Information handled by PlotKeeper
PlotKeeper processes only the information needed to provide the features you choose to use:
- Garden content: plots (name, type, indoor or outdoor, sunlight and similar details), plants (name, scientific name, category, growth stage, growing method, notes), care plans and tasks, care logs (watering, fertilizing, weeding, pruning, treatments, materials and amounts), health issues and follow-up reminders, and archive status.
- Plant photos: photos you take with the camera or choose through the system photo picker, plus thumbnails the app generates.
- AI analysis requests: photos and related context sent to our server only when you choose to identify a plant or diagnose a problem. See section 3.
- Preferences and notifications: language, haptics, app icon, seasonal watering adjustment, daily reminder time, and notification permission state.
- iCloud data: if you turn on iCloud sync, your garden data and photos are stored in your own private iCloud database and associated with your Apple Account by Apple.
- Purchase information: App Store product, transaction, subscription status and expiration information needed to sell or restore PlotKeeper Pro. PlotKeeper does not receive your full payment details or Apple Account password.
- Service security information: to stop the AI service from being misused, our server stores the key identifier, public key and signature counter generated by Apple App Attest, plus each device’s daily usage count, and applies short-lived in-memory rate limits by IP address. None of this includes your name, Apple Account, or garden records.
- Support information: what you choose to include when contacting support, such as your email address, app and iOS versions, screenshots, and a description of the problem.
PlotKeeper has no account system, includes no third-party advertising or behavioral analytics SDKs, and does not sell personal information. If this changes, this policy will be updated before the new processing applies.
How information is used
- To create, display, edit, and archive plots, plants, care plans, and logs.
- To calculate watering, fertilizing, weeding, and other care intervals from each plant, its environment, and the season, and to schedule daily reminders.
- To identify plants, suggest care, and diagnose pests, diseases, and other health problems when you ask.
- To sync data across your devices after you turn on iCloud sync.
- To load App Store products, complete or restore purchases, and determine Pro access and AI allowance.
- To prevent misuse of the AI service, control costs, and keep the service stable.
- To answer support requests, investigate issues you report, comply with law, and enforce applicable terms.
AI identification and diagnosis
AI features run only when you tap Identify or Diagnose. Photos are never uploaded automatically in the background.
- Processed on device first: photos are resized to at most 1568 pixels on the long edge, compressed to JPEG, and stripped of EXIF metadata, including GPS location.
- What is sent: 1–3 photos; your app language, device region setting (such as “US”), and the current month; and the plot type, indoor/outdoor, sunlight, and growing method. For a diagnosis, the request also includes the plant’s name and scientific name, growth stage, up to 10 care logs from the last 14 days (type, days ago, material and amount), and any symptom description you enter.
- How it is processed: the request is sent over encrypted HTTPS to an AI proxy server we operate, which forwards it to a third-party AI provider to generate the result. We regularly evaluate providers and aim to use the most accurate AI service available, so the provider may change. The provider’s API key is kept only on the server.
- Retention: our server does not store your photos. To avoid charging you twice for the same request, the result is cached under a hash of the request for 24 hours and then deleted. Server logs record only operational data such as endpoint, status, duration, and usage, never photos or symptom descriptions. The third-party AI provider processes the requests it receives under its own terms and privacy policy.
- Results: results are saved on your device, and in your iCloud if sync is on.
Photograph the plant only. Do not include faces, ID documents, house numbers, contact details, or other personal information unrelated to the plant in photos or descriptions.
Device permissions
Camera
Camera access is requested only when you choose to take a photo, to identify plants, diagnose problems, and record growth. You can revoke it in iOS Settings.
Photo selection
PlotKeeper uses Apple’s system photo picker and receives only the photos you select. It does not read your whole library.
Notifications
If permitted, PlotKeeper combines each day’s care tasks into a single local notification at the time you choose, and reminds you about health-issue follow-ups. Notifications are scheduled on device and do not pass through our server.
iCloud
When sync is on, the app uses CloudKit and silent push notifications to receive changes from your other devices. You can turn sync off in Settings → Plants & Data.
Location
PlotKeeper does not request location access. Hemisphere and season are inferred from your device’s region setting and the date.
Storage and sharing
- On your device: garden records, photos, preferences, and scheduled notifications are stored locally.
- In your private iCloud database: when sync is on, plants, logs, and photos sync through Apple CloudKit across devices signed in to the same Apple Account. We cannot access your private iCloud database.
- Our AI proxy server and AI provider: receive only the analysis requests described in section 3, to generate that result.
- Apple: processes App Store purchases, iCloud storage, App Attest, and push notifications under Apple’s own terms and privacy policy.
- Support: email is handled by your and our email providers. Do not send passwords, verification codes, or full payment details.
We do not disclose your garden content to advertisers or data brokers. We may disclose information when required by law, to protect rights or safety, or in connection with a business transfer, subject to applicable safeguards.
Retention and deletion
Local data remains until you delete records in the app or remove the app, subject to iOS behavior and any device backups you control. When iCloud sync is on, changes and deletions propagate to your other devices. Turning sync off may not delete the existing iCloud copy; you can manage it in iOS Settings → Apple Account → iCloud.
Cached analysis results on our server are deleted after 24 hours. Device keys and daily usage are kept to prevent misuse and are linked only to a randomly generated device key. App Store transaction records are retained by Apple under its rules. Support messages are kept only as long as reasonably needed to respond, maintain support history, and meet legal obligations.
Security
We use HTTPS, Apple App Attest request signing, and Apple platform protections, remove location data from photos before upload, and limit processing to what each feature needs. No storage or transmission method is completely secure.
Your choices and rights
- View, edit, archive, or delete garden records and photos in the app.
- Decide whether to use AI identification and diagnosis, and which photos and descriptions to send each time.
- Change or revoke camera and notification permissions in iOS Settings.
- Turn iCloud sync on or off at any time.
- Manage or cancel subscriptions and request refunds through Apple.
- Contact us about support information you sent, or to exercise other rights available under applicable law.
Children’s privacy
PlotKeeper is a general-audience app, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided personal information through support or a photo, contact us so we can address it.
International processing
Our AI proxy server, the third-party AI provider, Apple, and email providers may process information outside your country or region, under their own policies and applicable safeguards.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when features, laws, or platform requirements change. The current version and effective date are posted on this page, and material changes will be communicated through a reasonable channel when required.
