Last updated: August 2026
Introduction
Wheel of Food ("we", "our", or "us"), operated by Summit Technology Group LLC, is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application.
Information We Collect
We collect information that you provide directly to us:
- Restaurant Lists: The restaurants and lists you create are stored locally on your device.
- Device Information: Device type, operating system version, and app version.
- Device Identifiers: A platform-provided device identifier (Android ID or iOS Vendor ID) used solely for API rate limiting and abuse prevention. This particular identifier is not used for advertising — see the advertising identifier below, which is.
- Advertising Data: Ad interaction data for displaying relevant advertisements via Google AdMob.
- Advertising Identifier: On Android, Google AdMob collects your device's Android Advertising ID and shares it with Google to select and measure advertisements; you can reset the identifier or opt out of personalised advertising at any time in Settings → Google → Ads. Opting out does not remove ads, it makes them less relevant. On iOS, the app asks your permission first (Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt). Only if you choose Allow does AdMob receive the Identifier for Advertisers to personalise and measure ads. If you choose Ask App Not to Track, it is never shared, you still see ads (just less tailored ones), and every feature works the same. You can change this at any time in Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking. The separate device identifier used for rate limiting (above) is never used for advertising.
Location Information
When you use the "Nearby" feature, we access your device's location to find restaurants near you. Your precise location is never stored on our servers. For cache lookups, your coordinates are rounded to a coarse grid (~0.7 miles), and only these rounded coordinates are used as cache keys. Your exact location is not recoverable from these keys.
How We Use Your Information
We use collected information to:
- Provide and improve app functionality
- Display relevant advertisements
- Prevent abuse and enforce API rate limits
- Monitor aggregate API usage to manage service costs and prevent overruns
Third-Party Services
Our app uses the following third-party services:
- Google Places API: For restaurant search, details, and photos
- Google AdMob: For displaying advertisements
- App Store/Google Play: For in-app purchases
Data Storage
Local Storage: Your restaurant lists and preferences are stored locally on your device.
On-Device Search Cache: When you use the "Nearby" feature, search results (restaurant names, addresses, ratings, locations, cuisine types, and opening status) are cached locally on your device for up to 30 days to enable faster loading and offline access. This cache is keyed by rounded grid coordinates, not your precise location. Cached data is automatically deleted after 30 days or when you clear app data.
Rate Limit Records: Your device identifier and request timestamps are stored temporarily on our servers (Azure Table Storage) to enforce API rate limits. These records are used only for rate limiting and are not shared with third parties.
Server-Side Caching: To reduce costs and improve response times, we cache certain data on our servers:
- Search results — restaurant names, addresses, ratings, locations, cuisine types, and opening status are cached for up to 30 days, keyed by rounded grid coordinates (not your precise location)
- Restaurant photos — individual photos are cached in cloud storage for up to 180 days
- Only essential fields are cached. Full API responses, user reviews, and other user-generated content are not stored.
Global Usage Counters: Aggregate API request counts (with no user-identifiable data) are maintained to monitor service costs.
No Account Required: We do not require you to create an account.
Check-In Pings (Live Map): The Live Map feature, when enabled, lets you anonymously check in to show approximate activity on a shared map. Check-in coordinates are coarsened to a roughly 1.1km grid cell on your device before they are ever sent — we never receive or store your precise location for this feature. Check-in pings are not tied to a device identifier or any other identifying information, and the feed showing recent check-ins is viewable by anyone (it is an anonymous, public visualization, not a private per-user record). Pings are automatically deleted within a few hours.
Data Retention
- Local data (lists, preferences) remains on your device until you delete the app or clear app data
- On-device nearby search cache entries are automatically deleted after 30 days
- Rate limit records are automatically purged after 24 hours
- Search result cache entries are automatically deleted after 30 days
- Place detail cache entries are automatically deleted after 7–30 days
- Photo cache entries are automatically deleted after 180 days via cloud storage lifecycle policy
- Global API usage counters contain no user-identifiable data and are purged after 7 days
- Check-in pings (Live Map) are automatically purged within a few hours of being sent
Data Security
We take reasonable measures to protect your information. All data exchanged between the app and our servers is encrypted in transit using HTTPS/TLS. Server-side data (temporary rate-limiting records and anonymized caches) is stored in Microsoft Azure and protected by Azure's security controls. Wheel of Food has no user accounts and stores no passwords — your restaurant lists, spin history, and preferences stay on your device. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we work to safeguard your information using industry-standard practices.
Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Access your data (stored locally on your device)
- Delete your data by clearing app data or uninstalling the app (see our Data Deletion page)
- Opt out of personalized advertising via device settings
This Website
The app and this website are separate. The app contains no analytics software. This website, wheeloffood.app, uses Google Analytics to count visits and to record which store button people press, so we know whether the site is doing its job.
Google Analytics sets cookies in your browser and receives your IP address, the pages you view, and general information about your device and browser. We do not use it to identify you, and we do not combine it with anything from the app.
You can opt out for every site that uses it by installing the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on, or by blocking cookies in your browser settings. Nothing on this site requires cookies to work.
Children's Privacy
Our app is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by updating the "Last Updated" date.
Contact Us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us: