Privacy Policy

BetterList is operated by Neslihan Yildiz, a sole trader based in the United Kingdom. Neslihan Yildiz is the data controller for the personal data described in this policy.

UK data protection law applies, including the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018. For any privacy question or request, email support@betterlist.co.uk.

BetterList is built so that most of what you do never leaves your device:

• Photos. When you scan or pick a photo of a handwritten list, the text is read on your iPhone. The photo is never uploaded.
• Your lists. Saved lists, checked items and search all live on your iPhone. They are not stored on our servers or synced to iCloud.
• No account. You never give us a name, email address, phone number or password to use the app. If you send us feedback, you can choose to add an email address so we can reply.

Camera and photo library access are used only to capture a list, and only after you allow them in iOS.

To sort your list, run the free and Pro plans and handle your feedback, we process:

• The text of your list. When you create a list, the recognised or pasted text is sent to our server, sorted into aisles and sent back. We do not store this text or the sorted list on our servers after responding, and we do not write it to our logs.
• An anonymous app user ID. Our subscription provider generates a random ID for your installation of the app. It is not linked to your name, email or Apple ID on our side, unless you include an email address when you send feedback.
• Your free-list count. A count of how many free lists you have used, with the time it was last updated, stored against the anonymous ID.
• Subscription status. Whether that anonymous ID has an active Pro subscription, and the related purchase records from the App Store.
• Feedback you send. If you send feedback from the app, we receive its type (bug, idea or other), your message, and the email address you add for a reply, if any. The app also attaches its version, your device model and iOS version, your language, whether Pro is active, and the anonymous app user ID, so we can understand and fix what you report.
• Your feedback count. A count of how many times you have sent feedback in the last hour, with the time the count started, stored against the anonymous ID to limit abuse.
• Technical request data. Like any website or API, our hosting provider records standard request information such as IP address, time and response status.

• Sorting your list, counting free lists and checking your subscription are needed to provide the service you ask for. Our legal basis is performance of a contract (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(b)).
• Keeping the service secure and preventing abuse, for example spotting automated misuse of the sorting service, uses technical request data and the feedback count. Our legal basis is our legitimate interest in running a reliable, secure service (Article 6(1)(f)).
• Reading, replying to and acting on your feedback uses the feedback you send. Our legal basis is our legitimate interest in supporting users and improving BetterList (Article 6(1)(f)).

We use a small number of service providers who process data only on our behalf and are required to protect it to at least the standard described in this policy. We do not sell your data or share it with anyone else. If you want to know which providers we use, email support@betterlist.co.uk.

• Apple handles App Store purchases, billing and refunds for Pro. Apple processes your payment details under its own privacy policy; we never see them.
• A subscription management provider receives the anonymous app user ID and App Store purchase records so we can tell whether Pro is active.
• A cloud database provider stores the free-list count and its timestamps against the anonymous ID. It also stores the feedback you send, including any reply email address, and your feedback count.
• AI processing providers, an AI routing service and the AI model providers it sends requests to, receive the text of your list, only to produce the sorted list. They do not receive the anonymous ID or any contact details.
• A messaging service notifies us of each piece of feedback. It receives the feedback type, your message, the app and device details listed above and the anonymous ID. It never receives your reply email address.
• Our hosting provider runs this website and the sorting API, and receives technical request data such as IP addresses in standard server logs.

Some of these providers process data outside the UK, including in the United States. Where they do, the transfer is covered by appropriate safeguards recognised under UK law, such as the UK Extension to the EU–US Data Privacy Framework or the International Data Transfer Addendum to standard contractual clauses.

• List text and sorted lists are not kept on our servers once the response is sent.
• The free-list count and feedback count are kept while the anonymous ID is in use, or until you ask us to delete them.
• Feedback, including any reply email address, is deleted automatically 12 months after we receive it, or sooner if you ask. The notification copy in our messaging service is deleted automatically after one month.
• Subscription records are kept by Apple and our subscription provider for as long as needed to manage your subscription and meet their legal obligations.
• Technical request data is kept by our hosting provider for a limited period under its standard log retention.
• Lists on your iPhone stay until you delete them or delete the app.

Under UK data protection law you have the right to:

• access the personal data we hold about you
• have inaccurate data corrected
• have your data erased
• restrict or object to how we use it
• receive your data in a portable format

To make a request, email support@betterlist.co.uk. Because BetterList has no accounts, we find your data through your anonymous app user ID, so please include it if you can. If you sent feedback with a reply email address, we can also find that feedback by the address. If you contact us about a purchase, the date and the plan also help. We will respond within one month.

If you are unhappy with how we handle your data, you can complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK data protection regulator. We would appreciate the chance to put things right first.

• No analytics, advertising or cross-app tracking in the app.
• No cookies on this website.
• No selling or renting of personal data.

BetterList is a general-audience grocery app and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children.

If we change how BetterList handles data, we will update this page and the “Last updated” date at the top before the change takes effect.

Neslihan Yildiz, United Kingdom. Email: support@betterlist.co.uk