Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy describes how MoveBuddy AI ("we", "us", or "the app") collects, uses, and protects your information when you use the MoveBuddy AI mobile app (iOS and Android) and its companion web app.
By using MoveBuddy AI you agree to the practices described here. If you do not agree, please do not use the app.
1. Who we are
MoveBuddy AI is operated by CBL Publications, based in the United States. Contact: privacy@movebuddy-ai.com.
2. Information we collect
We collect only what is needed to run the app:
- Account data: your email address, used to sign in via a one-time magic link. (If you join a move by code, you can use the app anonymously without an email.)
- Move data: the addresses, room names, box names, item lists, and collaborator membership you create inside the app.
- Photos: the box photos you take (outside and inside views). On the free tier, your photos are stored only on your device and are never uploaded to our servers. If you purchase a usage pack, your photos are uploaded to and stored in Google Cloud Storage so they can sync and back up across devices.
- Voice transcripts: the text transcribed from voice commands you record while using the app. The audio is processed on your device and is not uploaded or retained — only the resulting text transcript reaches our servers, where it is interpreted by AI (see Section 4).
- Technical data: standard server logs (IP address, request timestamp, user agent) used for security and debugging. Logs are rotated and not used to build profiles of you.
- Device identifier (apps only): a device identifier that stays the same if you delete and reinstall the app (on iPhone and iPad, a random ID the app keeps in your device's Keychain; on Android, the system's per-app device ID). It is scrambled (SHA-256 hashed) on your device before it is sent, and we use it only to count installs accurately, so that reinstalling the app on the same device is not counted as a new user. It is not the advertising identifier, is never shared with anyone, and is not used for advertising or to track you across other apps or websites.
We do not collect precise location, contacts, calendar, browsing history outside the app, or any biometric data. The app does not display third-party advertising and does not embed third-party analytics or tracking pixels. Our website, movebuddy-ai.com, uses advertising measurement tags from Google Ads and Pinterest to tell whether our ads bring people to the site and on to the app stores. When you visit the website, those services may set cookies and receive your IP address, browser details and the pages you visit, under their own privacy policies (Google, Pinterest). You can limit this with your browser's cookie and tracking settings.
The website also shares the same events with Pinterest directly from our server
(Pinterest's Conversions API), so ad results are still counted when a browser blocks
the tag. When you view a blog post or tap a link to an app store, our server tells
Pinterest which event happened and on which page, together with your IP address and
browser details, Pinterest's ad click identifier if you arrived from a Pinterest ad,
and a random visitor identifier our website stores in a first-party cookie and your
browser's local storage (mb_vid), which is scrambled (SHA-256 hashed)
before it is sent. We do not send your name, email address or anything you store in
the app, and this website data is not linked to your MoveBuddy AI account. If your
browser sends a Global Privacy Control signal, we ask Pinterest not to use these
events for ad targeting. You can clear the cookie and local storage at any time in
your browser settings.
We also keep our own anonymous record of these website events so we can see which pages, guides and campaigns help people find the app: the page, the campaign tags in the link, the referring site's name, your device type and the hashed visitor identifier. We do not store your IP address, and these records are deleted automatically after about 13 months.
3. How we use your information
- To create and operate your account and your Move(s).
- To process your voice commands and box photos with AI (Google's Gemini models, via Google Cloud Vertex AI), so the app can extract item lists and answer "where is my X" questions.
- To send the sign-in link, a welcome message, and the optional inventory email report if you enable it in Settings.
- To enforce free-tier and paid-pack usage limits.
- To detect and prevent abuse (rate limiting, anomaly detection).
4. Sharing and sub-processors
We do not sell your data. We share data only with the service providers required to run the app:
- Google LLC (Firebase & Google Cloud) — our primary backend. Firebase Authentication handles sign-in; Cloud Firestore and Cloud Storage store your move data and (on paid plans) your photos; and Google Cloud Vertex AI runs Google's Gemini models to recognize the contents of your box photos and to interpret your voice commands. Per Google Cloud's terms, Vertex AI does not use your content to train its models.
- Microsoft Corporation (Azure Communication Services) — delivers our
transactional email (your sign-in link, welcome email, and the optional inventory
report) from our
movebuddy-ai.comdomain. Microsoft no longer hosts the app's data or photos. - Apple Inc. and Google LLC (App Stores) — process in-app purchases of usage packs. We receive an anonymous purchase token; we do not see your payment method.
We will also disclose information if required by law, to enforce our terms, or to protect the safety of our users.
5. Data retention
- Box photos (paid plans): kept in the cloud while your plan is active. If a paid plan lapses and isn't renewed, your photos are permanently deleted 30 days after expiry, and the entire move (boxes, items, and all data) 60 days after expiry — unless you extend or top up. We email you before these deletions.
- Free-tier photos: live only on your device; they are never uploaded to our servers, and removing the app removes them. A free-tier move never expires.
- Move data and account: retained while your account is active (a paid move is subject to the lapse timeline above).
- Server logs: rotated and deleted within 30 days.
- Deleted accounts: when you delete your account, your photos, moves, boxes, and account record are removed within 30 days. Backups containing your data expire on a 90-day cycle.
6. Security
We use industry-standard practices to protect your data: TLS in transit, encryption at rest for stored photos and database records, and least-privilege access control enforced by per-move membership rules. No system is perfectly secure; we cannot guarantee absolute security but we work to minimize risk.
7. Your rights
You can:
- Access your data — the app already shows everything we hold about your move (boxes, items, photos, settings).
- Export your full inventory from the app as an Excel spreadsheet, a PDF report, or a complete MoveBuddy Backup file you can re-import (Settings → Import / Export).
- Delete your account and all associated data yourself in the app: open Settings → Account → Delete account and confirm. This removes your account, the moves where you are the only member, and their photos; moves you share with collaborators remain with the other members. You may also email us at privacy@movebuddy-ai.com to request deletion.
- Correct any inaccurate data — edit it directly in the app.
If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or California, you may have additional rights under GDPR, UK GDPR, or the CCPA. Contact us at the email above to exercise them.
8. Children
MoveBuddy AI is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will delete it.
9. International users
MoveBuddy AI is operated from the United States. By using the app you consent to the transfer of your information to the United States, which may have different data protection laws than your country.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Effective" date at the top of this page reflects the latest version. Material changes will be announced inside the app before they take effect.
11. Contact
Questions, requests, or concerns: privacy@movebuddy-ai.com.