Smak Privacy Policy

1. Data on your device

Recipes, dish photos, the cooking journal, meal plans, templates, collections, the shopping list and settings are stored in the app’s storage on your phone. We have no access to them.

• Android backup. If Google backup is turned on for your device, the system may store app data in your Google account. The AI assistant key and the purchase status are excluded from it.
• .smak backup files are created only when you ask and are saved where you choose.
• Sharing and PDF. Recipes and PDF cookbooks go to other apps only when you tap Share, Print or Save.

2. Importing recipes from websites

When you paste a link or open a site in the built-in browser, the app downloads the page and the recipe photo directly from that website. The site receives an ordinary request, as it would from a browser (including your IP address). None of this reaches us.

3. AI assistant (optional)

The assistant works only after you add your own Google Gemini API key. The key is encrypted with the Android Keystore, stays on the device and is excluded from backups.

When you use the assistant, the app sends Google only what a request needs: the page or dish photos you chose, recipe text, your messages to the chef, your menu wishes and recipe titles from your book (to plan a menu). Requests are made with server-side storage of interactions turned off (store: false).

Google processes this data under the Gemini API Additional Terms of Service and the Google Privacy Policy. If your key is on the free tier, Google may use submitted content to improve its products, so please don’t send the assistant personal or confidential information. AI responses can be inaccurate — double-check advice on food safety and allergens.

4. Purchases

Smak Pro and tips are paid through Google Play. Payment details are handled only by Google; we never receive them. The app receives a purchase confirmation from Google Play and stores on the device only the fact that Pro is unlocked. Purchases are governed by the Google Play Terms of Service.

5. Reports about AI responses and messages to the developer

If you report an AI response or write to the developer from the app, we receive:

• the fragment of the response you report, the reason and your comment — or the text of your message;
• your email address, only if you enter it for a reply;
• the app version, interface language and the AI model name (for reports).

We do not store your IP address: Cloudflare only briefly counts submissions from it to limit spam.

This data is sent over an encrypted connection to the Steppe website (www.steppe.workers.dev) and stored in a Cloudflare D1 database in our Cloudflare account. We use it only to review the report, fix a problem or reply to you, and delete it within 12 months, or sooner on request.

6. Rating the app

After you have cooked a few dishes, the app may once offer to rate it through Google Play’s standard dialog. Ratings and reviews are handled by Google; we only see public reviews.

7. Permissions

• Internet — importing from websites, the AI assistant, purchases, sending reports and messages.
• Notifications and background work — cooking timers you start.
• Camera — through the system camera or Google’s document scanner, only when you photograph a recipe or a dish.
• Vibration and keeping the screen on — timer alerts and cooking mode.

The document scanner runs on the device through Google Play services (ML Kit). It does not send the pages anywhere, but Google collects technical diagnostics about how it works: the device model and Android version, the app’s name and version, an installation identifier, and scan duration and errors. Google processes this data under the Google Privacy Policy; we do not receive it.

8. Children

Smak is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect their data.

9. Your rights and deleting data

You can delete all data on the device in the app itself or in Android settings (“Clear storage” or uninstalling the app). To get a copy of, correct or delete reports and messages you sent, email jason.statusom@gmail.com.

10. Changes

If this policy changes, we will update this page and the date at the top. Significant changes will be mentioned in the release notes on Google Play.

11. Contact

Smak is developed by Steppe: jason.statusom@gmail.com.