Privacy Policy

Effective Date: August 13, 2026

Introduction

Zuso ("we," "our," or "us") is a cooking and meal management app that helps you discover recipes, plan meals, cook with guided instructions, and share food with friends and family. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use the Zuso mobile application ("App").

By using Zuso, you agree to the practices described in this policy.

Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create an account, we collect your name and email address. You can sign up with an email and password, or through Sign in with Apple or Google Sign-In (in which case Apple or Google shares your name and email with us, subject to their privacy policies). Passwords are handled by our own authentication system and are never stored in plain text. If you reset your password, we email a one-time verification code to your address.

Content You Provide

We store content you create in the App on our servers, including:

  • Recipes you create or import, including photos you attach to them
  • Profile photos you upload
  • Grocery lists, meal plans, and favorites
  • Community posts, comments, and cooking activity shared with friends
  • Dietary preferences and ingredient preferences
  • Recipe watch and cook history

If you import a recipe from a URL or pasted text, the content you submit is processed by an AI service (see Third-Party Services) to extract the recipe.

If you share a grocery list by email, we use the recipient's email address solely to deliver that share; recipients do not need a Zuso account.

If you submit an in-app bug report, we collect your description, any screenshots you attach, and technical details (device model, OS version, app version, screen resolution) to help us diagnose the issue.

Usage and Analytics Data

We collect usage data to understand how the App is used and to improve it, including screen views, feature usage (such as viewing a recipe or starting a cooking session), crash reports, and diagnostic data. This data is collected through Firebase Analytics, Firebase Crashlytics, and PostHog.

Analytics data in PostHog is associated with your account (your user ID, email, name, and subscription status) so we can understand usage and provide support. We have disabled advertising features in our analytics: the App does not collect your advertising ID and does not use analytics data for ad targeting.

Purchase Information

If you subscribe to Zuso Premium, your payment is processed entirely by Apple's App Store or Google Play — we never see your payment card details. We use RevenueCat to manage subscriptions, which receives your app user ID and purchase receipt information to validate your subscription status.

Push Notification Tokens

We store your Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) device token on our backend to send you cooking timer alerts, cooking step notifications, and social and community notifications. Cooking timers also schedule local alarms directly on your device.

Device Information

We collect basic device information (device model, OS version, app version) with bug reports, crash reports, and to check app version compatibility.

Information We Do NOT Collect

  • Location. The App does not request or collect your location.
  • Microphone or audio. The App does not request microphone access or record audio.
  • Bluetooth. The App does not connect to Bluetooth devices.
  • Contacts. The App does not access your contacts.
  • Advertising identifiers. The App does not collect your device's advertising ID.

How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Authenticate your account and provide a personalized experience
  • Deliver recipe content and video-guided cooking experiences
  • Store and sync your recipes, meal plans, and grocery lists across the App
  • Enable social features like sharing with friends and family
  • Send push notifications for timers, cooking alerts, and community activity
  • Manage your subscription and premium access
  • Analyze app usage to fix bugs and improve features
  • Respond to bug reports and support requests

Third-Party Services

We share data with the following third-party services, each governed by their own privacy policies:

  • Apple / Google Sign-In — Optional sign-in methods. Data shared: authentication tokens; Apple/Google share your name and email with us.
  • Firebase Analytics (Google) — Usage analytics. Data shared: interaction data; advertising features disabled.
  • Firebase Crashlytics (Google) — Crash reporting. Data shared: crash logs, device info.
  • Firebase Cloud Messaging (Google) — Push notifications. Data shared: device token.
  • PostHog — Product analytics and feature flags. Data shared: usage events associated with your user ID, email, name, and subscription status.
  • RevenueCat — Subscription management. Data shared: app user ID, purchase receipts.
  • Cloudflare — Video streaming and image hosting. Data shared: standard connection data (such as IP address) when your device loads videos and images.
  • OpenAI — Recipe extraction and nutrition analysis. Data shared: recipe content only (imported recipe text/URLs and recipe ingredient data); no account information.

Our backend services are hosted on Railway. Transactional emails (such as password reset codes and grocery list shares) are delivered through our email service provider.

We do not sell your personal information to any third party, and we do not use your data for advertising.

App Permissions

The App requests the following device permissions:

  • Notifications — Cooking timers, alerts, and social notifications.
  • Camera (iOS, only when you choose to take a photo) — Taking photos for your recipes and profile.
  • Photo Library (iOS, only when you choose to select a photo) — Selecting photos for your recipes and profile. On Android, photos are selected through the system photo picker, which requires no permission and gives us access only to the photos you pick.
  • Alarms & Reminders (Android) — Scheduling exact alarms so cooking timers fire on time.
  • Internet / Network access — General app functionality and data sync.

You can manage these permissions at any time through your device's system settings.

Data Storage and Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your information:

  • Data transmitted between the App and our servers is encrypted in transit
  • Passwords are stored securely using industry-standard hashing
  • Payment details are handled entirely by Apple and Google and never reach our servers
  • Preferences and cached data stored on your device stay on your device

Your Rights

You have the right to:

  • Delete your account and associated data directly in the App (Settings → Delete Account)
  • Access or export your personal data by contacting us
  • Disable push notifications through the App or your device settings
  • Revoke permissions at any time through your device's system settings
  • Request deletion or correction of specific data by contacting us

Children's Privacy

Zuso is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us and we will promptly delete it.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy within the App and updating the effective date above. Your continued use of the App after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:

Email: privacy@zuso.com