Third-Party Services
THIRD-PARTY SERVICES DISCLOSURE
Effective Date: December 22, 2025
Gruby uses various third-party services to provide, improve, and secure our mobile application. This disclosure provides transparency about the categories of services we use, their purposes, and how they may affect your data. Your use of Gruby constitutes acceptance of these third-party services.
1. CATEGORIES OF THIRD-PARTY SERVICES
1.1 Cloud Infrastructure Providers
Purpose: Our core backend infrastructure including:
- Authentication Services: Manages user account creation, login, and session management
- Database Services: Stores user data, recipes, shopping lists, social connections, and all app content
- Cloud Storage: Stores user-uploaded media including photos, videos, and profile images
- Serverless Computing: Backend logic for processing, automation, and integrations
Data Processed: Account information, user content, usage data, device information
Data Location: United States
1.2 AI Service Providers
Purpose: Powers our AI-driven features including:
- AI Budget Coach: Conversational assistant for meal planning and budget optimization
- Recipe Recommendations: Personalized recipe suggestions based on preferences and history
- Meal Planning: Intelligent meal plan generation
- Conversational Assistance: Natural language interaction for various app features
Data Processed: Your queries, dietary preferences, cooking history, shopping data (used for context)
Important Notes:
- AI responses are generated and may not always be accurate
- AI outputs should not be considered professional medical, dietary, or financial advice
- We have data processing agreements with our AI providers
1.3 Computer Vision Providers
Purpose: Image analysis for:
- Barcode Scanning: Reading product barcodes for shopping and pantry features
- OCR (Optical Character Recognition): Extracting text from images for recipe import
Data Processed: Images you capture for scanning (not stored beyond processing)
2. AUTHENTICATION PROVIDERS
2.1 Apple Sign-In
Purpose: Optional single sign-on authentication
Data We Receive: Name, email address (or Apple's private relay email if you choose to hide your email), and a unique identifier
Your Control: You can choose to hide your email address using Apple's private relay feature
2.2 Google Sign-In
Purpose: Optional single sign-on authentication
Data We Receive: Name, email address, profile picture, and a unique identifier
3. GROCERY PARTNER SERVICES
Purpose: Smart shopping features including:
- Real-time Pricing: Current grocery prices for shopping list items
- Product Data: Product information, images, and availability
- Store Locator: Finding nearby grocery stores
- Price Comparison: Comparing prices across products
Data We Share: Shopping list items (product searches), general location (for store locating)
Data We Receive: Product pricing, availability, store locations, product images
Important Notes:
- Prices are estimates and may differ from in-store prices
- Product availability is subject to change
- Any purchases made at partner stores are subject to their terms
4. VIDEO AND CONTENT PLATFORMS
When you import recipes from video platforms (YouTube, TikTok, Instagram) or websites, we extract recipe information from those sources. We do not access your accounts on these platforms.
Data Processed: Video/post URLs you provide for import
We may also use stock photo services to provide images for recipes when users don't have their own images.
5. NOTIFICATION SERVICES
Purpose: Delivering push notifications for:
- New messages
- Gathering invitations and updates
- Expiration reminders
- Social interactions (likes, comments, follows)
- App updates and announcements
Data Processed: Push notification tokens (device identifiers), notification content
Your Control: You can disable push notifications in your device settings or app settings
6. ANALYTICS AND MONITORING
Purpose: Error tracking, crash reporting, and performance monitoring to identify and fix bugs
Data Processed: Error logs, stack traces, device information, app state at time of error. We do not intentionally send personal data to analytics providers.
Data Retention: 90 days for error logs
7. END-TO-END ENCRYPTION
Purpose: Provides end-to-end encryption for direct messages between users
How It Works:
- Messages are encrypted on your device before transmission
- Only you and your recipient can decrypt and read messages
- Gruby cannot read the content of encrypted messages
- Encryption keys are managed locally on your device
8. SUMMARY OF SERVICE CATEGORIES
| Category | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Cloud Infrastructure | Backend services, database, storage |
| AI Services | Budget Coach, recommendations, meal planning |
| Computer Vision | OCR, barcode scanning |
| Grocery Partners | Real-time pricing, product data |
| Authentication | Apple Sign-In, Google Sign-In |
| Notification Services | Push notifications |
| Analytics | Error tracking, performance monitoring |
9. YOUR CHOICES
You have control over certain third-party services:
- Authentication: Choose email/password, Apple, or Google sign-in
- Push Notifications: Enable/disable in device or app settings
- Analytics: Limit tracking via device privacy settings
- Location Services: Grant or deny location permission
- AI Features: Optional - you don't have to use AI-powered features
10. CHANGES TO THIS DISCLOSURE
We may update this Third-Party Services Disclosure when we add, remove, or change service providers. We will post updates to this page with a new effective date.
11. CONTACT US
If you have questions about our third-party services, please contact us:
Gruby Privacy Team
Email: privacy@gruby.app