Privacy Policy
Last updated: 2026-10-26
This Privacy Policy explains how Simmer ("Simmer", "we", "us") collects, uses, and protects your information when you use the Simmer mobile app and related services (the "Service").
Information We Collect
Account information
When you create an account we collect your email address and display name. If you sign in with Apple or Google, we receive a unique identifier and the email address associated with that sign-in (which may be a private relay address). We store an authentication identifier to recognize you on future sign-ins.
Content you create or import
We store the recipes, cookbooks, meal plans, shopping lists, ratings, notes, images, and preferences you create in the app. When you import a recipe from a URL (including websites, Pinterest, and YouTube), we fetch publicly available content from that link — such as the page text, description, captions, and thumbnail image — to build the recipe for you.
Launch notification list
If you ask us to tell you when Simmer launches, we store the email address you give us, together with your browser's language and, where present, the campaign or site that referred you — so we can tell which pre-launch announcements reached people. This list is used for one thing: to email you when Simmer is available. It does not sign you up for any other mail, and you can ask us to remove your address at any time by writing to support@getsimmer.org. We delete the list once the launch announcement has been sent.
Usage and device information
We collect basic technical information needed to operate the Service, such as app version, device type, language/locale, and log data (for example, error reports and request timestamps).
Usage analytics (first-party)
To understand how Simmer is used and where it falls short, the app and our website send usage events to our own servers — for example that a recipe was imported, opened, saved, added to a list or cooked; that a subscription screen was shown or a trial started; and how a store link or sign-up was reached (campaign or referral source). Each event is recorded with an anonymous installation identifier the app generates, a session identifier, app version, platform and language, and, once you are signed in, your account number. Events never contain your recipes, their titles or text, the web pages you import from, your name or your email address. We do not use third-party analytics or advertising SDKs, and we do not sell or share these events. If you delete your account, its events are disconnected from it and kept only in anonymous form.
How We Use Your Information
- To provide, maintain, and improve the Service and its features.
- To authenticate you and keep your account secure.
- To import, store, scale, translate, and display your recipes and lists.
- To enable household sharing between members you choose to connect with.
- To measure, in aggregate and per anonymous installation, how the app is used and where people get stuck, so we can improve it.
- To email you once when Simmer launches, if you asked us to.
- To diagnose problems, prevent abuse, and comply with legal obligations.
Third-Party Sign-In
If you choose "Sign in with Apple" or "Sign in with Google", those providers authenticate you and share a limited profile (a stable user identifier and an email address) with us. We do not receive your password. Your use of those providers is governed by their own privacy policies.
Third-Party Services
We rely on service providers to run Simmer, including cloud hosting, nutrition data sources (such as the USDA FoodData Central database), and AI/language-model providers used to structure imported recipe text. These providers process data on our behalf under their respective terms.
Sharing of Information
We do not sell your personal information. We share content only as you direct — for example, recipes you explicitly share via a public link, or content within a household you join. We may disclose information if required by law or to protect the rights, safety, and security of our users and the Service.
Data Retention and Deletion
We keep your information for as long as your account is active. You can delete your account at any time from within the app (Settings → Delete Account), or request deletion by email. See our Data Deletion page for details on what is removed and how household-shared content is handled.
Security
We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Children
The Service is not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age required in your country), and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them.
International Transfers
Your information may be processed in countries other than your own. Where required, we take steps to ensure appropriate safeguards are in place.
Your Rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, export, or delete your personal information, and to object to or restrict certain processing. To exercise these rights, contact us at support@getsimmer.org.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Policy from time to time. We will revise the "Last updated" date above and, where appropriate, notify you in the app.
Contact
Questions about this Policy? Email support@getsimmer.org.