Hi, Bud (“we”, “us”) lets you photograph a plant or pet and turns it into a hand-knit-style character (“bud”). This policy explains what we collect and why. We aim to collect as little as possible.
No account required
You can use Hi, Bud without creating an account or giving us your name or email. On first launch the app creates an anonymous identity stored on your device and on our servers (Supabase) so your buds and progress are saved. It is not linked to your real-world identity unless you choose to add optional details.
What we collect
- Photos you submit. The photo you take or choose of your plant/pet, which we process to create your bud (see “AI processing” below).
- An anonymous device identity. A random identifier that ties your buds and progress to your install.
- Optional details you type. A display name, a kingdom name, and a city/location label (used to show in-app weather). You can change or remove these at any time.
- Usage analytics. Basic, privacy-respecting product analytics (for example, which screens are used) via PostHog, hosted in the EU. We do not use this for cross-app tracking.
- Advertising measurement. If you installed Hi, Bud from an ad, we measure that install and a small number of app events (for example, finishing setup) to understand which ads work, using Meta’s (Facebook) measurement tools and Apple’s privacy-preserving SKAdNetwork (which also reports TikTok installs). We do not request the iOS advertising identifier (IDFA) or show the “Allow tracking” prompt, so this is aggregated and not used to track you across other apps.
AI processing of your photo
To create your bud, the photo you submit is sent to third-party AI providers that act as our processors:
- Anthropic (Claude) — analyzes the photo to identify the species and visual details.
- Google (Gemini) — generates the still images of your bud.
- BytePlus (Seedance) — generates the short animation loops of your bud.
These providers process the image to return the generated character and associated metadata. We do not use your photos to train our own models, and we do not sell your photos or personal information.
How we use what we collect
- To create and display your buds and run core app features.
- To save your kingdom and progress to your anonymous identity.
- To show optional location-based weather, if you provide a location.
- To understand and improve the app via aggregate analytics.
Storage & retention
Photos and generated assets are stored in our cloud backend (Supabase) tied to your anonymous identity, and retained while your install is active. You can reset the app from the in-app profile (“dev/reset” / “start over”), which removes the kingdom from your phone and detaches it from active use. To request deletion of server-side data tied to your identity, contact us below.
Children
Hi, Bud is not directed to children under the age required by your local law for data processing. Do not submit photos of identifiable people.
Your choices & rights
Depending on where you live (e.g. EEA/UK under GDPR, California under CCPA/CPRA), you may have rights to access, correct, or delete your data, and to object to certain processing. Contact us to exercise them.
Contact
Questions or requests: hello@hibud.app.