Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 28, 2026

CactusTracker helps you save cactus and succulent records, photos, care schedules, locations, notes, and Archive history. This policy explains what information the app collects, how it is used, and the choices you have.

Information You Provide

CactusTracker may store information you choose to enter, including:

• Account email address and login information used to create and access your account.
• First name and last name, if you choose to provide them when creating an account.
• Cactus or succulent names, common names, scientific names, locations, soil type, journal notes, progress photos, and care dates.
• Photos you upload or take for your cactus and succulent records, plus an optional profile photo.
• Watering and feeding schedules used to create care reminders.
• An optional city and country used to choose a broad seasonal care calendar. CactusTracker does not request a precise address for this feature.

How Information Is Used

We use this information to:

• Show your saved cactus and succulent records in the app.
• Sync your records to your account so they can be restored or viewed from another device.
• Deliver watering and feeding reminders through Apple Push Notification service or Google Firebase Cloud Messaging in distribution builds, and schedule local reminders where supported, when you turn reminders on.
• Adjust automatic care timing for broad local seasons when you choose a seasonal care city.
• Let you organize records into Collections and move dead plants to the Archive.
• Create a read-only plant link when you choose to share an individual plant.
• Provide app support if you contact us for help.

Camera, Photos, and Notifications

CactusTracker asks for camera or photo library access only when you choose to add or change a plant or profile photo. CactusTracker asks for notification permission so it can remind you when saved cactus and succulents are due for watering or feeding. You can change camera, photo, and notification permissions in your device settings.

Account and Data Storage

CactusTracker uses Supabase as a service provider for account login, authentication, cloud syncing of saved cactus records, and private storage of plant photos and optional profile photos. Some data may also be stored locally on your device so the app can keep working smoothly and remember your settings.

AI Features and Your Permission

Current iPhone and Android builds require agreement to AI sharing to use the app. The separate AI setup step appears before account creation or first use, before information is sent for AI processing. It identifies the recipients and data. Agree and continue completes setup; Cancel stops setup without creating an account or deleting an existing account or its saved plants. Your choice is saved separately for each account on each device. Existing permission remains valid when the data and recipients have not changed. Older app versions and the website may show different permission controls; update the native app to use the current setup flow.

• Ask: OpenAI processes your question, recent chat messages, any plant photo used for the question, and saved plant details such as the plant's names, location, soil, care dates and intervals, and notes.
• Photo identification: Pl@ntNet, OpenAI or Meta may process photos to identify a plant. The provider depends on service availability and configuration; fallback processing may send the photo to another of these listed providers. The app may send additional selected photos or a more detailed version to improve an uncertain match.
• Care suggestions and Field Guides: OpenAI processes plant names and requested care or guide fields when bundled or saved information is missing. Bundled information avoids an AI request when it already supplies the requested details.

AI requests pass through CactusTracker's server functions hosted by Netlify. Your account password and login credentials are not included in the requests to AI providers. Photos, questions, locations and free-text notes can nevertheless contain personal information; avoid including information you do not want processed. AI answers are guidance and can be wrong. Review identification and care suggestions before acting on them.

You can withdraw AI permission in Profile → Help → AI permissions. Withdrawing permission pauses access to the app on this device and returns you to its setup screen. It cancels active requests where possible and prevents new AI requests from this device. You can agree again to resume access, or use the Support page to request account/data deletion without granting AI permission. It cannot recall information already sent to a provider and does not erase saved answers or plant records. AI permission on another device must be changed on that device. Contact support for help with deletion requests concerning information already processed by a provider.

Server Care Reminders

When enabled in the distributed iPhone or Android app, CactusTracker registers a device push token, platform, installation identifier, time zone and preferred reminder time with its reminder service. The service uses your saved plant care schedule to prepare notifications, delivered through Apple's APNs or Google's Firebase Cloud Messaging. Push tokens and account associations are used for delivery, not advertising tracking. Turning reminders off or signing out requests removal of the device registration when the device can reach the service. Device notification permission can also block delivery independently of your saved reminder choice.

Feedback, AI Reports and Diagnostics

If you send feedback or report AI content in the app, the message, expected behavior, device type, app version, optional screenshot and optional reply email are sent through CactusTracker's Netlify service and Resend to the CactusTracker support mailbox. Your signed-in session authorizes the feedback request; it is not sent to the AI providers for this purpose. Only attach information you want support to receive. Android startup diagnostics and bounded performance timings may be kept locally on your device. The app does not automatically upload its local diagnostic report; you choose whether to copy and share it with support.

Hosting, Account Protection and Email

Netlify hosts the website and application server functions. Supabase handles accounts and private records. Cloudflare Turnstile protects public account flows, and Resend delivers account and support email where configured. These services process the request, account, delivery or technical information needed to provide those features, which can include IP addresses and browser or device request metadata. CactusTracker does not use these services for cross-app advertising tracking.

Retention and Deletion

Saved account records and photos are retained to provide your collection until you delete the records or request account deletion. Some settings, cached data and recent AI results are also stored locally on your device. Turning AI off does not delete that saved information. Feedback messages and attachments remain in the support and email systems to handle your request; contact support to request their deletion.

Account deletion removes the app's active account data and photos through its deletion service. Data already sent to AI, hosting, email or push providers may be subject to separate security, abuse-prevention, backup or legal retention practices. We cannot promise immediate removal from all third-party systems or backups. Contact support for an account or provider-data deletion request and information about applicable retention. Provider terms and actual service configurations must be considered when fulfilling that request.

Seasonal Care City Search

If you search for a Seasonal Care Region, the city-and-country text you enter is sent through CactusTracker's website to Open-Meteo's geocoding service to return matching cities. CactusTracker stores the city label, country, time zone, and broad latitude needed to choose a seasonal calendar; it does not request or store a street address or device GPS position for this feature. If you choose Not now, CactusTracker stores a broad estimate based on the device time zone instead.

Data Sharing, Ads, and Tracking

We do not sell your personal information. CactusTracker does not show third-party ads and does not use your information for cross-app or cross-website advertising tracking. Your information is used to operate CactusTracker, provide the features described in this policy, and support the app.

If you choose Share plant, CactusTracker creates a private, read-only link containing that plant's primary shared photo, human name, common name, scientific name, and earned Unique Find award when available. The link does not include your email, plant location, private journal notes or progress photos, care history, or reminder dates. Anyone who has the link can open it until you stop sharing the plant. Moving the plant to the Archive or deleting it also makes the shared page unavailable.

Your Choices

You can choose not to add photos, not to enable notifications, or to delete cactus records from the app. You can turn care reminders off in Settings. You can stop sharing an individual plant at any time from that plant's Share plant controls.

Account and Data Deletion

You can delete individual cactus and succulent records inside the app. You can also delete your account from Settings by choosing Delete account and confirming the request. This deletes your cactus and succulent records, stored account/profile data, plant photos, optional profile photo, and CactusTracker login account. If you need help, contact us at Hello@DirtyBirdSoil.com.

Children's Privacy

CactusTracker is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

Changes To This Policy

We may update this policy as CactusTracker changes. When we do, the updated date at the top of this page will be changed.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy or need support, email Hello@DirtyBirdSoil.com or visit www.DirtyBirdSoil.com. You can also visit the CactusTracker Support page.