu text, corrections, dish matches, quantities, and ordering scripts.
Food logs use the app’s local Core Data database. Preferences and onboarding status use local app preferences. An active scan stays in memory and is removed when you clear it or close the app.
ChowGuide does not provide account-based cloud sync. Your operating system may include app data in a device or iCloud backup according to your Apple backup settings; we do not control those backups.
4. Downloaded table-guide updates
ChowGuide periodically requests a small, public table-guide file from our support site, which is hosted for us by OpenAI through ChatGPT Sites. The request does not include your menu photo, recognized text, food log, dietary or allergy preferences, restaurant name, notes, Apple Account details, purchase identifier, or purchase status. Valid guide text is cached on your device for offline reading.
As our hosting service provider, OpenAI may process technical connection, log, usage, and device information generated by the request—such as an IP address, request headers, requested route, and request time—to host, maintain, protect, and support the site. We do not add analytics code, advertising technology, account sign-in, or non-essential cookies to the support site. We do not combine that request with your local ChowGuide content, use it for advertising, or use it to track you across other companies’ apps or websites.
OpenAI processes hosted data on our behalf under the terms and data processing addendum that apply to ChatGPT Sites. Learn more in the ChatGPT Sites Data Processing Addendum.
5. Purchases and subscriptions
Apple processes App Store payments. We do not receive your full payment-card details. ChowGuide uses Apple StoreKit to show available plans and storefront-localized prices, determine introductory-offer eligibility, verify purchases, restore access, and provide ChowGuide Plus.
StoreKit transaction verification occurs on your device. The current app does not send purchase history, product identifiers, renewal, expiration, cancellation, refund, revocation, or trial status to ChowGuide, the table-guide endpoint, or a third-party purchase or analytics service.
See Apple’s privacy policy for Apple Account, App Store payment, and purchase-record practices.
6. Support communications
If you email support, we receive the information you choose to send, such as your email address, message, screenshots, app version, and purchase-support details. We use it to respond, troubleshoot, protect the service, and comply with law. We retain support messages only as long as reasonably necessary for those purposes.
Do not send passwords, full payment-card details, or images containing sensitive personal information.
7. Camera and photo picker
Camera access is requested only when you choose to photograph a menu. Apple’s photo picker lets you select a menu image without granting ChowGuide broad access to your photo library. You can change camera permission in iOS Settings. Other app features remain available without it.
8. Sharing, sale, and tracking
We do not sell personal information, use targeted advertising, or share information for cross-context behavioral advertising. Purchase information is processed by Apple to operate and protect App Store purchases. Information may also be disclosed when required by law or necessary to protect rights, safety, and security.
9. Retention and deletion
Local information remains until you delete it. You can delete individual meals, clear an active scan, or use Delete All Local Data in the Me tab. Deleting ChowGuide also removes local app data, subject to Apple’s backup behavior.
Deleting local data or the app does not cancel an App Store subscription or erase purchase records controlled by Apple. Manage subscriptions through Apple.
We do not create a visitor account or application database for the support site. OpenAI may retain hosted technical data for the period needed to host, maintain, secure, and support the site, and for the additional time needed to perform applicable deletion, security, legal, and contractual obligations. We do not control a shorter per-request retention period. You may contact us about information we control.
10. Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, object to, or receive a copy of personal information we control. Because ChowGuide has no account and local app data is not sent to us, you control that data directly on your device. Contact us about support communications or other information we control. Apple controls Apple Account and App Store purchase records.
11. International processing, children, and security
Apple, OpenAI as our website host, and email providers may process information outside your country using safeguards required by applicable law. ChatGPT Sites does not currently provide us with a selectable data-residency location. ChowGuide is not designed to collect personal information from children. A parent or guardian may contact us about information a child sent to support.
We minimize off-device information and rely on iOS and our service providers’ security controls. No system is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
12. Changes and contact
We may update this policy when the app, providers, or law changes. We will revise the date above and provide additional notice where required.
Privacy and support requests: cnguoxiuyu@gmail.com