BookstubBookstub privacy policy
Bookstub has no account and no server of its own. Your books, logs, lines, stubs, pacts and bingo cards are stored on your iPhone, encrypted with a key kept in the iOS Keychain. The app collects no analytics and does not track you. This policy describes the app as built, before release. Updated October 10, 2026.
What does Bookstub store, and where?
Everything you create sits on your iPhone: books, reading logs, lines, notes, stubs, pacts, bingo cards and settings. It is encrypted at rest with a key stored in the iOS Keychain. Bookstub has no server where this data could be copied.
What happens when I search for a book?
When you search the catalog or scan a barcode, your search words or the ISBN go from your iPhone directly to Google Books, the default, or to Open Library if you choose it in Settings. That service receives the query and your network address, as any website would. Results are cached on your iPhone for 30 days. No cover images are requested.
What is inside the links I send?
Pacts, bingo cards, stack matches and stub links hold their data inside the link, after the # sign, which browsers never send to a server. A link carries only what it needs: book titles and authors, ratings, page numbers, the nickname you chose and a random four-character tag.
Notes, line text, email, device identifiers and location never travel in a link. The web page that opens links decodes them in your browser and shows no nicknames.
What about purchases?
Bookstub Pass is sold through the App Store, and Apple processes payment. RevenueCat, the purchase service the app uses, receives the App Store receipt and a random app user identifier so the Pass can be restored. It is not used for tracking. In the privacy manifest this is declared as purchase history, not linked to you, used only for app functionality.
Which permissions does the app ask for?
The camera is requested only on the Scan barcode screen, only to read the ISBN, and nothing is recorded or saved. Photos access is add-only, requested when you first tap Save image. Notifications are local reminders that you switch on, and nothing is sent from a server.
How do I control or delete my data?
Export a backup in Settings, Backup and export. Settings, Delete all data erases everything Bookstub stores on the iPhone, including the encryption key, the search cache and scheduled reminders. Purchases stay with your Apple ID, because Apple holds them.
Does Bookstub track me or show ads?
No. The app shows no advertising and lists no tracking domains. It declares that it does not track you.
Is it for children?
Bookstub is not directed to children and collects no personal data from anyone.
What if this policy changes?
A new version appears on this page with a new date. Questions can go through the App Support link once Bookstub is on the App Store.
Frequently asked questions
Does Bookstub have analytics?
No. The app sends no usage analytics to anyone.
Who sees my book searches?
Google Books or Open Library, whichever catalog you picked, receives the search words or ISBN you sent. Bookstub itself never sees them.
Can the developer read my reading log?
No. It exists only on your iPhone, and no server of Bookstub receives it.