Privacy Policy

AllerLens ("we", "our", or "the app") is a menu-scanning app that helps you identify allergens and translate menu items. This policy describes what data the app handles, how it is used, and your choices.

The short version: your data lives on your device. AllerLens has no accounts, no sign-in, and no cloud sync. Menu photos are sent to our server only to process your scan and are never stored.

Data stored on your device

• Allergy and diet preferences. Your selected allergens and settings (e.g. preferred translation language) are stored only on your device.
• Scan history. Menus you scan, detected dishes, and any items you save are stored only on your device.
• Location (optional). With your permission, the app uses your device's location to find the city, postal code and country, so it can group your scans by place and tell apart restaurants with the same name. To do this, your phone asks Apple's location service for the city and postal code. Nothing location-based is sent to AllerLens servers or to the AI providers. We do not track your location continuously.

You can remove all of this at any time from Profile → Clear scans and settings. Deleting the app also deletes it.

Menu photos and scanning

When you scan a menu, the photo is sent over an encrypted connection (HTTPS) to our server. To translate the menu and detect potential allergens, our server passes the photo or its text to two AI providers: Anthropic (Claude) and Google Cloud Vision. The image is used only to process that scan. Your allergen profile is never sent to our server. Allergen matching happens entirely on your device. We do not store your menu photos or scan results on our servers. The results are returned to your device and the server-side data is discarded.

Reports you send

If you tap Report a problem with this result on a dish, the app sends us a short report so we can fix mistakes: the dish name, the tag the app showed for it, the reason you picked, and the app version. The report does not include your allergen profile, your photo, your location, or anything that identifies you. The tag reflects how the dish compared with your profile, but not which allergens you chose. We store these reports on our server.

What we don't do

• We do not require or offer accounts. There is nothing to sign in to.
• We do not sell your personal data.
• We do not use your data for advertising or share it with third parties for their marketing.
• We do not store your photos, scans, or allergen profile on our servers.

Your choices

• Location. You can deny or revoke location permission in your device settings. The app still works; location-based grouping will be limited.
• Camera and photos. The app accesses the camera and photo library only when you scan a menu or choose an image. You can revoke these permissions in device settings.
• Delete your data. Use Profile → Clear scans and settings, or delete the app. Because we don't store your personal data in the cloud, this removes everything. Reports sent with “Report a problem with this result” are anonymous, so we cannot link them back to you.

Important note about allergen detection

AllerLens uses AI to detect potential allergens and may make mistakes or miss ingredients. Results are informational and are not medical advice. Always confirm ingredients and preparation with restaurant staff before eating, especially if you have a severe allergy.

Data security

Data sent to our server for scan processing travels over encrypted connections (HTTPS). Data on your device is protected by your device's security. You are responsible for keeping your device secure.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. For example, if a future version adds optional accounts or sync, this policy will be updated before those features launch. We will post the updated policy at this URL and, where required by law, notify you of material changes.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy or your data, contact us at allerlens.app@gmail.com.