Verdora Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Verdora ("we," "our," or "us") respects your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use our mobile application ("App"). By using the App, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Policy.

2. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information:

A. Account Information
When you create an account, sign in, or update your profile, we may collect:

Name
Email address
Basic profile information, such as display name and garden name

B. Plant & App Data

Plant names, species details, nicknames, locations, and notes you enter
Care schedules, reminders, and activity history
Photos you upload
Settings and preferences

C. Location Data
If you choose to enable location services, Verdora asks for your permission before collecting:

Approximate or precise coordinates from your device
Derived city, state, and country information
When you use location-based features, this location data may be shared with Google Maps to show nearby plant stores and with WeatherAPI.com to provide weather data and plant advisories

You can disable location access anytime in device settings.

D. Technical & Service Data
We may collect:

Server logs such as IP address, request metadata, user agent, and timestamps
Authentication and session records needed to verify sign-in and keep your account active

E. Support Data

Support messages, subject lines, and contact email you provide
Optional debug information you choose to send, such as platform, OS version, app version, build number, execution environment, and device name

F. AI Feature Data

Before photo-based plant identification is used, Verdora asks for your permission to send the selected plant image and basic technical file metadata to Pl@ntNet and, when needed, Google Gemini to identify the plant and return likely matches.
Before AI care suggestions are used, Verdora asks for your permission to send plant species information associated with the selected plant, such as plant name and scientific name, to Google Gemini to generate AI care suggestions and companion plant recommendations.
In the current version, uploaded plant images, notes, and personalized placement details are not sent to Google Gemini for AI care suggestions.
If you later turn AI care suggestions off, Verdora will not send new AI care requests to Google Gemini, but previously generated care info already available in Verdora may still be shown.

3. How We Collect Information

We collect information in the following ways:

Directly from you: when you register, sign in, edit your profile or garden name, add or edit plants, upload photos, create reminders, change settings, or contact support.
From your device, with your permission: when you enable location access, Verdora requests your current or last known device location and may reverse geocode it into city, state, and country. When you enable reminder notifications, notification permission is requested on your device.
Automatically when you use the app: when your device communicates with our backend, we receive technical information such as IP address, request metadata, user agent, timestamps, and authentication/session records needed to operate the service securely.
From third-party services you choose to use: when you sign in with Google or Apple via Firebase Authentication; when you use Nearby Stores through Google Maps; when you load weather and plant advisories through WeatherAPI.com; when you send a support message delivered by Resend; and when you use AI features that send limited data to Pl@ntNet and, when needed, Google Gemini.

4. How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

Authenticate your account and keep you signed in
Provide plant care reminders, notifications, and related features
Store and manage your plant data
Identify plants from submitted photos when you choose to use that feature
Generate AI care suggestions and companion plant recommendations
Provide location-based features such as nearby plant stores, weather, and plant advisories
Respond to support requests
Communicate important updates
Maintain app security and prevent abuse

We do not sell your personal information.

5. Third-Party Services

We may use trusted third-party services, such as:

Firebase Authentication and supported sign-in providers such as Google and Apple
Google Maps for nearby plant store discovery
WeatherAPI.com for weather data and plant advisories
Resend for support email delivery
Pl@ntNet for plant photo identification
Google Gemini for AI-assisted plant identification fallback and AI care suggestion generation

These providers may process limited data only as needed to provide their services.

Any third party with whom we share user data is required to provide the same or equal protection of user data as stated in this Privacy Policy and required by applicable App Store guidelines.

Relevant provider policies may include:

6. AI Features

Photo Plant Identification
If you choose to identify a plant from a photo, Verdora asks for your permission in the app before sending the selected image and basic technical file metadata to Pl@ntNet and, when needed, Google Gemini to identify the plant and return likely matches. This feature is optional, and you can continue using Verdora by searching and adding plants manually without using image identification.

AI Care Suggestions
Before AI care suggestions are used, Verdora asks for your permission in the app before sending plant species information associated with the selected plant, such as plant name and scientific name, to Google Gemini. In the current version, uploaded plant images, notes, and personalized placement details are not sent for AI care suggestions. If you later turn AI care suggestions off, Verdora will not send new AI care requests to Google Gemini, but previously generated care info already available in Verdora may still be shown.

You can revoke photo identification permission or AI care permission anytime in Profile > Settings. When enabled in future versions, more personalized inputs such as placement context or other plant setup details may be used only after updated disclosure and, where required, additional consent.

7. Data Storage & Security

We implement reasonable security measures, including:

Secure authentication systems
Encrypted data transmission
Access controls

No system is 100% secure, and absolute security cannot be guaranteed.

8. Data Retention

We retain data while your account is active, or as needed to provide services, comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, and enforce agreements. You may request deletion of your account and associated data at any time. Step-by-step deletion instructions are available on our Data Deletion page.

9. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have rights to:

Access your personal data
Correct inaccurate data
Request deletion of your data
Withdraw consent (where applicable)

To make a request, contact us at the email below or visit our Data Deletion page.

10. Children’s Privacy

Verdora is intended for users Age 14+. We do not knowingly collect personal information from users below this age. If we become aware of such data, we will take steps to delete it.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Updates will be posted in the App (or related pages) with a revised effective date. Continued use after updates means acceptance of the revised Policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us:
support@verdora.app