Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

PlantSense (“we”, “us”, “our”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what data we collect through the PlantSense hardware device, PlantSense Connect app, and cloud services, how we use it, and your rights regarding your personal information.

2. Data We Collect

2.1 Account Data

When you create an account, we collect your email address and a display name. If you sign in via Google or Apple, we receive your name and email from the identity provider.

2.2 Sensor Data

Your PlantSense device transmits soil moisture, temperature, humidity, light level, and battery voltage readings to our servers every 90 minutes to 5 hours. This data is stored in InfluxDB (time-series) and linked to your account in PostgreSQL.

2.3 Device Information

We collect your device's unique hardware ID, firmware version, WiFi signal strength, and last-seen timestamp to provide connectivity diagnostics.

2.4 Location Data

We don't collect your location. PlantSense Connect asks for location permission only because the phone requires it during setup: on iPhone to read the name of the Wi-Fi network you're connected to, and on Android to scan for the sensor over Bluetooth. Your location is never sent to or stored on our servers.

2.5 Plant Photos

If you add a plant photo or use plant identification, the photo is sent to our server. We keep a small resized copy (320 × 320 pixels) as that plant's picture until you change it, delete the plant, or delete your account. Photos used for identification are also forwarded to the PlantNet API.

2.6 Shop Orders

When you buy from our shop, Stripe handles checkout and payment; we receive your name, email, shipping address and what you ordered so we can ship it. Our website also remembers, in your browser's local storage for 30 days (not a cookie), which site first referred you to us, such as a search engine or an AI assistant like ChatGPT, and passes it to Stripe with your order so we know how customers find us. It isn't used for advertising.

We check your package's tracking status through a tracking service (Ship24, which gets it from the carrier) so we know when it ships and when it's delivered. We also look at whether a sensor has been set up on the account with your order's email, so we only send setup help if you need it and only ask for a review once your sensor is working.

The emails about your order (confirmation, shipping, delivery, setup help, a check-in and a review request) contain a tiny image that tells us when the email was first opened and which mail service loaded it, such as Gmail. We use this only to make sure you received your shipping details and to follow up if you didn't. Turning off images in your mail app turns it off.

2.7 Website Analytics

Our website uses PostHog to understand how visitors use it: which pages are viewed, what is clicked, where visits come from, and whether a visit reaches checkout. PostHog stores a random identifier in a cookie and your browser's local storage so it can recognise a returning visit, and it may record how a page was used (scrolling, clicks) to help us fix confusing pages. Anything typed into a form is masked and never recorded. Your IP address is used to estimate your approximate location (city and country). We don't identify you by name or email in these analytics, don't use them for advertising, and don't sell them.

2.8 App Setup Analytics and Diagnostics

When you add a sensor, the PlantSense Connect app reports how setup went, in two ways. It sends anonymous events to PostHog: whether a sensor was found, connected, joined Wi-Fi and sent its first reading, a short code when a step fails, and whether the app asked you to rate it. Each app install gets a random identifier; these events aren't linked to your account, name or email, and we turn off PostHog's location lookup for them. When a scan finds no sensor or a step fails, the app also sends the details to our own servers (what the phone's Bluetooth reported, how many nearby Bluetooth devices it heard, and the error), tagged with a code derived from your account, so we can help you finish setting up. Neither ever includes your Wi-Fi network name or password, the names of nearby Bluetooth devices, or what's on your screen.

3. How We Use Your Data

• To display sensor readings and historical trends in PlantSense Connect.
• To send push notifications when sensor values exceed your configured thresholds.
• To identify plant species via the PlantNet API when you use the identification feature.
• To write each plant species' care profile with an AI language model.
• To improve our hardware and software through aggregated, anonymized analytics.
• To understand how visitors use our website and improve it (section 2.7).
• To see where setting up a sensor goes wrong and help you finish it (section 2.8).

4. Third-Party Services

We share limited data with the following third parties:

• PlantNet API — receives plant photos for species identification. Subject to PlantNet's own privacy policy.
• AI language model provider — receives only a plant's species name (for example, “Monstera deliciosa”) to write its care profile. No personal data, sensor readings or photos are sent.
• Stripe — processes shop payments and receives your payment and shipping details at checkout. Subject to Stripe's own privacy policy.
• Firebase Cloud Messaging / APNs — used to deliver push notifications to your device.
• PostHog — website analytics (section 2.7) and anonymous app setup events (section 2.8). Subject to PostHog's own privacy policy.

5. Data Storage & Security

Sensor data is stored in InfluxDB. Account data is stored in PostgreSQL. All data is encrypted in transit (TLS) and at rest. Our servers are hosted on secure cloud infrastructure with access controls and regular security audits.

6. Data Retention

We retain sensor data for as long as your account is active. You can request deletion of all your data at any time by contacting support or using the “Delete Account” feature in PlantSense Connect. Account deletion permanently removes all associated sensor data within 30 days. Steps for both are on our account deletion page.

7. Your Rights

You have the right to:

• Access your personal data and sensor history via PlantSense Connect or by request.
• Export your sensor data in CSV or JSON format from PlantSense Connect.
• Request correction of inaccurate account information.
• Request deletion of your account and all associated data.
• Withdraw consent for optional data processing (e.g., location, plant photos).

8. Children's Privacy

PlantSense is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us so we can delete it.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes via email or in-app notification. Your continued use of PlantSense after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

10. Contact

For privacy inquiries, email us at [email protected] or use the contact form on our Support page.