Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy explains how ReadUp : Earn your Screen Time ("ReadUp," "we," "us," or "our") handles information when you use the ReadUp iOS app, the readup-app.com website, and related services.

The current app does not require or offer a ReadUp account, and we do not ask for your name, email address, contacts, precise location, photos, microphone, or camera access to provide the app.

2. Information We Handle

The app stores the following information locally on your device:

• Reading data, including books opened or completed, reading position, pages read, active reading time, and progress totals.
• Your reader, reading-goal, and unlock-session settings, downloaded books, onboarding status, and related app state.
• Opaque app, category, and website selection tokens supplied by Apple's Screen Time frameworks, plus the state needed to apply shields and run fixed unlock sessions.

When analytics and purchases are configured in the distributed app, we and our service providers also receive:

• A randomly generated, pseudonymous installation or customer identifier. ReadUp uses the RevenueCat anonymous customer identifier in PostHog so purchase and product events can be understood together. We do not attach a name or email address to this identifier.
• Product analytics, including app lifecycle and screen-view events; onboarding progress and your self-reported discovery source; books viewed, downloaded, opened, deleted, or completed; reading-goal minutes; unlock minutes; subscription actions and plan or product identifiers; and technical error details. Some book events include the book's title or author.
• Technical data automatically associated with app requests or analytics, such as IP address, device type, operating-system version, app version, locale, time zone, and event date and time.
• Purchase and entitlement data processed by Apple and RevenueCat, including the anonymous customer identifier, product and subscription status, transaction and receipt information, storefront, and related device or app information. ReadUp does not receive your full payment-card details.

On the ReadUp website, we use PostHog to record a landing-page visit and an App Store button click. These events may include the referring website, campaign tags in the URL (such as Instagram or TikTok), the requested URL, browser or device information, IP address, and date and time. The website assigns a random identifier for the current page visit only; it does not store that identifier in a cookie or browser storage.

If you contact us, we receive the email address, message, and any other information you choose to send. Requests to our website and book-download infrastructure may also create standard server logs, including IP address, requested URL, browser or device information, and date and time.

3. Screen Time Privacy

ReadUp uses Apple's Family Controls, Managed Settings, and Device Activity frameworks to let you choose apps, categories, or websites to shield. Apple supplies privacy-preserving tokens rather than the ordinary names of your selections. ReadUp does not receive your full installed-app list, browsing history, messages, or content from other apps.

Your selection tokens and unlock-session state are kept in ReadUp's on-device app-group storage so the app and its Screen Time extensions can apply your choices. During an unlock session, Apple's framework reports when configured usage thresholds are reached so ReadUp can reduce the remaining session and relock your selections. ReadUp does not send your selection tokens or detailed Screen Time usage history to PostHog or RevenueCat.

4. Book and Reading Data

Detailed reading position, active-reading totals, and reader settings are kept on your device. ReadUp uses them to show progress and determine unlock eligibility. Page or location progress and inactivity checks support the active-reading-time requirement.

PostHog receives the limited book and product events described above, but not the text you read or your precise position within a book. Book and catalog downloads come from ReadUp-controlled domains backed by our hosting and storage providers; those requests necessarily disclose network information such as your IP address.

5. How and Why We Use Information

We use information to:

• Provide the reading, progress, shielding, and unlock features you request.
• Keep local reading history, goals, settings, and unlock-session state.
• Deliver the catalog, books, and covers.
• Process purchases, verify subscription access, and restore purchases.
• Understand onboarding, website referrals, App Store interest, and feature use; improve the service; diagnose errors; secure the service; and provide support.
• Comply with legal obligations and App Store requirements.

Where applicable law requires a legal basis, we process information as needed to provide the service and purchases you request, for our legitimate interests in operating, securing, supporting, and improving ReadUp, to comply with law, and with consent where the law requires it.

We do not sell personal information, share it for cross-context behavioral advertising, show third-party ads, or use Apple's advertising identifier. We do not use Screen Time selections or reading activity for third-party advertising.

6. Service Providers and Other Disclosures

We disclose information only as needed to the following recipients:

• Apple, for App Store distribution, Screen Time frameworks, payments, subscriptions, and device services.
• RevenueCat, to manage subscription products, receipts, anonymous customer records, and entitlements. RevenueCat may also forward subscription lifecycle events to our PostHog project.
• PostHog, for pseudonymous product and website analytics. The current configuration collects lifecycle, screen-view, app-defined events, landing-page visits, campaign attribution, and App Store button clicks as described above. ReadUp does not enable PostHog session replay or automatic element-interaction recording.
• Hosting and storage providers, to host the website and deliver the catalog, books, covers, and other service assets.

These providers process information under their own terms and our service arrangements. You can review Apple's Privacy Policy, RevenueCat's Privacy Policy, and PostHog's Privacy Policy. We may also disclose information when required by law, to protect rights or safety, in connection with a corporate transaction, or with your direction.

7. Storage and Security

Reading state, settings, downloaded books, and Screen Time tokens are stored locally rather than in a ReadUp account or ReadUp cloud sync service. Apple stores App Store transaction records, while RevenueCat, PostHog, and our infrastructure providers process the limited service data described above.

We use reasonable safeguards designed to protect information, but no system can guarantee absolute security.

8. Retention and Deletion

Local app data remains until you change or delete it or remove the app, subject to iOS backup and app-group behavior. Downloaded books can be removed individually in the app. You can change your Screen Time selections in ReadUp and revoke Screen Time authorization in iOS settings.

We retain analytics, server logs, support correspondence, and pseudonymous purchase records only as long as reasonably needed for the purposes above, our configured provider retention periods, and legal, accounting, security, or dispute requirements. Apple and our providers apply their own retention rules. You may request deletion of data we control by emailing us; because ReadUp has no account, we may need your RevenueCat anonymous customer identifier or other information sufficient to locate a record.

9. Your Choices and Rights

You can control Screen Time authorization and cellular access through iOS settings, manage subscriptions through your Apple Account, and manage reading settings, book downloads, and Screen Time selections in ReadUp.

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to know about, access, correct, delete, or obtain a copy of personal information, and to object to or restrict certain processing. You may also complain to your local data-protection authority. We will not discriminate against you for exercising a privacy right. To make a request, email [email protected]. We may need to verify the request and may retain information where the law permits or requires.

10. Children's Privacy

ReadUp is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn that a child under 13 has provided personal information, we will take reasonable steps to delete it.

11. International Processing

Our providers may process information in the United States and other countries where privacy laws may differ from those where you live. Where required, we rely on recognized transfer mechanisms or other appropriate safeguards.

12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as the app or law changes. We will change the "Last updated" date above and provide any additional notice required by law.

13. Contact

ReadUp is responsible for the processing described in this policy. For questions, privacy requests, or complaints, email [email protected].