Privacy Policy
Last updated: January 13, 2026
Data Controller Information
For the purposes of the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the data controller is:
- Name: GMG Digital
- Location: Romania (EU)
- Email: gardener@gmgdigital.ro
- App Package: ro.gmgdigital.plantcareapp
Introduction
Gardener is a privacy-focused plant care app that works entirely offline. We believe your garden data belongs to you and should stay on your device. This privacy policy explains how Gardener handles your information.
Key Privacy Points:
- ✅ 100% Offline - No internet connection required
- ✅ No Cloud Sync - All data stays on your device
- ✅ No Analytics - We don't track your usage
- ✅ No Third Parties - Your data is never shared
- ✅ No User Accounts - No registration or login required
Information We Collect
Gardener stores all your data locally on your device. The information you create in the app includes:
- Garden Information: Names, descriptions, and settings for your gardens
- Plant Data: Plant names, types, planting dates, care schedules, and notes you enter
- Photos: Images you take with your camera or select from your photo library
- Task Records: Watering schedules, care tasks, and completion history
- Activity Logs: Records of actions you take within the app
- Notification Preferences: Your chosen reminder time and notification settings
None of this information is transmitted to us, to any server, or to any third party. Everything stays exclusively on your device.
How We Use Your Information
Your information is used solely to provide app functionality on your device:
- Display your gardens, plants, and care schedules
- Send local push notifications for watering reminders
- Track task completion and plant care history
- Store and display photos of your plants
Since Gardener operates completely offline, your data never leaves your device. There is no server-side processing, no cloud storage, and no data transmission.
Permissions Explained
Gardener requests the following device permissions to function properly:
Camera Access
Required to take photos of your plants directly within the app. Photos are stored using system-level references and are not shared with any other apps or services.
Photo Library Access
Required to select existing photos from your device's photo library. You control which photos you select. The app does not access or scan your entire photo library.
Photo Storage
Photos in the Gardener app are handled as follows:
- Camera Photos: Stored by the system, with references (URIs) saved in the app's database
- Gallery Photos: Remain in their original location; the app only stores a reference (URI) to access them
- Privacy: The app does not copy or upload photos anywhere. It only maintains pointers to images on your device
- Deletion: Uninstalling the app removes all references but does not delete the original photos from your device's camera roll or gallery
Notifications
Required to send you daily reminders about plant care tasks. Notifications are generated locally on your device at the time you configure. You can enable or disable notifications at any time in the app settings.
Local Storage
Required to save your garden data, plant information, photo references, and preferences on your device using SQLite database and AsyncStorage.
Android Permissions Details
On Android devices, the app requests the following permissions:
Core Functionality Permissions
- CAMERA - Take photos of your plants
- READ_MEDIA_IMAGES (Android 13+) / READ_EXTERNAL_STORAGE (older Android) - Select photos from your gallery
- POST_NOTIFICATIONS - Display daily care reminders
System Permissions
- INTERNET - Required by the React Native framework for app store updates and development. Important: Despite this permission, the Gardener app does NOT make network requests, send data online, or track your usage during normal operation. All garden data remains 100% offline and stored only on your device.
- RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED - Reschedule local notifications after device reboot so your care reminders continue working
- SCHEDULE_EXACT_ALARM - Ensure daily reminders arrive at the precise time you set
- VIBRATE - Vibrate device when notifications arrive (if enabled in your device settings)
Legacy Permissions
- WRITE_EXTERNAL_STORAGE - Required on older Android versions for photo access (Android 9 and below)
The app does NOT use:
- Location services
- Contacts access
- Calendar access
- Microphone/audio recording
- Background location tracking
Data Storage and Security
- Local Storage Only: All data is stored in the app's private storage directory on your device
- No Cloud Backup: We do not provide cloud backup or sync functionality
- Device Security: Data security depends on your device's built-in security (screen lock, encryption, etc.)
- Photos: Images are stored in the app's private directory and are not accessible to other apps
Data Retention
Your data is stored on your device indefinitely until you choose to delete it. You can:
- Delete individual plants, gardens, or photos within the app
- Remove all data by uninstalling the app
Important: When you uninstall Gardener, all your data will be permanently deleted from your device. There is no way to recover this data as it is not backed up to any server or cloud service.
Third-Party Services
We do not use any third-party services, analytics, advertising networks, or tracking tools.
Gardener does not integrate with:
- Analytics services (no Google Analytics, Firebase Analytics, etc.)
- Advertising networks
- Social media platforms
- Cloud storage services
- Any other external services or APIs
Data Sharing
We do not share, sell, rent, or disclose your data to anyone. All data stays on your device and is never transmitted to our servers or any third party.
Because all data stays on your device and is never transmitted to our servers or any third party, there is no data available for us to share. We cannot access your data, and we have no servers that collect or store user information.
Your Rights Under GDPR (EU/EEA Visitors)
If you are located in the European Union or European Economic Area, you have the following rights regarding your personal data:
For the Gardener app, you have complete control over your data:
- Access: You can view all your data within the app at any time
- Modify: You can edit or update any information in the app
- Delete: You can delete individual items or all data by uninstalling the app
- Export: Currently, there is no built-in export feature (data stays in the app)
- Permissions: You can revoke camera, photo library, or notification permissions through your device settings
Since the app data never leaves your device, most GDPR rights are inherently fulfilled by the app's design.
Children's Privacy
Gardener does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone, including children under 13. The app is designed for personal plant care and does not require users to provide any personal information. Since all data is stored locally and the app operates offline, there is no collection or transmission of data to us.
International Users
Gardener is available worldwide. Since all data processing occurs locally on your device and no data is transmitted to servers, there are no international data transfer concerns. Your data never leaves your device regardless of your location.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the app or legal requirements. We will notify you of any changes by:
- Updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this policy
- Posting the new Privacy Policy on this page
- Including a notification in app updates if changes are significant
We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of the app after changes are posted constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or feedback about this Privacy Policy or how Gardener handles your information, please contact us:
- Email: support@gmgdigital.ro
- App Package: ro.gmgdigital.plantcareapp
- Developer: GMG Digital
- Location: Romania (EU)
For privacy-related questions or to exercise your data rights under GDPR, please contact us at the email address above.
You can also submit feedback through the contact form on this website.
Legal Compliance
This privacy policy is designed to comply with:
- General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR)
- Google Play Store and Apple App Store privacy policy requirements
- Other international privacy laws and regulations
Due to Gardener's offline-first architecture with no data collection or transmission, most data protection regulations do not apply as there is no processing of user data by us or on our behalf.