Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 15, 2026

Understory ("we", "us", or "our") operates the Understory mobile application and website at understorygardening.com (the "Service"). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your choices regarding your data.

1. Information We Collect

Account information. When you create an account, we collect your email address and display name. If you sign in with Google, Facebook, or Apple, we receive your name and email from that provider.

Profile information. You may provide a handle, bio, and profile photo.

Garden and plant data. Information you enter about your garden, plants, activities, and observations, including text descriptions, tags, and dates.

Photos. Images you upload for activities, plants, or your profile.

Location data. Your climate zone or zip code, if you choose to provide it. We do not collect precise GPS location.

Usage data. We collect standard analytics such as device type, operating system, and app usage patterns to improve the Service.

2. How We Use Your Information

• To provide and maintain the Service, including your garden timeline, plant tracking, and social features.
• To authenticate your identity and secure your account.
• To moderate content and enforce our Terms of Service.
• To power the AI garden assistant, which helps you with plant care advice, pest identification, and gardening recommendations.
• To send you service-related communications (e.g., account verification).
• To improve the Service through aggregated, anonymized analytics.

3. AI-Powered Features

Garden assistant. Understory includes an AI-powered garden assistant. When you use the assistant, your messages, images you share, and relevant garden data (plants, activities, garden type, and location) are sent to Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service for processing. Responses are generated by AI and returned to you in real time.

No training on your data. Your conversations with the garden assistant are not used to train or improve AI models. Microsoft Azure OpenAI Service processes your data solely to generate responses and does not retain it for model training. See Microsoft's data privacy documentation for details.

Content moderation. User-generated content (text and images) may be analyzed by automated systems, including AI-based tools (Azure AI Content Safety), to detect content that violates our Terms of Service. This analysis is used solely for moderation purposes. AI assistant conversations are also subject to built-in content filters that block harmful, hateful, sexual, or violent content.

4. How We Store Your Data

Your data is stored on Microsoft Azure infrastructure in the United States. Photos are stored in Azure Blob Storage. Account and garden data are stored in Azure Cosmos DB. AI assistant conversations are processed by Azure OpenAI Service and are not stored by Microsoft after processing. We use industry-standard security measures, including encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest.

5. Authentication

We use Google Firebase Authentication to manage sign-in. Firebase processes your authentication credentials according to Google's privacy policy. We do not store your password.

6. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data. We may share data only in the following circumstances:

• Public content. Activities and garden information you mark as public are visible to other Understory users.
• Service providers. We use third-party services (Microsoft Azure, Google Firebase) to operate the Service. These providers process data on our behalf under contractual obligations.
• Legal requirements. We may disclose data if required by law or to protect the rights and safety of our users.

7. Your Rights

You can:

• Access and update your profile and garden data at any time through the app.
• Delete your account and all associated data by using the account deletion feature in the app settings, or by contacting us at support@understorygardening.com.
• Control visibility of your garden and activities by setting them to private.

8. Children's Privacy

The Service is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn we have collected such information, we will delete it promptly.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes by posting the updated policy on this page with a revised "Last updated" date.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at support@understorygardening.com.