Mercury — Privacy Policy

Introduction

This Privacy Policy describes how Mercury ("we", "our", or "the app") handles your information. We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about our practices.

The short version: we don't collect or process any personal information. Your data is stored on your device and, if you are signed into iCloud, synced through Apple's iCloud infrastructure under Apple's privacy policy.

Information We Collect

None — by us. Mercury does not collect, store, transmit to, or process any personal information on our own servers. We have no servers, no databases, and no ability to access information about you or your device.

Local Data Storage

The app stores the following information locally on your device only:

• Recipes — recipes you save are stored in your device's local storage
• Cook history — logs you record are stored locally
• App preferences — settings like theme and onboarding state
• Pro purchase status — a record of your in-app purchase, managed by Apple

iCloud Sync

If you are signed into iCloud on your device, Mercury uses Apple's CloudKit service to sync your recipes and cook history across your Apple devices. This means your data is stored on Apple's iCloud servers and is governed by Apple's Privacy Policy.

We have no access to this data. You can disable iCloud sync at any time in Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → Mercury.

In-App Purchases

Mercury offers a "Pro" upgrade via Apple's In-App Purchase system. When you make a purchase:

• Apple processes the transaction — we never see your payment information
• Apple verifies your purchase — the app checks with Apple's servers to confirm your purchase status
• Your purchase is tied to your Apple ID, not to any account with us
• We store a simple flag on your device indicating Pro status

Refer to Apple's Privacy Policy for information about how Apple handles In-App Purchases.

Third-Party Services

Mercury does not use any third-party services for analytics, crash reporting, advertising, or social media integration. The only external services involved are:

• Apple's App Store — for app distribution and In-App Purchase processing
• Apple iCloud — for optional data sync across your devices

Data Sharing

We do not share any data because we don't collect any data. The app has no ability to transmit information to us or to any third parties.

Your Data Rights

You have complete control over your data:

• Access — your data is in the app's local storage on your device
• Deletion — uninstall the app to delete all local data; disable iCloud sync to remove iCloud copies
• Portability — use the export feature to save recipes to your files
• Control — delete saved recipes or history from within the app at any time

Children's Privacy

Because we collect no information from anyone, this policy applies equally to all users. The app is not specifically directed at children under 13.

California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

Since Mercury does not collect any personal information, CCPA rights regarding access, deletion, and opt-out of sale are not applicable — there is no personal information to act upon.

GDPR (European Users)

Since Mercury does not collect, process, or store any personal data on our own systems, GDPR obligations related to data processing do not apply to us. Any data stored via iCloud is governed by Apple's GDPR compliance commitments.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy if the app's behaviour or features change. Material changes will be noted with an updated "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.

Contact

Privacy questions? Contact Jeff Milner, Developer of Mercury:

jeffmilner+mercurysupport@gmail.com