Privacy Policy
Last updated 29 August 2026 · Effective 29 August 2026
Herbora is operated by Next Tech Labs (“we”, “us”), United Arab Emirates, which is the data controller for the personal information described here. This policy explains what we do with your information when you use the Herbora mobile app and this website. We have tried to write it in plain language rather than legalese. If anything is unclear, email support@herbora.tech and we will explain it.
The short version
- Your health profile, saved plants, notes, journal and reminders are stored on your device, not on our servers.
- Plant photos you scan are sent to an identification service only to return a match. They are not used to identify you.
- We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for advertising.
- You can clear your health profile at any time from Profile → Privacy & Security inside the app.
What we collect
Stays on your device
Your health profile (pregnancy and breastfeeding status, allergies, conditions, medications), saved plants and remedies, scan history, personal notes, collections, wellness journal entries and reminders are held in local storage on your device. We cannot read them. Deleting the app deletes them.
Account information
If you create an account, we process your email address and, where you use Google or Apple sign-in, the basic profile information that provider returns. Authentication is handled by Google Firebase Authentication. You can use Herbora as a guest, in which case no account is created and nothing leaves your device for authentication purposes.
Plant scans
When you scan a plant, the photo is sent through our server to a plant identification provider and, for written background, to an AI enrichment provider. The image is used to produce the identification and its accompanying content. It is not linked to your identity for advertising or profiling, and we do not build a personal profile from your scans.
Health and fitness data
With your explicit permission, Herbora reads steps, sleep and hydration from Apple Health (iOS) or Health Connect (Android), and can write the water you log back to them. This data is read on your device to display your wellness overview. It is not transmitted to our servers, and it is never used for advertising or shared with third parties. You can withdraw the permission at any time in your device settings.
Subscriptions
Subscriptions are processed by Apple or Google, not by us — we never see your card details. RevenueCat manages entitlement state on our behalf and receives a purchase identifier tied to your account identifier so that your Premium access follows you across devices.
Diagnostics
We use Sentry to collect crash reports and error diagnostics so we can fix defects. These reports contain technical information such as device model, operating system version, app version and a stack trace.
Why we process it
| Purpose | Data | Legal basis (UK/EU GDPR) |
|---|---|---|
| Provide the app and your account | Email, account identifier | Performance of a contract |
| Identify plants you photograph | Scan images | Performance of a contract |
| Tailor safety warnings to you | Health profile (on device) | Your explicit consent |
| Show your wellness overview | Steps, sleep, hydration (on device) | Your explicit consent |
| Manage subscriptions | Purchase and entitlement records | Performance of a contract |
| Fix crashes and improve reliability | Diagnostics | Legitimate interests |
Who we share it with
We use the following processors. We do not sell personal information to anyone.
| Processor | What it does |
|---|---|
| Google Firebase | Authentication and app infrastructure |
| RevenueCat | Subscription and entitlement management |
| Apple / Google | Payment processing for subscriptions |
| Plant identification provider | Returns a species match for a scanned photo |
| AI enrichment provider | Generates written background for an identified plant |
| Sentry | Crash and error diagnostics |
We may also disclose information where we are legally required to, or to establish or defend legal claims.
International transfers
Our processors may store and process data outside your country, including in the European Union and the United States. Where required, transfers are covered by appropriate safeguards such as the European Commission's standard contractual clauses.
How long we keep it
- On-device data — until you clear it or delete the app.
- Account data — until you delete your account, then removed within 30 days.
- Subscription records — as long as required for tax and accounting obligations.
- Diagnostics — retained on a rolling window, typically 90 days.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict or object to our processing of your personal information, to data portability, and to withdraw consent at any time. Two of these you can exercise immediately inside the app:
- Clear your health profile — Profile → Privacy & Security → Clear health profile.
- Delete your account — Profile → Account.
For anything else, email support@herbora.tech and we will respond within 30 days. If you are in the EU or UK and are unhappy with our response, you may complain to your local data protection authority.
Children
Herbora is not directed at children and is not intended for anyone under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
Security
Traffic between the app and our servers is encrypted in transit. Access to production systems is restricted. No system is perfectly secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security, but we take reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information.
Changes to this policy
If we make material changes we will update the date at the top of this page and, where the change is significant, notify you in the app. Continuing to use Herbora after a change means you accept the updated policy.
Contact
Next Tech Labs — United Arab Emirates
Privacy questions and requests: support@herbora.tech
Partnerships and licensing: partnerships@herbora.tech
Herbora is for education only. It is not medical advice, not a diagnosis, and not a substitute for a qualified healthcare professional.