Privacy Policy
Botany Garden Guide
This policy explains how this application handles information and how to contact us about privacy.
Information we process
Botany Garden Guide stores your plant names, Latin names, categories, written locations, planting dates, care intervals, care history, dated notes, selected plant photographs, local profile name and photo, language and reminder preferences in Core Data on your iPhone. No account, email address, password or precise device location is required. The bundled plant encyclopedia works offline. Cloud synchronization is optional and off by default. If enabled, the app sends this garden snapshot, including selected photos and settings, to our backend and creates a random installation identifier and secret. The secret stays in the device Keychain; the server stores its hash. Requests for synchronization, reference updates and this website expose network information such as your IP address, request time, path, response status and technical request headers to Railway, our hosting provider. The server temporarily uses an IP-derived rate-limit counter. The app has no advertising or analytics SDK.
How we use information
Local records provide your garden journal, care schedule, calendar and profile. Notifications remind you about care on this device. Optional synchronization keeps a server copy for this installation; it does not create an account or provide transfer to another device. The public encyclopedia endpoint updates the local reference cache when you request it. The installation secret authorizes access to your own server copy. Technical network information supports delivery, basic abuse prevention and service operation. We do not use garden content for advertising or profiling.
Service providers and sharing
Optional garden snapshots are processed on Railway infrastructure in the same service as this public policy. Railway processes network traffic and infrastructure logs as a hosting provider. We have not added analytics, advertising, email delivery, social sign-in or other external data providers. Photos are not sent to a plant identification service. Export uses the iOS share sheet: destinations you choose may receive the exported JSON, including photos and profile information, under their own terms. Apple provides the operating system photo picker, camera, notifications, Keychain and any device backup you enable. We do not sell your data.
Data retention
Local garden records remain until you delete them or remove the app; device or cloud backups you configure may retain copies under their settings. The encyclopedia cache may be removed by iOS. A temporary JSON export remains in the app temporary directory until removed by iOS or by the app when you delete all data. Files you save or share elsewhere remain under your control. On the server, a snapshot and installation authorization record remain until you use Delete all data successfully; we have not configured automatic expiry. Turning synchronization off stops future automatic uploads but does not delete a previously stored snapshot, and a request already in progress may finish. Rate-limit counters are held in process memory. Their active rate-limit window is one hour; expired entries are discarded during later installation requests, and all counters are discarded on service restart. Railway infrastructure logs and any provider backups follow the hosting configuration and provider practices; we do not claim a fixed retention period or immediate removal from historical backups.
Deleting your information
Delete all data in Settings requests deletion of the server snapshot and installation authorization, then clears local garden records, profile, notes, reminder preferences, scheduled and delivered reminders, and the app temporary export. If a server installation exists, internet access is required to confirm deletion. A failed request leaves local data available and displays an error so you can retry. Server deletion cascades to its snapshot, enables SQLite secure deletion and truncates the live database write-ahead log. It does not delete exported copies outside the app or retroactively erase provider backups. The Keychain secret is removed after confirmed server deletion. If the secret is lost, we cannot authenticate access or promise recovery or targeted deletion of that installation; contact us to discuss the information available. Removing the app alone does not send a server deletion request and Keychain behavior may preserve an installation secret on that device.
Permissions and your choices
Camera access is requested only when you choose to take a plant photo. The system photo picker lets you choose individual plant or profile images without granting unrestricted library access. Notification permission is requested only when you enable care reminders. No location or contacts permission is requested. You may deny or withdraw camera and notification access in iOS Settings and still use the journal, manual care list and reference. Removing a selected photo from its record stops using that photo in subsequent snapshots; previously shared exports or backups may still contain it. Local notifications use plant names and care actions, which may be visible on the lock screen depending on your iOS settings.
Your privacy rights
You can view and edit garden records in the app, export a JSON copy, turn off synchronization and request deletion through Settings. The service has no user account or email delivery workflow. For privacy questions or requests concerning access, correction or deletion, contact ismeriemarwood@icloud.com. Depending on applicable law, you may have additional privacy rights and a right to complain to your local data protection authority. We will consider requests with the information needed to identify and authorize them, without asking you to publish your installation secret.
Security
The deployed API uses HTTPS. A separate randomly generated secret authorizes each installation; no shared client credential is embedded in the app. The device stores it in a non-migrating Keychain item accessible after the first device unlock. The server stores a SHA-256 hash and compares fixed-length hashes before garden reads, writes and deletion. Local storage uses iOS file protection after first unlock. The backend validates snapshot shape and size, uses parameterized SQLite queries, and limits installation creation. Application logs omit authorization headers, secrets and garden payloads, although hosting infrastructure can retain technical request logs. These safeguards reduce risk but cannot guarantee absolute security. Garden snapshots are not end-to-end encrypted and can be processed by the service.
Children’s privacy
This gardening journal is intended for a general adult gardening audience and is not designed to solicit information from children. It has no child account or age-verification system. Do not include sensitive information about children in notes or photos. A parent or guardian with privacy concerns may contact ismeriemarwood@icloud.com; identification of a server record still depends on available installation information.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy when app features, hosting or data practices change. The current version and effective date are published on this page. Review the policy linked in app Settings for the latest information. Material new processing will be reflected in the policy and, where needed, appropriate app choices before it is enabled.