Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 27, 2026

1. Introduction

KidneyPal ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application.

Please read this Privacy Policy carefully. By using KidneyPal, you consent to the data practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

  • Account Information: When you create an account, we collect your name, email address, and authentication credentials (or tokens from third-party sign-in providers like Google or Apple).
  • Health Profile: Information you provide about your kidney health status, CKD stage, dietary restrictions, and health conditions to personalize your experience.
  • Meal Photos: Photos you take or upload to analyze for nutrient content.
  • Dietary Tracking Data: Information about your meals, nutrient intake, and food preferences.
  • Health Measurements You Log: Lab results (such as eGFR, creatinine, potassium, phosphorus, albumin, hemoglobin and A1c), blood glucose, blood oxygen, blood pressure, weight, and any notes you attach to them.
  • Feedback and Communications: Any feedback, questions, or communications you send to us.

2.2 Apple Health (HealthKit) Data

With your explicit permission, KidneyPal may read and write data to Apple Health (HealthKit) on iOS devices, including:

  • Weight: We read weight entries from Apple Health to display in your weight history, and write weight entries you log in KidneyPal back to Apple Health.
  • Water / Hydration: We read water intake from Apple Health to include in your fluid tracking, and write fluid entries you log in KidneyPal back to Apple Health.
  • Blood Pressure: We read blood pressure readings from Apple Health and write readings you log in KidneyPal back to Apple Health.
  • Blood Glucose and Blood Oxygen: We read blood glucose and blood oxygen (SpO2) readings from Apple Health and write readings you log in KidneyPal back to Apple Health.
  • Workouts: We read workouts from Apple Health to show them in your activity history.
  • Dietary Nutrients: We write nutrient data (sodium, potassium, phosphorus, protein, calories, carbohydrates, fat and other tracked nutrients) from your logged meals to Apple Health.

HealthKit data is never used for advertising and never sold. Readings imported from Apple Health are stored in your KidneyPal account, which is hosted for us by Google Firebase acting as our data processor (see the table below), so the app can show your history on all your devices and include it in the reports you generate. They are not sent to our meal-analysis provider unless you separately turn on Include readings imported from Apple Health in Settings > Personalized Guidance, in which case only the 30-day glucose summary and weight trend described in section 3.1 — never individual readings — can include them. No other third party receives them. You can remove an imported reading from KidneyPal at any time, and you can revoke HealthKit access through your device's Settings > Health > Data Access & Devices.

2.3 Information Collected Automatically

  • Device Information: Device type, operating system, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information.
  • Usage Data: How you interact with the App, features you use, and time spent on various screens.
  • Analytics Data: Crash reports, performance data, and other diagnostic information.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

  • Provide, maintain, and improve the App's functionality
  • Analyze meal photos and provide nutrient estimates
  • Personalize your experience based on your health profile
  • Generate insights about your dietary patterns
  • Send you notifications and reminders (with your consent)
  • Respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
  • Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security issues
  • Comply with legal obligations

Important: All nutrient estimates, food analyses, safety scores, and other information generated by the App are AI-powered approximations provided for informational purposes only. They may be inaccurate or incomplete and should not be relied upon as a substitute for professional medical or dietary advice. Please refer to our Terms of Service for full details on the limitations of the App's information.

3.1 Meal analysis and personalized guidance

To analyze a meal photo, nutrition label, barcode, menu or food description, the App sends that content together with your kidney profile (condition, dialysis status, health conditions, nutrient targets, diet preferences and food units) to our meal-analysis provider, Google Gemini, listed in section 4.1. If Google Gemini is unavailable, we use OpenAI as a backup provider, through OpenRouter, for the same purpose. The App refers to this provider as "the service that analyzes your meals".

If you turn on Use my lab results, glucose and weight in Settings > Personalized Guidance — it is off until you do, and nothing in the App prompts you — three summaries of health data you entered yourself are included as well, so the guidance can reflect them: the latest value of nine of your hand-entered lab markers (eGFR, creatinine, BUN, potassium, phosphorus, calcium, albumin, hemoglobin, A1c; never magnesium or your cholesterol panel) from the last 12 months, with the date of the blood draw; a 30-day summary of your blood glucose readings (the number of readings and their averages, never individual readings); and your latest weight with its change over 30 days. You can turn it off again at any time on the same screen; from then on none of it is sent. Readings imported from Apple Health are excluded unless you separately turn on Include readings imported from Apple Health on the same screen. Your notes, blood pressure, blood oxygen, magnesium lab results, cholesterol panel results (total cholesterol, LDL, HDL, triglycerides), your own lab markers (the ones you add yourself in Labs), individual glucose readings, name and email are never included. The same screen lists everything the service receives. Using these values never turns the guidance into medical advice or an interpretation of your results; see section 3 of our Terms of Service.

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

We do not sell your personal information. We may share your information with:

4.1 Service Providers

Provider Purpose Data Shared
Google Firebase Authentication, database, storage, analytics Account info, meal data, health measurements you log or import (lab results, blood glucose, blood oxygen, blood pressure, weight, activity), usage analytics
Google Gemini AI Meal, label, barcode, menu and recipe analysis; in-app chat Meal photos and food descriptions, and your kidney profile (condition, dialysis status, health conditions, nutrient targets, diet preferences). Only if you turn it on in Settings > Personalized Guidance: the latest value of nine of your hand-entered lab markers (never magnesium or your cholesterol panel), a 30-day blood glucose summary, and your latest weight with its 30-day change; readings imported from Apple Health only if you separately opt in. Never your notes, blood pressure, blood oxygen, magnesium lab results, cholesterol panel results, your own lab markers, individual glucose readings, name or email. Sent only to generate the response. We use the paid Gemini API, whose terms state that Google does not use this data to train or improve its models; Google may retain it for a limited time for abuse detection and legal compliance
OpenAI (backup AI provider, through OpenRouter) Backup for the same meal, label, barcode, menu and recipe analysis and in-app chat, used only when Google Gemini is unavailable The same content as the Google Gemini row, sent through OpenRouter, a gateway that passes the request on. Requests are restricted to OpenAI and Microsoft Azure, which do not use the data to train their models or keep it for their own use (OpenAI may keep API requests for up to 30 days solely to detect abuse). OpenRouter does not use your requests to improve its product.
RevenueCat Subscription management User ID, subscription status
Apple/Google Payment processing, app distribution Transaction data (handled by stores)
Apple HealthKit Health data sync (iOS only) Weight, water, blood pressure, blood glucose, blood oxygen, workouts, nutrients — imported readings are stored in your account (hosted by Google Firebase) for history and reports; never used for advertising; reach our meal-analysis provider only inside the glucose and weight summaries of section 3.1, and only if you turn on the separate Apple Health switch in Settings > Personalized Guidance

4.2 Recipes You Share

If you share a recipe from the App, we store a copy of it under a share code: its title, description, ingredients, instructions, nutrients and, if it has one, its photo. The copy does not include your name, email address, health profile or diary. Anyone signed in to KidneyPal who has the link or the code can open the copy and save it to their own recipes. The photo in a shared copy has its own web address, and anyone who has that address can view the photo until you stop sharing. When you stop sharing, delete the recipe or delete your account, the shared copy is removed and its photo is deleted shortly after. Copies that other people already saved stay in their accounts. People can report a shared recipe to us, and we may remove it.

4.3 Legal Requirements

We may disclose your information if required by law, court order, or government request, or if we believe disclosure is necessary to protect our rights, your safety, or the safety of others.

5. Data Retention

We retain your data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you services. You can request deletion of your account and associated data at any time through the App's settings or by contacting us.

  • Account Data: Retained until account deletion
  • Meal Photos: Retained until you delete them or your account
  • Analytics Data: Aggregated and anonymized after 26 months
  • Backups: Deleted data stays in our encrypted backup versions for up to 7 days, then it is gone. We keep these only to recover from mistakes, such as an account deleted by accident.

6. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information, including:

  • Encryption of data in transit (HTTPS/TLS)
  • Encryption of data at rest in our databases
  • Secure authentication and access controls
  • Regular security assessments and updates

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.

7. Your Rights and Choices

7.1 Access and Portability

You can access your data through the App. You may request a copy of your personal data by contacting us.

7.2 Correction

You can update your profile information directly in the App at any time.

7.3 Deletion

You can delete your account and all associated data through the App's settings. Your data leaves the live service at once; copies in our backups expire within 7 days (see Data Retention). If you deleted your account by mistake, contact us within those 7 days and we may be able to restore it.

7.4 Marketing Communications

You can opt out of marketing communications by adjusting your notification settings or clicking "unsubscribe" in emails.

7.5 Push Notifications

You can disable push notifications through your device settings or within the App.

8. Children's Privacy

KidneyPal is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately.

9. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including the United States. These countries may have different data protection laws. By using the App, you consent to such transfers.

10. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to:

  • Know what personal information we collect about you
  • Request deletion of your personal information
  • Opt out of the sale of your personal information (we do not sell your data)
  • Non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@kidneypal.app.

11. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have additional rights under GDPR, including:

  • Right to access your personal data
  • Right to rectification of inaccurate data
  • Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
  • Right to restrict processing
  • Right to data portability
  • Right to object to processing
  • Right to withdraw consent

To exercise these rights, contact us at privacy@kidneypal.app.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the new Privacy Policy in the App and updating the "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of the App after such changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: