Privacy policy

Last updated October 20, 2026

Cheeky Chef is made by Collective Theory ("we"). This policy explains what the app sends, what we keep, and why. Short version: your camera and voice are used while you cook and never stored by us, your recipes and pantry stay on your phone, and we don't run ads or track you.

Camera and microphone

While Sous is active in a cook, short camera frames and your voice are streamed through our server to Google's Gemini API so Sous can see the room and answer you. We do not record or store them. When you scan your fridge, the photos are sent to identify ingredients and then discarded; only the ingredient list is kept, on your phone.

Google processes this data for us under its paid Gemini API terms: it is not used to improve Google's products, and Google may keep it for a limited period solely to detect abuse.

Recipes, pantry and preferences

Your recipes, notes, pantry, shopping list, diet and allergy settings and cook history are stored on your phone. When you ask Sous for recipes, the ingredients you have and your diet and allergy settings are sent to write them and are not stored on our servers. Web searches for top-rated recipes carry only dish keywords, never anything about you.

What we store on our servers

• Your account: the anonymous identifier from Sign in with Apple. We don't ask Apple for your name or email.
• Your plan: plan and subscription status, and App Store transaction IDs so purchases can be verified and restored.
• Your usage balance: how much of the monthly allowance each request used, so we can show the percentage left.
• Cook summaries: for each cook, its cost and app performance numbers (for example reconnects and timers). No audio, video or transcripts.
• Device integrity: Apple App Attest and DeviceCheck data, to protect the service from abuse and give the free starter balance once per device.

Our servers also keep short-lived operational logs to keep the service running.

What we don't do

No advertising, no tracking across apps or websites, no third-party analytics, and we never sell or share your data for marketing.

Who processes data for us

Google Cloud (hosting and database), Google's Gemini API (the AI that powers Sous) and Apple (sign-in, purchases and device checks).

Keeping and deleting data

We keep account data while your account is active. Email support@collectivetheory.com to delete your account and the data stored with it; we do this within 30 days. Deleting the app removes what is stored on your phone.

Age

Cheeky Chef is for adults 18 and over and is not directed at children.

Changes and contact

If this policy changes, we update the date above. Questions: support@collectivetheory.com.