Effective Date: April 14, 2026
Hydrofy (“Hydrofy,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) is operated by Merek Barrett. This Privacy Policy explains how Hydrofy handles information when you use the Hydrofy iOS app.
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, you can contact us at support@hydrofygarden.com.
1. Overview
Hydrofy is designed to help users manage hydroponic systems, track plant activity, organize routines, and use AI-powered features such as plant scan and AI chat.
Hydrofy is designed as a local-first app. We do not require you to create an account to use the core app. Most core app information is intended to be stored locally on your device. However, some information may be transmitted off-device when you use certain features, when analytics are enabled, or when we use service providers to support app functionality, personalization, reliability, and improvement.
2. Information We Handle
Information stored locally on your device
Most information you enter into Hydrofy is intended to be stored locally on your device, such as:
- plant notes
- schedules
- logs
- reminders
- system information
- onboarding selections and preferences
- other app data you choose to enter
Because this information is primarily stored locally, you are responsible for your device and any device-level backup tools you choose to use.
Information collected or transmitted off-device
Depending on how you use Hydrofy, we may collect, receive, store, or process certain information off-device, including:
- onboarding responses, selections, and preference data
- app usage and interaction data
- device and app instance identifiers
- subscription and purchase status data
- crash, diagnostics, and performance information
- support communications
- information you submit when using AI-powered features
This information may be processed by Hydrofy and by service providers that help us operate the app, such as hosting, analytics, diagnostics, infrastructure, communications, and AI processing providers.
Onboarding and personalization data
If you complete onboarding, Hydrofy may process your onboarding responses, selections, and preferences to:
- personalize your in-app experience
- tailor recommendations, reminders, and content
- improve onboarding flow and product design
- understand feature interest and user needs
- analyze conversion and retention patterns
Some onboarding information may remain stored locally on your device. Some onboarding information may also be transmitted to or stored by our backend or service providers for analytics, personalization, testing, operational, and product improvement purposes.
Analytics and diagnostics
We may use third-party analytics and diagnostics tools, including Firebase and related Google services, to better understand app usage, measure onboarding and paywall performance, detect crashes, monitor reliability, and improve Hydrofy.
Analytics and diagnostics information may include:
- app opens and session activity
- screen views
- feature usage
- onboarding progress and completion events
- subscription or paywall interaction events
- device, operating system, app version, language, country, and similar technical information
- approximate identifiers or pseudonymous identifiers associated with the app instance
We do not use analytics data to sell your personal information.
Information sent off-device when you use AI features
If you choose to use Hydrofy’s AI-powered features, including plant scan or AI chat, the information you submit for that request may be sent off-device for processing. This may include:
- text prompts
- plant photos
- related plant or hydroponic system context
- notes or summaries you choose to include
This information may be transmitted to:
- Hydrofy’s backend infrastructure
- third-party AI service providers, including OpenAI
We use this information only to generate the requested response, operate the feature, maintain service reliability, protect the service, and improve the quality of the feature where appropriate.
Support communications
If you contact us directly, we may receive and retain the information you include in your message, such as your email address and the contents of your support request.
3. How We Use Information
We use information to:
- provide the app’s core functionality
- store and apply your settings, onboarding selections, and preferences
- personalize your experience within Hydrofy
- generate AI chat and plant scan responses when requested by you
- measure onboarding, subscription, feature, and product performance
- maintain, secure, debug, and improve Hydrofy
- troubleshoot technical issues
- investigate misuse or abuse of the app
- respond to support requests
- analyze product usage and improve app design, flows, and messaging
4. AI Chat and Plant Scan
Hydrofy offers AI-powered features that may analyze user-submitted text, photos, and related context.
These features are optional. If you choose to use them, your submitted content may be transmitted off-device to Hydrofy’s backend and third-party AI providers in order to generate a response.
AI-generated outputs are automated and may be inaccurate, incomplete, or unsuitable for your specific plant, growing environment, hydroponic setup, crop, or treatment decision.
5. Analytics, Service Providers, and Sharing
We do not sell your personal information.
We may share limited information with service providers that help us operate Hydrofy, such as providers for hosting, infrastructure, analytics, crash reporting, subscription management, communications, and AI processing, but only as reasonably necessary to provide, maintain, analyze, secure, and support the app.
These providers may include services such as Firebase, Google analytics-related services, OpenAI, and other vendors we use to operate Hydrofy.
6. Data Retention
For core app data stored locally on your device, retention is generally controlled by you and your device.
For onboarding data, analytics data, diagnostic data, and backend records, we may retain information for as long as reasonably necessary to provide and improve the app, measure onboarding and product performance, maintain security and reliability, investigate abuse or technical issues, comply with legal obligations, and enforce our rights and protect the service.
For AI requests processed through our backend, we may retain limited operational, security, product improvement, or error-related logs for a reasonable period where necessary to maintain, secure, improve, and support the service.
Support communications may be retained for as long as reasonably necessary to respond to you, maintain records, and protect the service.
7. Security
We use reasonable technical and organizational measures designed to protect information handled through Hydrofy. However, no method of electronic storage or transmission is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
8. Children’s Privacy
Hydrofy is not intended for children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 through the app.
If you believe a child has provided personal information to us, contact us at support@hydrofygarden.com.
9. International Processing
Hydrofy and its service providers may process information in Canada, the United States, or other jurisdictions where our providers operate.
10. Your Choices
Because Hydrofy is designed to store most core app data locally on your device, you can generally manage that data directly through the app and your device.
You may also contact us regarding support, privacy, or deletion-related questions, including questions about onboarding or analytics-related data, by emailing support@hydrofygarden.com.
11. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will update the effective date above and may provide additional notice where appropriate.