Privacy Policy

Last updated: 11 September 2026

This policy covers Pesto Recipe, the app called Pesto on your Home Screen. We, the developer, never see your data: there is no account to create, no sign-in, no tracking, no advertising and no analytics.

The short version

• No account, ever. You don't register or sign in to use Pesto.
• Your data stays with you. Recipes, groceries, fridge items, meal plans and cooking history are stored on your device and, if you use iCloud, in your own private iCloud account. They are never sent to us.
• The assistant runs on your device. The cooking assistant and recipe import use Apple Intelligence on the device. What you type is not sent to us or to any AI service.
• We collect nothing. Pesto has no analytics, advertising or tracking code, and we run no servers that receive your information.

What Pesto stores, and where

The following is stored only on your device and, when iCloud Drive is turned on, in Pesto's private folder in your iCloud account:

• Recipes you create, import or edit
• Fridge and shopping-list items, including any expiry dates you set
• Your weekly meal plan and cooking history
• The feeds you follow and the recipe websites you add to Discover
• Your preferences, such as an optional first name, default servings, dietary preferences and theme

If you don't use iCloud, this data stays on the one device. Deleting the app removes the on-device copy. You can delete everything from inside the app (Settings > Reset), and remove Pesto's iCloud data in your device's settings under your name > iCloud > Manage Storage.

If you export a backup, the file is saved wherever you choose. We never receive it.

Network requests Pesto makes

Pesto has no backend of its own. Some features connect directly from your device to other websites, and only when you use them. We don't receive, log or process these requests.

Those websites and services have their own privacy policies, which govern anything they receive. Pesto sends only what is needed to load the page, feed, image or nutrition entry you asked for.

Device permissions

• Camera: only used when you scan groceries or a receipt. Text and items are recognized on your device, and photos are not uploaded or kept after the scan.
• Calendar: only used when you add a recipe to your calendar. Pesto asks to add events only and cannot read your existing events.
• Notifications: only asked the first time you start a cooking timer, so Pesto can tell you when it's done while your phone is locked. They are scheduled on your device and nothing is sent anywhere.

You can review or change these permissions at any time in your device's Settings.

Widgets and the Lock Screen timer

Pesto's Home Screen widgets show your shopping list, today's meals and food to use soon, and a running cooking timer can appear on the Lock Screen and in the Dynamic Island. They read a small copy of that data kept on your device. It isn't sent anywhere.

Siri and Shortcuts

Pesto's shortcuts (for example, adding to your shopping list) run on your device and read or change only your Pesto data.

Children

Pesto doesn't collect personal information from anyone, including children. Because we collect nothing and require no account, we can't build a profile of any user.

Selling or sharing data

We don't sell, rent, trade or share your personal information, because we never receive it.

Changes to this policy

If the way Pesto handles data changes, we'll update this page and the date at the top. Material changes will also be described in the app update's release notes.