Privacy Policy

Introduction

StoryCodex ("we", "our", or "the app") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle information when you use our Android and iOS applications.

Information We Collect

StoryCodex is designed with privacy as a core principle. The app processes data primarily on your device:

• Local Content: Books, novels, and text files you import are stored locally on your device.
• Reading Progress: Your reading position, bookmarks, and library organization are stored locally (using Room database on Android and SwiftData on iOS).
• App Preferences: Settings such as voice selection, playback speed, and theme preferences are stored locally (via DataStore on Android and UserDefaults/Keychain on iOS).
• AI-Generated Data: Story summaries, character profiles, and codex entries generated by the on-device AI are stored locally.

Google Drive Backup and Restore

StoryCodex offers an optional Google Drive backup and restore feature. If you choose to sign in with Google and enable this feature, the app accesses only the app-specific appDataFolder in your own Google Drive account.

• Purpose: To back up and restore your StoryCodex data between installs or devices.
• Data involved: Your library metadata, reading progress, app preferences, and Story Codex data.
• Scope of access: StoryCodex does not browse, read, or modify your normal Google Drive files outside the private app data folder.
• User control: Google Drive access is used only when you choose to back up or restore your data, and you can revoke access from your Google account permissions.

Data Portability (Portable Export & Import)

StoryCodex supports full data portability. You can export a local, portable backup of your entire library, database data, and user documents at any time.

• User Control: You choose where the exported backup file is saved on your device or external storage.
• Data Included: The export contains your complete database (library metadata, reading progress, app preferences) and all your imported user documents and book files.
• Offline Security: These portable exports are created entirely offline on your device, and we have no access to them.
• Persistence: Because these files are saved to user-selected folders, they are not deleted when you uninstall StoryCodex. You must delete them manually if you wish to remove them.

On-Device Processing

StoryCodex uses on-device AI models (including llama.cpp/llama-kotlin, LiteRT/Gemma, and Sherpa-ONNX for text-to-speech) to provide its core features. This means your content is processed locally on your device and is not sent to external servers for AI analysis or voice generation by default.

Optional Cloud Features

If you choose to enable optional cloud AI features (such as Claude integration), the relevant text content will be sent to third-party AI providers for processing. This is entirely opt-in and clearly indicated in the app settings. We recommend reviewing the privacy policies of these third-party services if you choose to use them.

Network Access

The app may access the internet for the following purposes:

• Downloading chapters from web URLs you provide
• Downloading AI models or voice packs (one-time downloads stored locally)
• Backing up or restoring your StoryCodex data to or from your own Google Drive appDataFolder when you enable that feature
• Optional cloud AI features when explicitly enabled by you
• Sending anonymous usage analytics to Firebase Analytics (if not disabled)
• Serving advertisements via Google AdMob (unless advertisements are disabled via in-app purchase). On iOS, personalized ads are only served if you explicitly grant tracking permission via the App Tracking Transparency prompt.

Analytics and Telemetry

To understand how StoryCodex is used and to improve the app, we collect basic, anonymous usage data using Firebase Analytics.

• What is collected: We log basic interactions such as when a book is imported, when text-to-speech is started, and when Story Codex lore is generated. We also track basic technical errors (such as chapter loading failures) and standard app usage metrics (such as screen views and session durations).
• What is NOT collected: We do NOT collect the contents of the books you read, your personal text files, or the specific text generated by the AI models. Your personal reading data is kept private.
• User Control: You have full control over this data collection. You can opt out completely at any time by disabling the "Share Usage Data" toggle in the app's Settings menu.

Data Storage

All your data, including imported books, reading progress, preferences, and AI-generated content is stored locally on your device. If you enable Google Drive backup, a backup copy of selected StoryCodex data is stored in your own Google Drive appDataFolder. We do not maintain servers that store your personal reading data. Uninstalling the app will remove all locally stored application data, but any backups you created in your own Google Drive or any portable export files you saved to your device's local storage remain there until you delete them.

Third-Party Services

StoryCodex may integrate with third-party services for specific features. When you use these services, their respective privacy policies apply. This includes Google Drive for optional backup and restore, Firebase Analytics for anonymous usage data, Google AdMob for advertisements, web content providers when extracting chapters from URLs, and optional cloud AI services.

Children's Privacy

StoryCodex is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe we have inadvertently collected such information, please contact us so we can promptly address the issue.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be reflected on this page with an updated revision date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

Contact Us

If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our practices, please visit our support page.