AusGrower

Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 15, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Coolnology Pty Ltd ("we", "us", "our") collects, uses, shares, and protects your information when you use the AusGrower mobile application and related services (the "Service"). We handle personal information in accordance with the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth) and the Australian Privacy Principles. By using the Service you agree to the practices described here. If you do not agree, please do not use the Service.

1. Who this policy covers

The Service is intended for adults. It is not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children (see "Children's privacy" below). This policy applies to the app and does not cover third-party services, websites, or stores that the app may link to, which have their own policies.

2. Information you provide

Account information: when you create an account we collect your email address and a display name you choose. Sign-in and passwords are handled by our authentication provider; we do not store your password ourselves. You may also sign in using Apple or Google, in which case we receive basic account details from them.

Your garden: the information you enter to plan and track your garden — such as your garden beds and layout, the plants you're growing, sowing and harvest records, journal entries, notes, tags, and reminder settings.

Location: you set a garden location so we can determine your climate zone and provide local planting calendars, weather, and frost and heat alerts. This is a place you choose (for example by searching a suburb, or by using your device location once to set it) — it is a general, approximate location used to run the Service, not continuous background tracking of your device. You can change or remove it at any time.

Photos: with your permission, you can take or attach photos of your plants — for example to check a plant's health or to keep in your garden journal. Where you submit a photo for a plant-health check, it is sent for automated analysis. We remove embedded location and camera metadata (EXIF) from photos you upload.

Communications: if you contact us, we keep your message and contact details to respond.

3. Information collected automatically

When you use the app we and our service providers may collect limited technical information such as device type and identifiers, operating system, app version, language, general app activity (for example which screens are viewed), crash and diagnostic reports, and — if you enable notifications — a notification token for your device. This helps us keep the Service working, secure, and reliable, and helps us understand which features are useful. We do not use this information for third-party advertising.

4. On-device storage and similar technologies

The app and our service providers use on-device storage and similar technologies (such as local storage and software-kit identifiers) to keep you signed in, remember your settings, work offline, operate the Service, and support security and diagnostics. We do not use these technologies for third-party advertising.

5. Communications and notifications

We may send you service-related messages, such as account, security, and important update notices, which are part of the Service. If you enable notifications, we may send push notifications — for example care and watering reminders, or frost and heat alerts for your garden. You can turn push notifications off at any time in your device settings. If we send optional marketing messages, you can opt out at any time using the unsubscribe link or by contacting us; you will still receive service-related messages necessary to operate your account.

6. How we use your information

We use the information to:

  • provide and operate the Service, including your account, garden, plans, and history;
  • determine your climate zone and provide planting calendars, weather, and frost and heat alerts;
  • provide plant-health checks and grow guides;
  • send care reminders and the notifications you enable;
  • maintain and improve the app and our plant and gardening content;
  • keep the Service safe, prevent abuse, and enforce our Terms;
  • respond to you and send important service messages;
  • comply with legal obligations.

Where required by law, our legal bases for processing include performing our contract with you, our legitimate interests in operating and improving the Service, your consent, and compliance with legal obligations.

7. Payments

Paid subscriptions are purchased and processed through the Apple App Store or Google Play. We do not collect or store your payment card details; the app store handles the transaction and shares with us only what we need to confirm and manage your subscription.

8. How we share information

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioural advertising. We share information only as follows:

  • Service providers: we use trusted third-party providers to host our infrastructure and database, provide authentication, deliver notifications, process plant-health image analysis, serve maps and weather data, and supply analytics and crash-diagnostic tools. They act on our instructions under appropriate confidentiality and data-protection terms and only to provide services to us. Some of these providers are located in, or transfer information to, countries outside Australia, including the United States.
  • If you post publicly: any content you choose to share in a community area of the Service is visible to other users.
  • Legal and safety: where we believe in good faith it is necessary to comply with law, enforce our Terms, or protect the rights, safety, and property of our users, the public, or us.
  • Business transfers: in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets, subject to this policy.

9. Children's privacy

The Service is intended for adults and is not directed to children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from a child. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact us at info@coolnology.com and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

10. Data retention

We keep your information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the Service. When you delete your account — which you can do at any time from Settings — we delete your account and associated garden data, history, and personal information, except where we must retain certain information to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, or enforce our agreements. Content you have already shared publicly may remain visible, as described in our Terms. Aggregated or de-identified information that does not identify you may be retained.

11. Your rights and choices

You can access and update much of your information directly in the app, and you can delete your account at any time from Settings. Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or port your personal information, to object to or restrict certain processing, and to withdraw consent. To exercise your rights, contact us at info@coolnology.com. If you are in Australia and are not satisfied with our response, you may lodge a complaint with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner (OAIC).

12. Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures to protect your information, including encryption in transit and access controls. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. If a data breach occurs that is likely to result in serious harm, we will notify affected individuals and the relevant authority as required by the Notifiable Data Breaches scheme under the Privacy Act 1988 (Cth).

13. International transfers

We and our service providers may process and store information in countries other than Australia, including the United States, which may have different data-protection laws. Where required, we take reasonable steps to ensure such transfers are handled with appropriate safeguards.

14. Gardening and content data sources

Some plant, crop, pest, and gardening reference information in the Service is obtained from third-party data providers. This information is about plants and gardening, not about you.

15. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. If we make material changes we will update the "Last updated" date and, where appropriate, provide additional notice in the app. Your continued use of the Service after changes take effect means you accept the updated policy.

16. Contact us

Questions or requests about privacy? Email info@coolnology.com.