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iPhone, iPad, and Mac app privacy · Effective October 26, 2026

OpenReader for iPhone, iPad, and Mac collects no data.

This policy covers the OpenReader app for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, published by Richard Roberson through the App Store and TestFlight. The Mac version is the same app, so everything below applies to it too.

  • No developer data collection
  • No accounts
  • No analytics or tracking
  • On-device speech by default

At a glance

  1. 01What we collectNothing.
  2. 02What stays on your deviceYour library and reading data stay on the device. External voices send content only to services you authorize.
  3. 03When the app uses the networkVoice downloads, the free-book catalog, and optional speech providers you authorize.
  4. 04Optional iCloud syncOff by default. When on, it uses your private iCloud, which the developer can’t read.
  5. 05ChildrenNo personal information from anyone, including children.
  6. 06Changes and contactUpdates change the date above. Questions go to GitHub issues.

Section 1

What we collect

Nothing.

Nothing. The app has no accounts, no analytics, no advertising, no crash-reporting service, and no third-party tracking SDKs. The developer does not receive your documents, your reading history, your voice settings, or any information that identifies you or your device. Nothing is sold or shared, and nothing is used for advertising.

Section 2

What stays on your device

Your library and reading data stay on the device. External voices send content only to services you authorize.

  • Documents: the EPUB, PDF, Markdown, and text files you import or write are stored in the app's own storage on your device.
  • Speech: text is turned into speech on your device by Kokoro, Supertonic, or your installed system voices. If you choose an external speech provider, the narration text and your instructions are sent directly to that service. For a cloned voice, the selected reference recording and any transcript are sent with each speech request.
  • Text recognition and highlighting: reading scanned PDF pages and timing word highlights both use Apple's on-device frameworks.
  • Reading data: positions, bookmarks, folders, themes, and voice preferences are kept on your device, and generated audio and exported audiobooks stay there too.

Deleting a book removes it and its generated audio. Deleting the app removes everything it stored on the device.

Section 3

When the app uses the network

Voice downloads, the free-book catalog, and optional speech providers you authorize.

The app connects to the internet only when you use one of the features below. Like any web request, these connections reveal your IP address and basic request details to the server. Downloads and catalog requests do not include your documents. Optional external speech requests carry the content and provider-account credential described below. The developer does not use these requests to identify or track you.

  • Optional external speech: choosing a service such as Fish Audio or OpenRouter sends narration text, instructions, and your provider API key directly to that service after you authorize it on this device. Cloned voices also send the private reference clip and any transcript during generation. Provider policies and charges apply. Samples stay in the app's private storage and are not synced through iCloud. Saved API keys use Keychain. Local voices send no content to a speech provider.
  • Voice downloads (Hugging Face): the optional Kokoro and Supertonic voice models are downloaded from Hugging Face when you choose one, and are checked against a pinned checksum before use. See the Hugging Face privacy policy.
  • Book catalog (Gutendex): browsing or searching the Project Gutenberg catalog sends your search terms and language filter to a Gutendex catalog server run by the developer. These requests carry no account or device identifier.
  • Book downloads (Project Gutenberg): adding a book from the catalog downloads its file from Project Gutenberg. See the Project Gutenberg privacy policy.

Section 4

Optional iCloud sync

Off by default. When on, it uses your private iCloud, which the developer can’t read.

iCloud sync is off until you turn it on in Settings. When it is on, your documents, reading positions, bookmarks, folders, theme, and speech preferences are stored in your own private iCloud database through Apple's CloudKit, so they can sync between your devices. The developer cannot access your private iCloud database. Generated audio is never synced. Apple handles this data under the Apple Privacy Policy. Turning sync off stops syncing, and you can manage or delete iCloud data in your device's iCloud settings.

Section 5

Children

No personal information from anyone, including children.

The app collects no personal information from anyone, including children under 13.

Section 6

Changes and contact

Updates change the date above. Questions go to GitHub issues.

If the app's handling of data changes, this page will be updated and its effective date changed. For privacy questions, open an issue on the OpenReader GitHub project. Please do not include document contents or other private information in a public issue.