PawGuard Privacy Policy

Effective date: March 24, 2026

PawGuard is an iOS app for organizing pet ingredient watchlists, scanning package labels, and saving product records for later reference. This policy explains what data the app uses, how it is used, and your choices.

Summary

• No account required: PawGuard does not require sign-up or login.
• On-device by default: Pet data and scan history are stored locally on your device.
• Ads in free experience: Rewarded ads may be shown, and an ad provider may process ad-related device data.
• Optional paid upgrade: Premium purchases are processed by Apple via StoreKit.

Data the App Uses

• Pet profiles: Pet name, species, breed, age, weight, activity level, and optional pet photo.
• Ingredient watchlists: Saved ingredients, priority, notes, and source tracking for each pet.
• Scan history: OCR text, detected ingredients, saved ingredient matches, scan result, optional captured photo, and timestamp.
• Saved products: Product name, ingredient list, optional photos, notes, and save date.
• App preferences: Onboarding status, free-scan usage count, and OCR setting preferences.

How Data Is Used

• To compare scanned ingredients against each pet’s saved ingredient list.
• To display scan history, saved products, and ingredient entries inside the app.
• To manage free scans, rewarded scan bonuses, and premium access state.
• To remember app preferences across launches.

On-Device OCR and Camera

PawGuard uses your camera only for Find Ingredient features. Ingredient OCR runs on-device using Apple Vision frameworks (including enhanced on-device OCR where supported). OCR text and scan results are stored locally unless you choose to export/share data yourself.

Photos

You may add photos from the camera or photo library to pet profiles and saved products. These images are stored locally in app data. PawGuard does not upload these photos to our servers.

Advertising (Rewarded Ads)

PawGuard may show rewarded ads in the free experience using Google Mobile Ads (AdMob). Ad providers may process data such as device identifiers, IP address, approximate location, ad interactions, and diagnostics for ad delivery and measurement.

If an App Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompt is presented, your choice controls tracking permission for eligible identifiers.

In-App Purchases

Premium plans are processed by Apple through the App Store / StoreKit. We do not collect or store your payment card details.

Optional AI Refinement Feature

If you use an optional AI meal-plan refinement feature and provide your own API key, request content is sent from your device to the selected provider (currently xAI/Grok API) to return a refined summary. This feature is optional. Without it, PawGuard uses on-device generated summaries.

Backups and Sharing

PawGuard can generate a local JSON backup file that you can share manually. Sharing is initiated only by you through iOS share actions.

Third-Party Services

PawGuard may rely on these third-party services, each governed by its own terms and privacy policy:

• Apple iOS frameworks (camera, OCR, local storage, and system services)
• Apple App Store / StoreKit (in-app purchases and restore purchases)
• Google Mobile Ads (AdMob) (rewarded ads in free experience)
• xAI API (optional, only when user enables and provides an API key)

Your Choices

• You can deny or revoke camera/photos access in iOS Settings.
• You can delete entries in-app or delete the app to remove local data.
• You can choose whether to purchase premium or use the free experience.

Children’s Privacy

PawGuard is intended for pet owners and caregivers and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Updates will be posted on this page with a revised effective date.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy, contact lnguyen@plnguyen.com.

Need help with the app? See PawGuard Support. For app usage terms, read the Terms of Use (EULA).