The short version: we collect what we need to track your reading and connect you with other readers. We don’t run ads, we don’t sell your data, and you can delete your account at any time. The details are below.
1. What this policy covers
This policy explains how Storyish (“we”, “us”) handles personal information when you use the Storyish iOS app, the website at https://storyish.app, and related services (the “Service”). It should be read with our Terms of Service.
Storyish is currently operated by an individual developer based in Arizona, who is the controller of your personal information for the purposes of the GDPR and similar laws. Once the company that will run Storyish is formed, it will become the controller, and we will tell you before that change takes effect.
2. Information we collect
Information you give us
- Account details. When you sign in with Apple or Google, we receive an account identifier, your email address (or an Apple private relay address, if you chose to hide it) and, if you allow it, your name.
- Profile. Username, display name, avatar, bio, favorite books and genres, and whether your profile is public or private.
- Reading activity. The books you add, their status, format and edition, ratings, reviews, private notes, shelves, reading dates, progress, timed reading sessions, your annual goal, streaks and achievements.
- Imports. If you import from Goodreads or StoryGraph, the app reads your export file on your device and sends us the book rows: titles, authors, ISBNs, ratings, shelves, dates and reviews. We do not keep the file itself.
- Social activity. Who you follow, the clubs you join or run, and the posts, messages, replies, reactions, photos and book suggestions you share in them.
- Reports and support. Reports you file about content or other users, and anything you send us by email.
Information collected automatically
- Device and push data. If you enable notifications, a push token for your device and your notification preferences.
- Technical data. IP address, device model, operating system, app version, and logs our servers record when the app talks to them. We use these to run and secure the Service.
Information from others
- Subscriptions. If you buy Storyish Plus, Apple and our subscription provider tell us your subscription status, product, and renewal and expiry dates. We never receive your payment card details.
- Other readers. Other users may mention you, reply to you, or add you to a club.
Camera
If you scan a barcode, the camera is used on your device to read the ISBN. Images from the camera are not stored or sent to us. Photos you choose to attach to a post or profile are uploaded.
We do not collect precise location, contacts, health data, or advertising identifiers, and we do not track you across other companies’ apps or websites.
3. How we use it
We use personal information to:
- create and run your account, and sync your library across your devices;
- show your profile, reviews and activity to the audience you choose;
- run clubs, feeds, follows and notifications;
- calculate your stats, streaks, goals, achievements and recaps;
- match your books to our catalog, including during imports;
- provide Storyish Plus and check which features you have access to;
- moderate content, respond to reports and keep the community safe;
- prevent fraud, abuse and security incidents;
- understand how the Service is used, fix bugs and build new features;
- reply to you and send important service messages;
- comply with the law and enforce our Terms.
Legal bases (EEA and UK). We rely on contract to provide the Service you asked for; on legitimate interests to keep it secure, prevent abuse and improve it; on consent for push notifications and anything else we ask your permission for; and on legal obligation where the law requires it. You can withdraw consent at any time.
We do not show ads, we do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.
4. What other readers can see
Public profile. Other signed-in readers can see your username, display name, avatar, bio, favorite books, public shelves, ratings, reviews, reading activity and basic stats.
Private profile. Your library and activity are visible only to you. Your username and avatar can still appear on posts you make in clubs and book discussions.
Clubs. Posts in a public club can be read by anyone who opens that club. Posts in a private club are visible to its members. Club owners and moderators can remove posts in their club.
Always private. Private notes, your email address, your push token and your subscription details are never shown to other readers.
5. Who we share it with
We share personal information only as described here. Our service providers process it on our behalf, under contract, and only to provide their service to us:
- Supabase — database, authentication, realtime updates and server functions.
- Cloudflare — storage and delivery of images such as avatars, post photos and book covers.
- Apple — Sign in with Apple, push notifications and App Store billing.
- Google — Sign in with Google, if you use it.
- RevenueCat — subscription management for Storyish Plus.
- Our website host — serving this website and its logs.
To fill in book details we query catalog sources such as Hardcover, Open Library and Google Books. Those requests contain book identifiers like ISBNs and titles, not your identity.
We may also disclose information:
- when required by law, subpoena or other legal process;
- to protect the rights, safety or property of our users, the public or Storyish;
- as part of a merger, acquisition, financing or sale of assets, in which case we will tell you before your information becomes subject to a different policy;
- with your consent or at your direction, for example when you share a recap image.
6. How long we keep it
We keep your information while your account is open. When you delete your account in Settings, your account, profile, library, reading history, follows and posts are deleted from our live database straight away. Copies can remain in encrypted backups for a limited period until they are overwritten.
We keep some information longer where we need to: records of reports and enforcement action to prevent abuse, subscription records for tax and accounting, and correspondence with you for as long as it is relevant. Aggregated information that no longer identifies you, such as how many people have read a book, may be kept indefinitely.
7. Your choices
- Profile visibility. Switch between a public and private profile at any time.
- Notifications. Choose which notifications you get in Settings, or turn them off in iOS Settings.
- Edit or delete content. Edit or delete your reviews, notes, posts and shelves in the app.
- Delete your account. Settings → Delete account. Remember to cancel any App Store subscription separately.
8. Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, delete or receive a portable copy of your personal information; to object to or restrict certain processing; and to withdraw consent. These rights apply under laws including the GDPR, the UK GDPR, and U.S. state privacy laws such as the California Consumer Privacy Act.
To exercise a right, email [email protected] from the address on your account. We may need to verify your identity before acting. You may use an authorized agent where the law allows. We will not discriminate against you for exercising your rights.
If you are in the EEA, UK or Switzerland, you can also complain to your local data protection authority. We would appreciate the chance to address your concern first.
9. California residents
In the past 12 months we have collected these categories of personal information, from the sources and for the purposes described above: identifiers (such as name, email, username and account IDs); commercial information (subscription purchases); internet or network activity (use of the Service and technical logs); photos you upload; and inferences drawn from your reading, such as favorite genres, used only to provide the Service.
We disclose these categories to the service providers listed in Section 5 for business purposes. We do not sell or share personal information, as those terms are defined in the CCPA, and we have no actual knowledge of selling or sharing information of consumers under 16. We do not use sensitive personal information for purposes that would give rise to a right to limit.
10. Security
We protect your information with encryption in transit, access controls that limit each reader to their own data, and restricted access for our team. No system is perfectly secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. If you think your account has been compromised, contact us at [email protected].
11. International transfers
We and our providers may process your information in the United States and other countries whose data protection laws differ from yours. Where the law requires it, we rely on safeguards such as the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses for these transfers.
12. Children
Storyish is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child under 13 has given us personal information, email [email protected] and we will delete it.
13. Changes to this policy
We will update this policy as the Service changes. The effective date at the top shows when it last changed. If a change is material, we will tell you in the app or by email before it takes effect.
14. Contact
Questions or requests about your privacy? Email [email protected].