Arista Reader

Privacy Policy

Arista Reader reads ingredient labels on your iPhone. Your camera images and recognised label text are processed on the device. An account is optional.

Effective date: 31 October 2026. This policy describes Arista Reader 2.0 and this website.

What stays on your device

Camera frames, imported label photos and recognised text are processed locally using Apple's on-device text recognition. Arista Reader does not send them to a recognition service, AI service or product database. A recognised-text transcript is not saved separately.

When you choose Save, Arista Reader stores the scan's matched ingredients, profile attribution, date, and available label images or screen captures locally. Saved scans and their images are not uploaded to Arista Reader's servers or synced through your Arista Reader account. Deleting a saved scan also removes its stored image files. If you share or export a scan, the destination you choose receives that content.

Profiles, selected ingredients, custom ingredients and aliases are stored locally so scanning works offline. Apple device backups may include local app data according to your backup settings. Deleting data in Arista Reader does not remove a copy you have already exported or an existing device backup.

Optional accounts and profile sync

If you sign in using Apple, Google or email, Firebase Authentication processes an account identifier, your email address, authentication information, and any name or profile information your sign-in provider supplies. Apple may provide a private relay email address. Arista Reader does not receive your Apple or Google password.

Signing in uploads your profile names, ingredient selections, chosen presets, custom ingredient names and aliases to Firebase Cloud Firestore under your account. These choices can reveal dietary or health preferences, including allergy-related preferences, if you choose to record them. We use this information to provide your chosen profile and synchronisation features. You can use the free scanner and local profiles without sending these preferences to an Arista Reader account.

The app uses an anonymous Firebase session to check for catalogue updates when you have not signed in. That session has a generated identifier; it does not upload your local profiles or scans. The bundled catalogue remains available if an update cannot be downloaded.

Purchases

Apple handles subscription payments and payment details. Arista Reader uses verified StoreKit transaction information on your device to determine Pro access, restore purchases and show subscription status. Arista Reader does not receive your card or bank details. Apple may provide sales and financial reports to the developer under its own policies.

Support and technical information

If you submit feedback, we receive the message and, if you are signed in, your Arista Reader account identifier. If you contact us by email, we receive your email address and anything you include. Do not send passwords, payment information or label photos unless they are needed for your support request.

Firebase and sign-in services process technical information needed to operate, secure and improve those services. This can include IP addresses, device and operating-system information, identifiers, authentication activity and diagnostic information. Google's sign-in SDK discloses collection of account information, approximate location derived from network information, device identifiers, usage information and other service data. The information available depends on the sign-in method and provider settings.

Arista Reader 2.0 does not include Firebase Analytics, advertising or cross-app advertising tracking. Removing app analytics does not disable the authentication providers' own security, diagnostic and service analytics. This website uses optional analytics only with your consent, as described below. It does not display advertising. Its hosting provider processes requests and technical logs to deliver and secure the site.

External services and links

We use Google Firebase for authentication, account data, catalogue updates, feedback and website hosting. Apple supplies on-device recognition and App Store services. Google supplies optional Google sign-in. Providers may process information in countries other than yours under their applicable terms and safeguards.

Tapping an ingredient result opens a Google search inside the app. The ingredient name or custom ingredient name is sent to Google as a search query at that point; the full scanned label is not sent by Arista Reader. Google's privacy practices apply to that browsing activity. External websites may use their own cookies and collect information about your visit.

Provider information: Firebase privacy and security, Google Privacy Policy and Apple privacy information.

How we use and protect information

We use information to provide the features you request, maintain accounts and subscriptions, answer support requests, prevent abuse and meet legal obligations. We do not sell personal information or use your ingredient preferences for advertising. We may disclose information when legally required or necessary to protect the service or people's rights.

Where applicable, processing is based on providing the service you request, your consent for optional features or sensitive preferences, our legitimate interests in security and support, or legal obligations. We use encrypted connections and account access controls. No system can guarantee absolute security.

Retention, deletion and your choices

Local scan data remains until you delete it or remove the app, subject to device backups. Synced profile and account information is retained while your account exists. In the app, open Profile → Account → Delete account to remove your account, synced profiles and custom ingredients, account-linked feedback, and local profiles and scans on that device. You may be asked to authenticate again. Other devices and previously exported copies or backups may still hold local copies.

Signing out stops account sync and keeps local data. Deleting an Arista Reader account does not cancel an Apple subscription. Manage or cancel it separately in the app's Manage subscription action or your Apple Account settings.

We retain support correspondence and limited security or transaction records only as needed to resolve requests, prevent abuse or meet legal requirements. Earlier app versions used analytics and server-side purchase notifications; contact us to request access to or deletion of identifiable historical records. Some information may remain in protected backups until those backups expire.

You may request access, correction, a copy, or deletion of your personal information, and object to or restrict processing where applicable. You may withdraw consent for optional processing without affecting its prior lawfulness. Email privacy@arista-reader.com; we may need to verify that you control the relevant account. You may also complain to your local privacy authority, including South Africa's Information Regulator.

Children and changes

Arista Reader is intended for a general audience and does not knowingly solicit personal information from children without any parental authorisation required by applicable law. A parent or guardian can contact us about a child's account information.

We will update the effective date when this policy changes and provide additional notice when required. Contact us if you need an earlier version or have questions about a change.

Legal and contact

Arista Reader is operated by Andre Jacobs, a sole proprietor based in South Africa and the responsible party for personal information handled under this policy.

For personal information enquiries, contact privacy@arista-reader.com. For app support, contact support@arista-reader.com.

Website language

The website checks your browser's language preferences to choose English or Spanish when you first visit an unprefixed page. A direct Spanish link opens in Spanish. When you choose a language using the language switch, the site stores only that choice (English or Spanish) in your browser's local storage. It stays on your device and is not sent to Arista Reader. You can change it with the language switch or remove it by clearing the site's browser data. This preference is not used for tracking and does not require an account.

Optional website analytics

Website analytics update: 7 November 2026. If you accept website analytics, Google Analytics uses cookies to measure page visits, visit duration, language and device information, approximate location and clicks to the App Store. We use these reports to understand how people find the website and which pages help them discover Arista Reader. Google processes network information, including your IP address, to provide the service; see how Google uses information from sites that use its services.

Google Analytics does not load until you accept. Declining does not restrict access to the website or the App Store link. We do not send recognised label text, ingredient selections, account identifiers, email addresses or other user-provided content to website analytics. Page URLs exclude arbitrary query strings and fragments; only short campaign identifiers are retained. External referrers are reduced to their website origin.

Advertising storage, advertising personalisation and Google signals are disabled for our website tag. Analytics cookies are configured to expire after 180 days without extending their expiry on each visit. Your analytics choice is saved in this browser for up to 180 days. Use Analytics preferences in the footer to change or withdraw it; withdrawing stops future collection and removes this site's Google Analytics cookies. It does not erase data already processed by Google. Browser privacy tools may block analytics even after you accept.

Website analytics is separate from the native app. This website change does not enable Firebase Analytics in Arista Reader or change how the app processes labels and saved scans.