LucaWhat leaves your phone, and what does not
A food log is personal. Here is the short, complete account. The legal version is the Privacy Policy, and the two say the same thing.
No account
No sign-up, no email, no password. The app uses an anonymous identifier.
Photos not stored
A photo is analysed and not kept on the server. The same goes for meal text and voice recordings.
Our own servers
Processing runs on servers the developer operates, not at a third-party AI provider.
Meals stay with you
Stored on your iPhone, and in your own iCloud if you use it.
The path of a scan
- Your iPhoneYou take a photo of a meal in the square frame, say it, or type it. The camera's hint that no meal is in view is worked out on the phone.Nothing has left the phone yet
- Luca's own serversThe photo, the text or up to 20 seconds of voice audio is sent over an encrypted connection and processed on servers the developer operates. No third-party AI provider.Processed, then not stored
- Back on your iPhoneThe estimate comes back: an item list with calories, protein, carbs and fat. You edit it and log it.Meals are stored on your device, and in your iCloud if you use it
Everything that leaves the phone
The whole list. If it is not here, it stays on the device.
| What | Where it goes | What happens to it |
|---|---|---|
| A meal photo | Sent to Luca's servers to be analysed | Not stored on the server |
| A typed meal, or a fix in words | The text is sent to Luca's servers to be analysed | Not stored on the server |
| A spoken meal | Luca records up to 20 seconds of audio and sends it to our server to be turned into text | Not stored on our servers or on your device after the text is produced |
| A nutrition label photo | Sent to Luca's servers to be read, when a barcode is not found | Not stored on the server |
| A barcode number | Sent so the product can be looked up in a food database, which the Privacy Policy names | Used for the lookup |
| Your friends profile | Display name, avatar, streak, the two day flags, badges | Kept while you use friends, so friends can see it |
| Subscription status | Handled by Apple and RevenueCat | Kept so Pro works on your installation |
| Anonymous usage statistics | Which features are used, through TelemetryDeck | No meal content |
The processors are named in the Privacy Policy.
What friends can see
Friends are optional. If you add one, with a 4-character code, this is the whole of what they get.
Friends see
- The display name you chose
- Your avatar
- Your streak
- Whether you logged today
- Whether you reached your goal today
- Your badges
Friends never see
- Your calories
- Your protein, carbs or fat
- What you ate
- Your photos
- Your targets
- Anything from Apple Health
Worked out on the phone
The camera's gentle hint that no meal is in view is checked on your iPhone; nothing is sent for it. Your usual portions, learned from your corrections, stay on the device too.
Apple Health stays on the device
Apple Health is optional. Health data lives in your own Health store, which you control in iOS. Luca does not send it to its servers.
A name of your choosing
The display name friends see is whatever you type. It does not have to be your real name.
Delete everything
One button in the app, or an email. How to delete your data
Privacy questions
Are my meal photos stored on a server?
No. A photo is sent to be analysed and is not stored on the server afterwards. The text of a typed meal is not stored either, and a voice recording is not stored on the servers or on your device after it has been turned into text. Your meals are stored on your iPhone, and in your own iCloud if you use it.
Does Luca send my photos to an AI company?
No. The analysis runs on servers the developer operates, not at a third-party AI provider.
What happens when I log by voice?
Luca records up to 20 seconds of audio and sends it to our server to be turned into text. The recording is linked to your anonymous user ID only for that request, and is not stored on our servers or on your device after the text is produced.
Can friends see what I eat?
No. Friends see your display name, avatar, streak, whether you logged today, whether you reached your goal today, and your badges. Calories, macros, meals and photos are never shared with friends.
Does Luca need my name or email?
No. There is no account. The app uses an anonymous identifier. The display name you choose for friends can be anything you like.
What does Luca do with Apple Health?
Apple Health is optional and off until you allow it. Health data stays in the Health store on your device, which you control in iOS Settings. Luca does not send Apple Health data to its servers.
How do I delete everything?
Use Delete all data in the app to remove what the servers hold under your anonymous identifier and the data on your device. You can also email support@ege.md. The delete-your-data page lists every step.