Privacy Policy
Cartwheel is a collaborative shopping list app that helps households cook everything they buy. This policy describes what data Cartwheel stores, why we store it, who else sees it, and how you can delete it.
What Cartwheel stores
Account information
When you sign in with Google or Apple, Cartwheel stores your name, email address, profile photo URL (if your provider gives us one), and a unique provider ID — so we can keep your lists synced across devices and let collaborators see who added what to a shared list. If you sign in with Apple and choose Hide My Email, we receive only the relay address Apple generates; we never see your real email.
Your lists, items, and recipes
Lists you create, items you add, recipes you import from URLs, recipes you save to your library, and AI suggestions you accept are stored in Google Firebase Firestore under your account. Members of a shared list can read and write all content on that list — they cannot see anything else in your account.
What we don't store
- No payment information — Cartwheel is free during the beta.
- No precise location data.
- No contact list or address-book access.
- No third-party advertising or analytics SDKs (no Mixpanel, no Amplitude, no Facebook SDK, no AdMob).
- No tracking across other apps or websites.
AI features
Cartwheel uses Anthropic's Claude API for two features:
- Recipe import: when you paste a recipe URL, our server fetches the page text and asks Claude to extract the recipe into structured ingredients and directions.
- Discover (recipe suggestions): when you open the Discover tab, our server sends an anonymized summary of your list (item names, quantities, attached recipe titles — no your name, no list name, no other users' identities) to Claude to generate meal ideas that use what you already have.
Anthropic does not retain or train on this data per their commercial terms. AI-generated recipes are always labeled with a "✦ Generated by Cartwheel" mark in the app, and that label cannot be removed even when you save a generated recipe to your library — we believe in being honest about which content came from a model.
Sharing a list
When you share a list with someone via an invite code, they can read and write every item, recipe, and suggestion on that list. They cannot see anything else in your account. If they later delete their own account, the list survives — see Deleting your data below.
How we use your information
We use the information described above only to:
- Authenticate you and keep your data synced across your devices
- Show you and your collaborators a shared, up-to-date view of your list
- Generate recipe suggestions and parse recipe URLs you paste
- Diagnose crashes and errors via Google Crashlytics so we can fix them
We do not sell your information. We do not share it with advertisers. We do not use it to build a profile of you.
Where your data lives
Cartwheel stores data in Google Firebase (a Google Cloud product) in US data centers. Anthropic processes AI-related requests in their US infrastructure. Both providers are bound by their respective terms of service and processing agreements with us.
Deleting your data
You can permanently delete your account directly from the app: Settings → Delete account. The deletion is irreversible and includes:
- Your saved recipe library
- Lists you own that no one else is on (and all items, recipes, and AI suggestions on them)
- Your Cartwheel account itself
What stays:
- Lists you share with someone else — they keep the list. If you owned a shared list, ownership transfers to whichever member has been on it the longest.
- Items and recipes you added to a shared list — they stay so the list isn't gutted, but your name on them is replaced with "Deleted user".
If you'd prefer not to use the in-app deletion flow, email hello@cartwheel.app and we'll process the deletion within 30 days.
Children's privacy
Cartwheel is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have, contact us at hello@cartwheel.app and we will delete the information promptly.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, export, or delete the personal information we hold about you. The in-app deletion flow described above covers deletion. For access, correction, or export requests, email hello@cartwheel.app.
Changes to this policy
If we make material changes to this policy, we'll update the "Effective" date at the top and surface a notice in the app on next launch. Continuing to use Cartwheel after a change means you accept the updated policy.
Contact
Questions about this policy or how Cartwheel handles your data? Email hello@cartwheel.app.