Privacy Policy
Thyme is built to keep your kitchen life private. Your recipes and meal plans live on your device and sync through your own iCloud account. We can't see them. The AI that reads your recipes runs entirely on your device; nothing is sent to an AI server. We don't ask you to create an account, we don't show ads, and we never sell your data.
That's the whole story. The rest is detail.
Who we are
Thyme ("the app", "we", "us") is a family meal planner for iOS, made by TME. If you have any questions about this policy, reach us at 62orotund_ease@icloud.com, or tap Settings → Report a bug inside the app.
What stays on your device (and your iCloud)
Almost everything:
- Recipes, meal plans, shopping lists, and family details you add are stored on your device using Apple's on-device database.
- If you have iCloud enabled, this data syncs across your devices through your private iCloud account (CloudKit), and the contents are stored end-to-end encrypted — the keys live only on your devices, so neither we nor Apple can read your recipes or plans. It travels under your Apple ID, governed by Apple's Privacy Policy.
- Your household's family size and dietary needs are part of your kitchen's data — they sync through your private iCloud account like your recipes and plans, and if you share your kitchen, your household members see them too (that's what keeps everyone's plans and shopping lists in step).
- Small settings and preferences — like foods you never eat — sync between your devices through iCloud's key-value storage, also under your own Apple ID. We never see them.
- Recipe analysis runs on your device. When you import or scan a recipe, Thyme uses Apple's on-device intelligence to read it. The recipe text and photos are never transmitted to us or to any third-party AI service.
- Recipe photos and camera scans are processed on your device (Apple's on-device text recognition). They are not uploaded anywhere.
We have no access to it and cannot read it.
Sharing with your household
If you invite someone to your kitchen (Settings → Household), your recipes, plans, shopping lists, family size, and dietary needs sync between you through Apple's iCloud sharing. Only the people you invite can see this data — it travels between your iCloud accounts with the same end-to-end encryption, and we still can't read any of it. You can stop sharing at any time from the same screen, and anyone you've invited can leave at any time.
Permissions Thyme may ask for
We request these only when you use the relevant feature, and only to make that feature work:
- Camera: to photograph a printed recipe so Thyme can read it on-device.
- Photo Library: to let you pick a recipe or dish photo. Thyme only sees the photos you choose; it does not browse your library.
- Photo Library (add only): to save a shopping-list image to your Photos when you choose Save Image from the share sheet. Thyme can only add that image; it cannot read your library.
- Reminders: to import items from a Reminders list into your shopping list.
- Notifications: to send you optional, locally-scheduled reminders to plan your week. These are created on your device.
You can change or revoke any of these at any time in the iOS Settings app.
Importing recipes from the web
When you paste a recipe link, Thyme fetches that web page you chose (over a secure connection) to read the recipe. This is a direct request from your device to that website, the same as opening it in a browser. We don't track which sites you visit, and we don't keep the page.
What we collect (and it's anonymous)
To understand how Thyme is used and to fix problems, we use TelemetryDeck, a privacy-focused analytics service, to record anonymous usage events (for example, "a recipe was added" or "a week was planned"). This data:
- contains no personal information and no recipe content;
- uses an anonymised identifier, not your name, email, or Apple ID;
- has your IP address discarded after deriving only an approximate country;
- is never used to track you across other apps or websites, and carries no advertising identifier.
You can read more at TelemetryDeck's privacy page.
Bug reports
If you choose Report a bug, Thyme opens an email pre-filled with technical details (app version, build number, device model, and iOS version) to help us diagnose the issue. The email is sent only when you tap send, and includes whatever you write. These reports are handled through our issue tracker (Linear) solely to fix bugs.
What we don't do
- We don't require an account, login, name, or email to use Thyme.
- We don't sell, rent, or share your personal data.
- We don't show ads or use advertising/tracking SDKs.
- We don't build a profile of you.
Data retention and deletion
Because your recipes and plans live on your device and in your own iCloud, you are in control:
- Delete individual items any time inside the app.
- Remove everything by deleting the app, which clears its on-device data.
- Manage or delete the iCloud copy in iOS Settings → [your name] → iCloud → Manage Account Storage.
Anonymous analytics events can't be tied back to you, so they cannot be individually identified or removed.
Children's privacy
Thyme is a household planning tool intended for the adults managing a family's meals. It does not knowingly collect personal information from children.
Changes to this policy
If we change how Thyme handles data, we'll update this page and revise the date at the top. Significant changes will be noted in the app.
Contact
Questions about your privacy? Email 62orotund_ease@icloud.com.