Privacy & your data

No account, no name, no email

Mealey has no sign-up and no login. We never ask for your name, your email address or a password, and we do not hold any of them. There is nothing in Mealey that identifies you as a person.

What we collect

• An anonymous device ID — when you first open Mealey, the app generates a random code and stores it securely on your phone. It is not derived from your phone, your SIM, or anything about you, and it is not shared with anyone. It exists only so your own saved data comes back when you reopen the app.
• Your setup — your preferred shops and the allergens you exclude.
• App activity — the meal plans, shopping lists, saved recipes and ratings you create.
• Loyalty cards you add — the card number and barcode type, so the app can show the barcode at the till. These stay linked to your anonymous ID only.

Why we use it

Solely to run the app for you: to match grocery specials to recipes, and to build savings-aware meal plans and shopping lists. We do not sell your personal information. Mealey is currently ad-free; if we introduce ads in future, we will update this notice and the app’s Play Store data-safety details before any ads appear.

Where it lives

Your data is stored in our backend (Convex), linked only to your anonymous device ID. Specials are gathered from retailers’ public promotional information.

Specials & prices

Specials, prices and savings in Mealey are gathered from retailers’ publicly advertised promotions and are provided as a guide only. They may be out of date, incomplete, or differ in store, and are not an offer or a guarantee of price or availability. Please confirm the current price with the retailer before you shop — Mealey is not responsible for retailer pricing or for promotions that have changed or ended.

Recipe data

Recipes and their food images in Mealey are provided by TheMealDB (themealdb.com). This recipe content and imagery remain the property of TheMealDB and their respective owners; Mealey displays it under a TheMealDB API subscription.

Cost

Mealey is currently free. If paid plans are added in future, billing will be handled by a payment provider and we will never see or store your card details.

How long we keep it

For as long as your anonymous ID exists. You can delete everything at any time from Settings → Delete my data in the app — this permanently removes your setup, plans, lists, pantry, loyalty cards and saved recipes.

Uninstalling the app destroys the key. The anonymous code is held in your phone’s secure storage, which Android erases when the app is removed. Once that happens, nothing — not you and not us — can connect the stored data back to you, and it is never restored by a phone backup or a new device. For the same reason, your saved recipes, plans and lists cannot be recovered if you uninstall Mealey or change phones. Please treat them as living on this device only.

Your rights under POPIA

You may, at any time:

• ask what personal information we hold about you;
• ask us to correct or update it;
• ask us to delete your data;
• object to processing or withdraw consent.

To exercise any of these, email info.mealey@gmail.com. Because we hold no name or email for you, please include the data ID shown in the app under Settings → Your data ID — without it we have no way to find your records. You also have the right to complain to the Information Regulator (South Africa).

Security

Access to your data requires you to be signed in, and entitlements are enforced on the server. Secrets and keys are held server-side only and are never exposed to your device. Data is encrypted in transit.

Contact

Information officer: info.mealey@gmail.com.