Legal
Privacy Policy
Effective from: 2026-11-02
Last updated: 2026-11-02
Who we are
This Privacy Policy describes how MACKRO LTD ("Mackro", "we", "us", "our") collects, uses, and shares personal data when you use the Mackro mobile app (iOS and Android) and the website at mackro.co.uk (together, the "Service").
MACKRO LTD is a private company limited by shares registered in England and Wales under company number 17243600, with its registered office at 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ. We are registered with the UK Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) under registration number ZC256962.
We are the data controller for personal data processed in connection with the Service.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or your personal data, contact us at privacy@mackro.co.uk.
In short
- We collect the minimum data we need to run the Service: account details, the food you log, photos of food you upload, messages you send to your coach, and basic usage telemetry.
- If you are a client linked to a coach, your coach can see the data you log in Mackro. That is the core point of the Service.
- Our AI features are optional and ask your permission first. When you use one, we send Google Gemini what that feature needs: the photo or text you give it, and for chat, plans and meal ideas, parts of your profile and logs. Google does not use it to train its models.
- We use a small number of trusted suppliers (subprocessors) to run the Service. They are listed below.
- You can delete your account at any time from inside the app. Your data is permanently deleted within 30 days of the request.
- The Service is for users aged 16 and over. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone younger.
- You have rights over your data, including access, correction, and deletion. Contact us at privacy@mackro.co.uk to exercise them.
What data we collect
We collect data in three ways: data you give us, data generated as you use the Service, and data we receive from third parties (limited).
Data you give us
Account data
- Email address
- Password (stored hashed using industry-standard algorithms; we never see it in plaintext)
- Display name
- Account role (coach or client)
- For coaches: business name, profile photo, accent colour and logo for client branding
- For clients: optionally, the unique invite code linking you to a coach
Profile and onboarding data (clients)
- Date of birth (used to derive age, not stored as a marketing field)
- Height, weight, sex (used by the macro calculator)
- Activity level, goal and training frequency (used by the macro calculator)
- Dietary preferences, allergies and health notes, if you choose to add them (used to tailor suggestions, and sent to Google Gemini by the AI features that need them; see How we use AI)
- Optional photo
Logged food data
- Foods you log and the macros associated with them
- Portion sizes
- Photos you upload of meals
- Recipes you save
- Notes you attach to meals
Activity from Apple Health or Health Connect (optional)
- If you connect Apple Health (iPhone) or Health Connect (Android), and only for the types you allow, we read your daily steps, active energy (calories burned) and exercise minutes. Access is read-only: we never write to Apple Health or Health Connect.
- We store the daily totals to show you your activity in the app. If you are linked to a coach, your coach can see them too.
- We do not use this data for advertising, we do not sell it, and we do not send it to Google Gemini or any other AI.
- You can stop syncing at any time in the app (Settings → Health & activity), and remove Mackro's access in the Health app or in Health Connect settings.
Messages
- Direct messages between coaches and their linked clients
- Messages remain visible to both parties for the lifetime of the account
Payment data (limited)
- For coaches: payment is processed by Stripe. Stripe holds your card details. We receive only your subscription status, plan, billing email, and a Stripe customer ID. We never see or store full payment card details.
- For clients on Premium: payment is processed by Apple App Store or Google Play. RevenueCat tells us only whether you have an active Premium entitlement. We never see your payment details.
Coaching plans and payment records
- Coaches can use Mackro to keep track of what their clients owe them. For each client this can include the coaching plan they are on (its name, price, currency, billing period, start and end dates, and the coach's notes) and a record of each payment: the amount, the date it is due, whether it has been paid or waived, the date it was paid, and the payment method, reference and note the coach records.
- Mackro never takes, processes or holds these payments, and never sees card or bank details: clients pay their coach directly, however they have agreed. As a client you can see your own records in the app, and we may send you a notification when a payment is coming up or overdue.
Coaching leads (coaches)
- Coaches can keep a list of people they are talking to about coaching who are not yet clients (“leads”). A lead is the person's name and, if the coach adds them, their email address, phone number, how they found the coach, their goal, the coach's notes, and how far the conversation has got (for example, consultation booked).
- A lead does not need a Mackro account, and we never contact leads. If the coach sends a lead an invite code and they join, the lead record is linked to their new account.
- If a coach has added you as a lead and you want the record removed, ask the coach or email privacy@mackro.co.uk.
Support data and reports
- If you contact support@mackro.co.uk or use in-app help, we keep the contents of your message and our reply.
- If you report a message, or report a reply from the AI coach, we keep the report: your account ID, what you reported (for an AI reply, its text), the reason you chose and when you sent it, so we can review it.
Launch mailing list (website)
- If you join the launch mailing list on mackro.co.uk, we store your email address, which form you used (the homepage or the page for coaches), when you signed up, and the IP address you signed up from, which we keep to help us spot abuse of the form. You do not need a Mackro account to join.
- We use your email address to tell you when Mackro launches. If you signed up on the page for coaches, we may also email you personally before launch about setting up your coaching account. We do not use it for anything else.
- Every launch email has a one-click unsubscribe link, or you can email privacy@mackro.co.uk. Unsubscribing stops the emails straight away. We then keep a note that the address has unsubscribed, so it is not emailed again; ask us at the same address if you want the entry deleted entirely.
Data generated as you use the Service
Usage analytics
- Screens visited, features used, key actions taken (e.g., meals logged, photos uploaded, messages sent — counts and timing, not contents)
- Anonymous device information (device type, OS version, app version)
- We use this to understand how the Service is used and to spot bugs and abuse. We use PostHog (see Subprocessors below).
- The app stores no analytics identifier on your device: it is held in memory and forgotten when the app closes. You can turn usage analytics off at any time in the app under Settings → Usage analytics.
Error, crash and performance reports
- If the app crashes or hits an error, we log technical information about what happened, and we measure how quickly a sample of screens and requests load. We use Sentry (see Subprocessors below).
- These reports carry your Mackro account ID, a pseudonymous number, so we can tell whether a problem affects one person or many and fix it for the people it affects. They do not include your name, email address, food logs or photos.
Network and device metadata
- IP address (used to detect abuse and apply rate limits; not retained against your account beyond 30 days)
- App user-agent string
Cookies and similar technologies
- The Mackro mobile app does not set cookies. It uses a secure authentication token stored on your device.
- The mackro.co.uk website stores your cookie choice and, only if you accept, sets analytics cookies. The coach dashboard (coach.mackro.co.uk) uses essential cookies to keep coaches signed in. See our Cookie Policy at mackro.co.uk/cookies for details.
Data we receive from third parties
- From Apple or Google, if you sign in with them: an account identifier and your email address. From Apple, also your name if you choose to share it, and a token we keep so that we can revoke Mackro's access to your Apple ID when you delete your account
- From Stripe: subscription status, plan, billing email, customer ID
- From Apple App Store / Google Play (via RevenueCat): IAP entitlement status
- From Google Gemini: the answer to an AI request you made (for example identified foods and estimated macros, a chat reply, or a meal plan)
- From Apple Health / Health Connect, if you connect it: daily steps, active energy and exercise minutes
We do not buy data from data brokers. We do not enrich your profile from third-party sources.
How we use your data (lawful basis under UK GDPR)
| What we do | Why we do it | Lawful basis |
|---|---|---|
| What we doCreate and maintain your account | Why we do itTo provide you with the Service you signed up for | Lawful basisContract |
| What we doSend you service emails when the Service requires it (e.g. password-reset emails, billing receipts, and other account-related notices). | Why we do itTo run the Service | Lawful basisContract |
| What we doProcess your food logs, photos and macros | Why we do itTo provide the core feature of the Service | Lawful basisContract |
| What we doShare your logged data with your linked coach (clients) | Why we do itRequired for the core coach-client feature; you opt in by linking a coach | Lawful basisContract + consent |
| What we doProcess payments | Why we do itTo collect subscription fees | Lawful basisContract |
| What we doKeep a coach's plans and payment records for their clients, and remind clients when a payment is due | Why we do itSo the coach and the client can both see what is owed and what has been paid (Mackro does not handle the money) | Lawful basisContract |
| What we doStore the leads a coach adds | Why we do itSo coaches can manage enquiries from prospective clients and invite them to Mackro | Lawful basisLegitimate interests (helping coaches run their coaching business; we never contact leads or use their details for anything else) |
| What we doDetect and prevent fraud, abuse, and security incidents | Why we do itTo protect the Service and our users | Lawful basisLegitimate interests |
| What we doReview reports of messages and AI coach replies | Why we do itTo act on offensive or harmful content and improve the AI coach's safeguards | Lawful basisLegitimate interests |
| What we doDiagnose crashes, errors and slow performance (Sentry), linked to your account ID | Why we do itTo keep the app working and fix problems for the people they affect | Lawful basisLegitimate interests |
| What we doSend what an AI feature needs to Google Gemini when you use it | Why we do itTo provide the AI features (logging, chat, recipes, plans, meal ideas, and your coach's AI tools) | Lawful basisExplicit consent, which you give in the app before the first AI use and can withdraw in Settings (UK GDPR Articles 6(1)(a) and 9(2)(a)) |
| What we doRead steps, active energy and exercise minutes from Apple Health / Health Connect | Why we do itTo show your activity, and your coach if you have one | Lawful basisExplicit consent, which you give when you connect it (UK GDPR Articles 6(1)(a) and 9(2)(a)) |
| What we doImprove the Service via aggregated analytics | Why we do itTo understand how the Service is used and prioritise improvements | Lawful basisLegitimate interests |
| What we doComply with legal obligations (e.g., tax record-keeping, responding to lawful requests) | Why we do itTo meet our legal duties | Lawful basisLegal obligation |
| What we doSend marketing emails | Why we do itTo tell you about new features (only if you opted in) | Lawful basisConsent |
| What we doKeep the launch mailing list and email the people on it | Why we do itTo tell you when Mackro launches and, if you signed up on the page for coaches, to contact you about setting up your coaching account | Lawful basisConsent, which you give by submitting the form |
You can withdraw consent at any time for marketing emails by clicking unsubscribe at the bottom of any marketing email. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of processing before withdrawal.
How coaches and clients share data
This is the core of how Mackro works, so it deserves its own section.
When a client uses an invite code to link to a coach, the client consents to share with that coach:
- The food they log
- The macros they hit each day
- Photos of meals they upload
- Progress photos they take, with any notes on them
- Body measurements they log (waist, chest, hips, arms and thighs)
- Their check-in answers, including any photos added to a check-in
- Messages they send through the in-app chat
- Their name and profile photo
- Their goals and current weight (if logged)
- Activity synced from Apple Health or Health Connect, if they have connected it
Some of this is health-related data. Where you link with a coach, we process it on the basis of your explicit consent (UK GDPR Article 9(2)(a)), which you give in the app at the moment you link. You can withdraw it at any time by unlinking your coach.
The coach sees this data through the Mackro platform. From the coach dashboard they can also download it: a full export of one client's records (food, weight and body logs, notes, goals and workouts), and summary spreadsheets of their client list (name, email, recent logging, weight trend and attention flags). Our Terms and Acceptable Use Policy require coaches to keep what they download confidential and not to share it with anyone outside the platform without your explicit consent.
A client can unlink from a coach at any time. Once unlinked:
- The coach loses access to the client's data going forward.
- Historical data the coach has already viewed remains in the coach's record only as part of any messages or notes they personally created. The coach cannot continue to view the client's logs or meals.
If a coach blocks or removes a client, the same applies in reverse — the client retains their own data but loses access to that coach.
We are the data controller for client data throughout this flow. Coaches use the data through us and within the bounds of these terms; they are not separate data controllers, and they may use the data, including anything they download, only to coach you.
How we use AI (Google Gemini)
Mackro's AI features run on Google's Gemini models (currently Gemini 3.5 Flash, falling back to Flash-Lite when it is busy), through Google's paid Gemini API. They are optional, and the app asks your permission, naming Google Gemini and the data below, before any of your data is sent. You can turn AI features off at any time in Settings → AI features.
When you use a feature, we send Google what that feature needs:
- AI logging (photo or text): the meal photo, nutrition-label photo and/or description, plus your dietary preferences, allergies and health notes so the estimate respects them.
- AI chat: your message, earlier messages in the conversation and any photo, plus your name, age, sex, height, activity level, goal, training frequency, dietary preferences, allergies, health notes, macro targets, weight trend, recent food logs, exercise and water, and the names and macros of your saved recipes and meals.
- Meal plans and meal ideas: your macro targets, dietary preferences, allergies, health notes and the preferences you choose; for meal plans also your training frequency, and for meal ideas what you have logged today.
- Workout plans: your sex, goal, training frequency and the preferences you choose (training type, split, experience, equipment, days).
- Recipe import: the recipe text or photo only.
- Your coach's AI tools (suggested adjustments and check-in reply drafts): your recent intake, weigh-ins, workout adherence and goal changes, and your check-in answers. These run only if you have allowed AI features yourself, and your coach reviews anything drafted before you see it.
We never send your email address or account ID. Data from Apple Health or Health Connect is never sent to Gemini.
Important things to know:
- No model training. Under Google's terms for the paid Gemini API, Google does not use what we send, or what it returns, to improve its products, and keeps it only for a limited period to detect abuse.
- Data location. Requests are processed in Google's infrastructure, which may be outside the UK / EEA. See International transfers below.
- Cache. We hash meal photos with SHA-256 and cache the AI result. If you (or anyone) uploads an identical photo, we return the cached result rather than re-processing. This reduces cost and latency. The hash is one-way — we cannot reconstruct your photo from the hash.
- Estimates. AI results are estimates. Check them before relying on them; nothing is added to your diary until you confirm it.
- Kill-switch. If the AI cost-protection system trips (e.g., abnormal usage), AI features are automatically disabled platform-wide until manually re-enabled. You can still log foods manually during this time.
You can use Mackro without AI. Every food can be logged manually, and turning AI off or saying “Not now” changes nothing else.
Subprocessors (third parties we use)
We rely on a small set of trusted third parties to run the Service. Each is bound by a data processing agreement that requires them to handle your data only on our instructions and to apply appropriate security.
| Subprocessor | Purpose | Data shared | Location |
|---|---|---|---|
| SubprocessorSupabase | PurposeDatabase and file storage | Data sharedAll account, profile, log, message and photo data | LocationEU (Frankfurt, Germany) |
| SubprocessorRender | PurposeHosting for the Mackro API, the servers the app and coach dashboard talk to | Data sharedAll app data, while it is being processed | LocationEU (Frankfurt, Germany) |
| SubprocessorGoogle Gemini API | PurposeAI features (photo and text logging, chat, recipes, plans, meal ideas, coach AI tools), only after you allow them | Data sharedWhat you give a feature, plus the profile and log details it needs (see How we use AI). Never your email address or account ID | LocationGoogle global |
| SubprocessorStripe | PurposePayment processing for coach plans | Data sharedBilling email, name, payment card (held by Stripe, not us) | LocationUK + US |
| SubprocessorApple App Store / Google Play | PurposeIn-app purchases for Premium | Data sharedApple ID / Google Account email, payment | LocationApple/Google global |
| SubprocessorRevenueCat | PurposePremium subscription and entitlement management | Data sharedYour Mackro account ID, purchase and entitlement status | LocationUS |
| SubprocessorExpo | PurposePush notifications (passed on to Apple or Google for delivery, below) and app updates | Data sharedDevice push token and notification content; device and network details when the app checks for updates | LocationUS |
| SubprocessorApple Push Notification service (Apple) | PurposeDelivers push notifications to iPhones, passed on by Expo | Data sharedDevice push token and the notification content, such as a new coach message (the sender's name and the start of the message) | LocationApple global |
| SubprocessorFirebase Cloud Messaging (Google) | PurposeDelivers push notifications to Android phones, passed on by Expo | Data sharedDevice push token and the notification content, such as a new coach message (the sender's name and the start of the message) | LocationGoogle global |
| SubprocessorSentry | PurposeError, crash and performance monitoring | Data sharedYour Mackro account ID (a pseudonymous number) with crash, error and performance reports. No names, email addresses or food logs | LocationEU (Frankfurt) |
| SubprocessorPostHog | PurposeProduct analytics | Data sharedYour Mackro account ID, plan, and feature-usage events | LocationEU (Frankfurt) |
| SubprocessorResend | PurposeTransactional emails | Data sharedEmail address, message content | LocationUS |
| SubprocessorZoho | PurposeEmail for our support@ and privacy@ mailboxes | Data sharedEmails you send us and our replies | LocationEU |
| SubprocessorVercel | PurposeHosting for mackro.co.uk and the coach dashboard (coach.mackro.co.uk) | Data sharedSite visit metadata; for the coach dashboard, the coach's session and the client data shown to them | LocationUS |
| SubprocessorFasthosts | PurposeDNS for mackro.co.uk | Data sharedStandard DNS lookup metadata only (no personal data processed) | LocationUK |
A current version of this list is also available at mackro.co.uk/subprocessors. We will update this list when subprocessors change.
We will give you reasonable notice (typically 30 days) before adding a new subprocessor that materially changes how we process your data.
International transfers
Some of our subprocessors are based outside the UK or process data in the United States or other regions. When personal data leaves the UK we ensure an appropriate transfer mechanism is in place, such as:
- The UK adequacy regulations for the European Economic Area
- The UK International Data Transfer Agreement (IDTA) or the EU Standard Contractual Clauses with the UK Addendum
- Where applicable, certifications such as the UK Extension to the EU-US Data Privacy Framework
Copies of the relevant agreements are available on request from privacy@mackro.co.uk.
How long we keep your data
| Data type | Retention period |
|---|---|
| Data typeAccount data while account is active | Retention periodFor the lifetime of the account |
| Data typeAccount data after deletion request | Retention periodPermanently deleted within 30 days (see Account deletion below) |
| Data typeLogged food, photos, messages | Retention periodFor the lifetime of the account; deleted with the account |
| Data typePayment records (Stripe-side, RevenueCat-side) | Retention periodPer Stripe / Apple / Google retention; we hold only the customer ID |
| Data typeCoaching plans and payment records | Retention periodUntil the coach deletes them, or until the coach's or the client's account is deleted |
| Data typeCoaching leads | Retention periodUntil the coach deletes the lead, or until the coach's account is deleted (or, for a lead who became a client, that client's account) |
| Data typeReports you make (of a message or an AI coach reply) | Retention periodFor the lifetime of the account; deleted with the account |
| Data typeTax records (invoices, VAT records once registered) | Retention period6 years from end of accounting period (UK statutory) |
| Data typeSentry crash, error and performance reports | Retention period90 days |
| Data typePostHog analytics events | Retention period12 months |
| Data typeServer access logs (with IP) | Retention period30 days |
| Data typeSupport correspondence | Retention period24 months |
| Data typeMarketing email contact (if opted in) | Retention periodUntil you unsubscribe |
| Data typeLaunch mailing list entry (email, form used, sign-up time, IP address) | Retention periodUntil you ask us to delete it. Unsubscribing stops the emails at once; we keep a note that the address unsubscribed so it is not emailed again |
If you ask us to delete your account before the retention periods above expire, we will delete the data on the schedule described in Account deletion below.
Account deletion
You can delete your account from inside the app at any time:
Mobile app: Profile → Settings & account → Delete account. You can also start it on the web at mackro.co.uk/delete-account.
When you request deletion:
- Your account is immediately marked for deletion and you are signed out on every device. Your progress photos are deleted straight away. If you signed in with Apple, we revoke Mackro's access to your Apple ID. If you are a coach paying for a plan by card, it stops renewing.
- There is a 30-day grace period, to protect against accidental or coerced deletion requests. During it you can cancel the deletion by signing back in and choosing to keep your account, or by emailing privacy@mackro.co.uk.
- After 30 days, your account, all logged data, all photos, and all messages are permanently deleted from our production systems.
- Backups containing your data are rotated within a further 60 days. After this period, no copy of your data exists in our systems.
We retain only:
- A minimal record (account ID, deletion date) to comply with our legal obligations and to handle any future legal claims.
- Tax-relevant records (e.g., past invoices) for the statutory retention period.
If you delete your account as a coach, your linked clients are notified and they can choose to either (a) link to a new coach using a new invite code, or (b) continue with a standalone account.
If you delete your account as a client, your linked coach loses access to all your data. Any messages you sent to the coach are deleted from the coach's view as well.
Your rights under UK GDPR
You have the following rights:
- Right of access — request a copy of the personal data we hold about you.
- Right to rectification — ask us to correct inaccurate or incomplete data.
- Right to erasure — ask us to delete your data (see also Account deletion above).
- Right to restrict processing — ask us to pause processing in certain circumstances.
- Right to data portability — receive your data in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format. We provide a JSON export from inside the app (Settings → Request my data).
- Right to object — object to processing based on legitimate interests, including for analytics. In the app you can turn usage analytics off in Settings → Usage analytics.
- Right to withdraw consent — where we rely on consent, you can withdraw it at any time: AI features in Settings → AI features, Apple Health / Health Connect in Settings → Health & activity, sharing with a coach by unlinking them, and marketing emails by unsubscribing.
- Right to be informed — that's what this Privacy Policy is for.
- Rights related to automated decision-making — we do not make decisions that have a legal or similarly significant effect on you using automated processing alone.
To exercise any of these rights, email privacy@mackro.co.uk. We will respond within one calendar month. We may ask you to verify your identity before acting on the request.
If you are not satisfied with our response, you can complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk or by phone on 0303 123 1113.
Security
We take security seriously. The measures we use include:
- All connections to the Service use TLS 1.2 or higher
- Passwords are hashed with industry-standard algorithms; we never store them in plaintext
- Optional two-factor authentication on every account
- Server-side authorisation checks on every request so users can only access their own data (and clients can only access data they are authorised to see based on coach-client links)
- Logging and monitoring of unusual access patterns
- Regular dependency vulnerability scanning
- Encrypted backups
- Limited and audited internal access — only authorised members of the Mackro team can access production systems
No system is completely secure. If we ever detect a personal data breach that is likely to result in risk to your rights, we will notify the ICO within 72 hours and notify affected users without undue delay.
Children
The Service is intended for users aged 16 and over. We do not knowingly collect personal data from anyone under 16. If we become aware that we have collected personal data from someone under 16, we will delete it promptly. If you believe we may have collected such data, contact privacy@mackro.co.uk.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top reflects the most recent change. If we make material changes (for example, adding a significant new use of your data, or adding a subprocessor that materially changes how we process your data), we will notify you in advance — typically 30 days — by email or through an in-app notice.
The latest version is always available at mackro.co.uk/privacy.
Contact us
For privacy questions, data subject requests, or to report a concern:
Email: privacy@mackro.co.uk
Post: Privacy, MACKRO LTD, 71-75 Shelton Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2H 9JQ
For complaints, you can also contact the UK Information Commissioner's Office:
Web: ico.org.uk
Phone: 0303 123 1113