Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 13, 2026

HomeCache, Inc. ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application and related services (collectively, the "App").

1. Information We Collect

We may collect the following types of information when you use our App:

1.1 Personal Information

• Registration Data: Name, email address, username, password (hashed), phone number, and profile image.
• Profile Information: Home address, gender, and any other details you choose to add to your profile.
• Google Account Data: If you sign in using Google OAuth, we collect your email address and profile information from your Google account.

1.2 Home & Property Data

• Home address, home type, power sources, water supply type, heating/cooling systems, and utility types.
• Rooms and room items you add (e.g., furniture, fixtures, paint colors).
• Appliances, materials, and utility items with their details, warranties, and service history.
• User-uploaded images and files associated with rooms and items (stored via S3-compatible cloud storage).

1.3 Location Data

• With your permission, we collect precise (GPS-level) and approximate (network-based) location data from your device.
• This includes GPS coordinates and network-based location signals.
• Location data is used to help you find nearby service providers and set your home address.
• The App does not collect location data in the background when the App is closed or not in use.

1.4 Task & Service Data

• Home maintenance tasks, including titles, descriptions, recurrence schedules, and assignment details.
• Service provider assignments and completion records.
• Provider ratings, reviews, and follow preferences.

1.5 Documents & Files

• Warranties: Product name, brand, warranty dates, serial numbers, and service contact information.
• Insurance Policies: Policy numbers, provider name, coverage dates, premium amounts, and claim contact info.
• Receipts: Vendor/store name, purchase dates, amounts paid, payment methods, and order numbers.
• Quotes: Service items quoted, amounts, vendor details, and validity dates.
• Manuals: Title, brand, model numbers, and manual type.
• Uploaded files (PDFs, documents, images) stored securely in cloud storage.

1.6 AI Chat Communications

• When you use our AI assistant, we collect and store your chat messages and the AI responses to provide you with context-aware home maintenance guidance.
• Chat messages may include information about your home items, appliances, and maintenance history to provide relevant responses.

1.7 Authentication & Security Data

• One-time passcodes (OTPs) for email verification and password reset.
• Device tokens and JWT (JSON Web Token) access/refresh tokens for session management.
• Login timestamps and authentication history.

1.8 Subscription & Payment Data

• Subscription type (trial, basic, or premium), start date, and expiration date.
• Payment processing is handled securely by Stripe. We do not store full payment card information on our servers.

1.9 Usage & Device Data

• Information about how you interact with the App, including features used, pages visited, and in-app actions.
• Device model, operating system version, unique device identifiers, and mobile network information.
• Crash reports and performance data to help us improve the App.
• Recent activity logs (e.g., items added, members joined, tasks completed).

1.10 Provider Data

• Service provider names, company names, contact details, website URLs, and uploaded documents.
• Your ratings, reviews, and follow preferences for providers you have interacted with.

2. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

• To provide and maintain our services: Manage your account, home data, tasks, documents, and subscriptions.
• To enable location-based features: Find nearby service providers and set your home address (only with your consent).
• To provide AI assistance: Power the AI chat assistant using Google Gemini to answer home maintenance questions.
• To process payments: Manage subscriptions securely via Stripe.
• To communicate with you: Send service updates, support responses, invitations from other users, and promotional materials (with your consent where required).
• To personalize your experience: Tailor content, recommendations, and search results based on your home data and preferences.
• To improve our App: Analyze usage patterns, diagnose technical issues, and optimize performance.
• To ensure security: Detect and prevent fraud, abuse, and unauthorized access.
• To comply with legal obligations: Respond to lawful requests and enforce our terms of service.

3. Location Data — Specific Disclosures

The App accesses your device's location services only after obtaining your explicit consent via the device permission prompt. You may choose to grant or deny location access at any time through your device settings.

How we use location data:

• To help you find nearby service providers (e.g., plumbers, electricians, contractors).
• To set and save your home address for maintenance tracking and service scheduling.
• To improve location-based search results and recommendations within the App.

Precise vs. Approximate Location: When you grant location permission, we may collect both precise (GPS-level) and approximate (network-based) location data depending on the feature being used. We only collect the minimum location information necessary to provide the requested feature.

Background Location: The App does not collect location data in the background when the App is closed or not in use. Location is only accessed while the App is actively being used and with your consent.

Retention: Location data collected is retained only as long as necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, or as required by law. You can request deletion of your location data at any time by contacting us.

4. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services to operate our App. Each service has its own privacy policy governing the use of your data:

• Google OAuth: Used for signing in with your Google account. We receive your email and profile information only after you consent.
• Google AI (Gemini): Powers our AI assistant. Chat messages are sent to Google's Gemini API to generate responses. No personal identifiers beyond your message content are shared.
• Stripe: Processes subscription payments securely. We do not store full credit card numbers on our servers.
• AWS S3 / MinIO: Cloud-based file storage for uploaded images, documents, and other files.
• Redis: In-memory caching for temporary data, chat session storage, and real-time features.
• RabbitMQ / BullMQ: Message queue for processing background tasks such as sending emails and saving chat messages.
• Socket.IO: Enables real-time communication within the App.
• Nodemailer / SMTP: Used to send transactional emails (e.g., verification, password reset, invitations).

We encourage you to review the privacy policies of these third-party providers for more information on how they handle your data.

5. Data Storage and Security

We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction. Your data is stored securely on our servers, encrypted in transit using TLS/SSL protocols, and files are stored in S3-compatible cloud storage with access controls. Passwords are hashed using industry-standard bcrypt before storage.

6. Data Sharing and Disclosure

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

• With your explicit consent.
• With other home members: If you join or create a shared home, certain data (e.g., tasks, items, activity) may be visible to other members of that home.
• To comply with legal obligations or respond to lawful requests from authorities.
• With service providers who assist us in operating our App (as listed in Section 4). These third parties are contractually obligated to protect your data and use it only for the services we request.
• In the event of a business transfer (e.g., merger, acquisition, or sale of assets), your information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to continued protection under this policy.

We do not share your precise location data with third parties for their own independent marketing or advertising purposes.

7. Your Rights and Choices

You have the following rights regarding your personal information:

• Access: Request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.
• Update or Correct: Modify inaccurate or incomplete information through your account settings.
• Delete Your Account: Request deletion of your account and associated data. To request account deletion, please contact us at ahsan@homecache.io. We will process your request within a reasonable timeframe, subject to legal retention requirements.
• Withdraw Consent: Withdraw consent at any time where we rely on your consent to process your data (e.g., location permissions, marketing emails).
• Data Portability: Request a copy of your data in a portable, machine-readable format.
• Opt Out of Location: Disable location access at any time through your device settings.
• Opt Out of Communications: Unsubscribe from promotional emails by clicking the unsubscribe link in the email.

8. Children's Privacy

Our App is not intended for children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that a child under 13 has provided us with personal data, we will take steps to delete such information promptly. If you believe a child has provided us with personal data, please contact us.

9. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you with our services. When you delete your account, we will delete or anonymize your personal information within a reasonable period, except where we are required to retain certain data for legal obligations, dispute resolution, or enforcement of our agreements.

10. Cookies and Similar Technologies

We use essential cookies and similar technologies (e.g., local storage, JWT tokens) to ensure the proper functioning of our App, maintain session state, and authenticate users. We do not use cookies for advertising or tracking purposes. You can control cookie preferences through your browser or device settings.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date. In the case of material changes, we may provide additional notice through the App or via email. Your continued use of the App after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, complaints, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

HomeCache, Inc.
Email: ahsan@homecache.io
Attn: Ahsan
App: HomeCache

For account deletion requests, please include "Account Deletion Request" in your email subject line.