Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 12, 2026

1. Introduction

Grovasense ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use and share it, and the choices you have when you use the Grovasense mobile app and sensors (the "App") or visit our website at grovasense.com (the "Site").

Section 2 covers the App and sensors. Section 3 covers the Site. The remaining sections apply to both.

In short: we collect what the App needs to work. We don't show ads, we don't track you across other apps or websites, we don't use analytics or advertising tools in the App, and we don't sell your information.

2. The Grovasense App and Sensors

Information we collect

• Account details: When you sign in with Google, or with an email address and password, we receive your name, email address, and an account ID. If you sign in with Google, we also receive the address of your Google profile photo.
• Sensor readings: Your sensors send soil moisture, soil temperature, air temperature, humidity, light level, battery and charging status, and technical status such as firmware version and uptime. Readings are linked to your account while the sensor is paired with it.
• Things you enter: Names you give your sensors and plants, the room or spot you place them in (free text you type, such as "Kitchen window"), watering logs and notes, plant health ratings, and notification settings, including quiet hours and your time zone.
• Plant assistant: Messages you send to the plant assistant, its replies, and photos you choose to send it. For each conversation, we store the most recent photo, resized, so the assistant can keep referring to it.
• Push notification token: An identifier for your phone that lets us send you alerts, such as when a plant needs water.

What we don't collect

• We don't collect your location. The App doesn't use GPS or location services.
• The App uses Bluetooth only to find and set up your sensors. Your Wi-Fi network name and password are sent over Bluetooth directly to your sensor and stored on the sensor. They are not sent to us.
• The App only accesses your photos when you choose a photo to send to the plant assistant.
• The App doesn't contain advertising, analytics or crash-reporting tools, and doesn't use your device's advertising identifier.

How we use this information

• To sign you in and keep your account secure
• To show your sensors' readings, history and graphs
• To predict when your plants need water and send you alerts
• To answer your questions in the plant assistant and suggest care settings for your plants
• To provide customer support and keep the service running reliably
• To improve our watering predictions and plant-care models, using sensor readings and plant care records (see "Retention and account deletion" below)

Service providers

We use these providers to run the App. Each one processes data only to provide its service to us:

• Google Firebase (Google LLC): sign-in and push notifications. Google's privacy policy
• Apple Push Notification service (Apple Inc.): delivers notifications to iPhones. Apple's privacy policy
• Anthropic (Anthropic PBC): the AI model behind the plant assistant. Your assistant messages and photos are sent to Anthropic to generate replies. Don't include personal information in them that you don't want processed this way. Anthropic's privacy policy
• DigitalOcean (DigitalOcean, LLC): hosts our servers and database in Toronto, Canada. DigitalOcean's privacy policy

Retention and account deletion

We keep your account information for as long as you have an account. You can delete your account at any time in the App, under Settings, or on our account deletion page. When you delete your account, we delete:

• Your account: your name, email address and sign-in account
• Your plant assistant conversations, including any stored photo
• Your sensor pairings, with the names, places and notes you gave them
• Your push notification tokens and notification settings

We keep the sensor readings and plant care records (watering logs, health ratings and plant profiles) that came from your sensors, but they are no longer connected to your name, email address or account. We use them to improve our predictions and plant-care models. Our server logs, which can include IP addresses and account details, are rotated automatically and kept only briefly.

3. Our Website

Information you provide

We collect personal information that you voluntarily provide to us when you:

• Fill out our contact form
• Request information about our products or services
• Subscribe to our newsletter
• Communicate with us via email or other channels

This may include your name, your email address, information about your business or interest area, and any other information you choose to share in your message.

Automatically collected information

When you visit the Site, we may automatically collect certain information about your device, including your browser type and version, operating system, IP address (anonymized where possible), pages visited and time spent on them, and referring website addresses.

Third-party services on the Site

• Web3Forms: processes contact form submissions and forwards them to us by email. Web3Forms' privacy policy
• hCaptcha: protects our forms from spam and abuse, and may collect information about your device and browsing behaviour to verify you are human. hCaptcha's privacy policy
• Google Fonts: when you load a page, your browser may connect to Google's servers to download font files. Google's privacy policy

How we use website information

• Respond to your inquiries and provide customer support
• Send you information about our products, services, and pilot programs, if you asked for it
• Improve our website and user experience
• Protect against spam, fraud, and unauthorized access

Contact form submissions are typically retained for up to 2 years unless you request deletion sooner.

4. Information Sharing

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information, and we don't share it for advertising. We share information only in these circumstances:

• Service Providers: With the providers listed in Sections 2 and 3, to operate the App and the Site
• Legal Requirements: When required by law, court order, or governmental authority
• Business Transfers: In connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets
• Protection of Rights: To protect our rights, privacy, safety, or property

5. Data Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal information against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. The App and sensors talk to our servers over encrypted connections, and each sensor has its own certificate. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

6. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have certain rights regarding your personal information, including:

• Access: The right to request copies of your personal information
• Correction: The right to request correction of inaccurate information
• Deletion: The right to request deletion of your personal information. You can delete your App account yourself, as described in Section 2.
• Objection: The right to object to certain processing of your information
• Portability: The right to request transfer of your information

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us using the information provided below.

7. Children's Privacy

The App and the Site are not intended for children under the age of 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.

8. Where Your Information Is Stored

Grovasense is based in Canada, and our servers and database are in Canada. Some of our service providers, including Google, Apple and Anthropic, may process information in the United States or other countries. When information is processed outside Canada, it may be subject to the laws of that country.

9. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. If we make significant changes to how the App uses your information, we will also let you know in the App.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us at:

Grovasense
St. John's, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada
Email: [email protected]