The short version
Patternly needs no account and keeps no personal profile about you. To identify a piece, the photo you choose is sent over a secure connection to Google’s AI image service, used only to recognise the pattern, and is not stored by us. Value estimates are drawn from public eBay sold listings. Your saved collection and settings stay on your device by default; an optional Patternly Pro backup can also sync your collection to our service under a private, anonymous code so you don’t lose it on a new phone. The free version is supported by ads (Google AdMob), which use a resettable advertising identifier; where the law requires it you are asked for your ad-consent choice first. An optional Patternly Pro subscription removes all ads and unlocks deeper features (your collection, price history, alerts, and more) — identifying a piece, its result, and the share card are always free.
This policy explains what information the Patternly mobile app (“Patternly”, “we”, “us”) processes, why, and the choices you have. It applies to the app and its supporting service.
1. Information we process
Photos (processed, not stored)
When you take or choose a photo to identify a piece of vintage kitchenware, the image is sent over an encrypted (HTTPS/TLS) connection to our service, which forwards it to Google’s Gemini API to recognise the pattern. The image is processed only for the moment it takes to produce a result — buffered transiently (in memory, or a temporary file during request handling) and never written to durable storage, logged, or retained on our servers. We do not use your photos for any purpose other than returning an identification to you, and we do not use them to train models. Google’s handling of API requests is governed by the Gemini API Terms and the Google Privacy Policy.
Item details for value estimates (text only)
To estimate value, the app sends only text attributes of the identified piece — such as brand, pattern, and form. No photo and nothing about you is sent. Our service looks these up against public eBay sold listings and may cache the aggregate, non-personal price result for a limited time to keep the app fast.
Purchases
If you subscribe to Patternly Pro (an auto-renewing monthly or annual subscription that unlocks deeper features), the transaction is handled entirely by Google Play Billing (and StoreKit on iOS). The store processes your payment; we never see or store your card or billing details. The app keeps only a small flag on your device noting that you hold Pro. To restore a subscription on a new device, the app asks the store to confirm what you already own. You can manage or cancel the subscription at any time in your store account.
Data kept on your device
Your saved collection (including any photos you save with it), your theme and language preferences, your Pro entitlement flag, and a marker noting you finished onboarding are stored locally on your device. They are not uploaded to us — unless you turn on the optional Pro cloud backup described next. You can remove the collection at any time with Settings → Your data → Clear collection, or remove everything by uninstalling the app.
Optional cloud backup (Patternly Pro)
Patternly Pro includes an optional cloud backup that is off until you turn it on. When you enable it, your saved collection — the identified pattern details and small, downscaled photo thumbnails — is uploaded over encrypted HTTPS and stored under a random, anonymous backup code. That code is the only key to the backup: it is not linked to any account, name, or email, and we cannot tie it to you. Anyone who has the code can open that backup, so keep it private. You can stop syncing at any time in Settings → Backup, and you can empty the backed-up copy by clearing your collection while backup is on. To delete a backup you have turned off, email us the code and we will remove it.
Advertising (free version)
The free version of Patternly is supported by ads delivered through Google AdMob. To show and measure ads and to detect invalid (fraudulent) traffic, AdMob uses your device’s advertising identifier — a resettable ID provided by your operating system — along with limited ad-interaction and device information. This data is processed by Google as described in How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services and the Google Privacy Policy.
Where the law requires it (for example in the European Economic Area, the UK, and Switzerland), Patternly asks for your consent before requesting ads, so you can choose whether ads are personalised, and you can review or withdraw that choice at any time from the ad-privacy option in Settings. On iOS, the system asks your permission before any cross-app tracking. You can also reset or limit your advertising identifier in your device settings.
Patternly Pro removes all ads. While Pro is active, Patternly does not request ads.
What we do not collect
- No account, name, email, phone number, or login.
- No precise (GPS) location, contacts, or microphone access.
- Beyond the ad serving described under Advertising above, we do not sell your personal information, and we hold no personal profile of our own.
2. Device permissions
- Camera — so you can photograph a piece to identify it.
- Photos / media — so you can choose an existing picture to identify, and save an image to your on-device collection.
- Internet — to reach our identification and price service, and, if you enable it, the optional Pro cloud backup.
These permissions are used only for the action you take in the app. You can manage them any time in your device settings.
3. Third-party services
- Google (Gemini API) — performs the image recognition. See the Gemini API Terms and Google Privacy Policy.
- Google AdMob — serves ads in the free version and uses a resettable advertising identifier to show, measure, and protect them. See how AdMob handles data, how Google uses this information, and the Google Privacy Policy. Patternly Pro removes ads.
- Google Play Billing / Apple StoreKit — processes the optional Patternly Pro subscription. Governed by the Google Play Terms of Service and the applicable App Store terms.
- eBay — the source of public sold-listing price data. When you tap to view matching listings, eBay opens in your browser and is then subject to eBay’s Privacy Notice. Patternly is not affiliated with eBay.
Patternly is an independent identification tool. It is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by Google, eBay, Corning, Pyrex, or any kitchenware manufacturer or brand; product and pattern names are used only to describe the items you photograph.
4. How long we keep things
Photos sent for identification are not retained after the request completes. Cached price results are aggregate and non-personal and expire automatically. On-device data (your collection, settings, and Pro flag) persists until you clear it or uninstall the app. If you turn on cloud backup, the backed-up collection is kept under your anonymous code until you empty it (by clearing your collection while backup is on) or ask us to delete it. Any ad-related data collected through Google AdMob is retained by Google under its own policies, not by us.
5. Security
All requests between the app and our service travel over encrypted HTTPS/TLS. We do not store the full-resolution photos you identify. If you turn on the optional Pro backup, your saved collection and its downscaled thumbnails are stored under a random, anonymous code with no name, email, or account attached, so there is nothing at rest that identifies you.
6. International processing
Identification requests are processed by Google’s infrastructure, which may process data on servers located outside your country, for example in the United States. By using the app you understand that data is processed in this way for these purposes.
7. Children’s privacy
Patternly is a general-audience utility and is not directed to children under 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your country). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has used the app and you have concerns, contact us using the details below.
8. Your choices and rights
Because we keep no personal data tied to your identity, there is no personal profile for us to access, correct, export, or delete. You remain in full control of the data stored on your device, which you can clear or remove at any time. If you have used cloud backup, you can empty or delete that backup as described in Optional cloud backup above. You can manage or cancel a Patternly Pro subscription at any time through your store account. If you have questions about this policy or your privacy, contact us using the details below and we will be glad to help.
9. Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, we will update the “Last updated” date above and, where changes are significant, make them clear within the app. Your continued use after an update means you accept the revised policy.
10. Contact
Questions or requests about privacy? Email skim1519@gmail.com.
Value estimates are provided for general guidance only and are based on public eBay sold listings; they are not an offer, appraisal, or guarantee of value.