Privacy
ETHANOL is built to keep drinking data on the device that records it. The model that matters: the phone is the database, and the server sees as little as the features allow.
What stays on device
Drink logs, sessions, blood-alcohol history, locations and the map, specimen photos, formulations, ratings, and settings are stored locally on the device and inside the app's private group container. This data is not uploaded to ETHANOL servers and is not sold or shared with advertisers.
Health data
When HealthKit access is granted, the app reads metrics such as sleep, resting heart rate, workouts, and steps to compute drinking-day versus dry-day comparisons. This processing happens on the device. Health data is never transmitted off the phone and is never used for advertising.
Location
Location is used to tag sessions to venues and to draw the personal map. Coordinates are stored on the device. A venue is only encoded into a shareable link when a card is explicitly shared.
What the server receives
Some features call the ETHANOL backend at ethanol.app:
- Menu and bottle scanning. An image is sent to be read by an OCR/vision model and is processed transiently to return text. Images are not retained for profiling.
- AI Coach and insights. The minimal context needed to answer is sent for processing.
- Rate limiting. A random, rotating install identifier — not a name, email, or device ID — counts requests against monthly and abuse limits.
- Entitlements. A signed App Store receipt (StoreKit) verifies subscription or purchase status. Payment is handled by Apple; the app never sees card details.
Purchases
Subscriptions, the optional scan-credit packs, and the App Store install are processed by Apple under Apple's terms and privacy policy. ETHANOL receives only the signed transaction needed to unlock entitlements.
No third-party tracking
ETHANOL does not embed advertising SDKs, does not run cross-app tracking, and does not sell personal data. There is no analytics profile tied to an identity.
Sharing
Share cards — specimens, formulations, the map, monthly summaries — are rendered on the device. Nothing leaves the phone unless a card or link is shared through the system share sheet.
Retention and deletion
Because the data lives on the device, deleting the app removes it. Transient server requests (scanning, coaching) are not stored as a personal record beyond what is needed to serve and rate-limit the request.
Age
ETHANOL is intended for adults of legal drinking age in their jurisdiction and is not directed to children.
Contact
Questions about this policy: hello@ethanol.app. ETHANOL is operated by Azeotropic, LLC.
This page describes current data practices and may be updated as features change. Material changes will be reflected here with a revised effective date.