AllergyCard iOS App Privacy Policy

Summary

AllergyCard has no accounts, no advertising and no tracking. Your allergy cards are stored on your device and, if you use iCloud, in your own private iCloud account. We only receive data when you add an allergen of your own that is not in the app’s list, so that it can be translated.

Data that stays on your device

The allergy cards you create (allergens, languages, card format and settings) are stored on your device. If iCloud sync is enabled, they sync through your private iCloud database, which Apple operates and we cannot access.

Ingredient label scanning uses your camera and recognises text on your device. Camera images are not uploaded.

Allergens you add yourself

When you add an allergen that is not in the app’s list, the text you type is sent to our server at allergycard.app so it can be translated into every card language. Allergens that match the app’s list are recognised on your device and are not sent.

Our server passes the text to an AI translation provider (DeepSeek, with Google Gemini through Replicate as a fallback) and keeps the text with its translations in a translation cache. The cache lets the next person who types the same word get the same translation without another AI request, and lets us review translation quality. Cached entries contain only the allergen text and its translations; they are not linked to you or your device.

Because food allergy information is health information, we only use this text to translate it. We do not use it for advertising, profiling or any purpose other than providing the translation.

Device identifier

Requests for translations include your device’s app identifier (Apple’s identifierForVendor, which is specific to our apps on your device). We use it only to count requests per device per day, so that the free translation service can be limited to a fair daily amount. We store it as a daily counter (identifier, feature, date and count). It is not linked to your identity, not combined with other data and not used for tracking.

Product barcode lookups

When you scan a product barcode, the app looks the barcode up directly with Open Food Facts (openfoodfacts.org) to read the product’s ingredients. Only the barcode number is sent. Open Food Facts’ own privacy policy applies to that request.

Purchases

In-app purchases are processed by Apple. We do not receive your name, payment details or Apple ID.

Hosting and logs

Our server runs on Cloudflare. Like any web service, our hosting provider processes technical request information such as IP addresses in order to deliver requests and protect the service. We do not store IP addresses with the data described above.

What we do not do

We do not require an account, sell personal data, show ads, use third-party analytics or advertising SDKs, or track you across apps and websites.

Your choices

You can use the app without ever sending data to us: choose allergens from the list instead of adding your own. You can delete cards in the app at any time, and manage or delete iCloud data in your device’s iCloud settings. Because the data we receive is not linked to you, we cannot look up records belonging to a particular person, but you are welcome to contact us with any request or question.

Children

AllergyCard is not directed to children under 13. A parent or guardian can create a card for a child; no account or personal details are needed to do so.

Not medical advice

AllergyCard helps you communicate allergy information. It does not diagnose allergies, recommend meals or guarantee that any food is free of allergens. Translations of allergens you add yourself are produced by AI, are marked on your card and have not been reviewed by a person.

Changes to this policy

If we change how the app handles data, we will update this page and the date above before the change reaches the app.

Contact Us

Questions about privacy? Email support@allergycard.app.