Privacy Policy
Last updated: January 22, 2026
BookShelf ("we", "us", or "our") operates the BookShelf mobile application. This policy describes how we collect, use, and protect your information.
Information We Collect
Account Information
- Email address and display name when you create an account
- Profile photo (optional)
Reading Data
- Books you add to your shelf
- Reading status, ratings, notes, and tags
- Reading progress and completion dates
Library Preferences
- Your selected public library (if you connect one)
- Bookstore preferences
Device Data
- Camera access (only when scanning barcodes or book covers—images are processed on-device and not uploaded)
How We Use Your Information
- To provide and personalize the app experience
- To sync your library across devices
- To generate personalized book recommendations
- To enable sharing within Circles you join
- To check book availability at your library
- To improve the app and fix errors
Third-Party Services
We use the following services:
- Clerk — Authentication
- RevenueCat — Subscription management
- Sentry — Error monitoring and crash reporting
- Anthropic — Personalized recommendations (your reading history is used to generate suggestions; no personal identifiers are sent)
- Google Books, OpenLibrary, ISBNdb — Book metadata
These services have their own privacy policies governing their use of data.
Circles and Shared Data
When you join a Circle, other members can see:
- Your display name and avatar
- Books you choose to share
- Ratings and progress (if you enable these)
- Comments and reactions you post
You control what gets shared via your Circle settings. You can hide specific books from specific Circles.
Data Storage and Security
- Your data is stored on secure servers
- Authentication tokens are stored in your device's secure Keychain
- All data is transmitted over HTTPS
Data Retention
We retain your data while your account is active. You can request deletion of your account and associated data by contacting us.
Your Rights
You may:
- Access and export your reading data
- Correct inaccurate information
- Delete your account
- Opt out of personalized recommendations
Children's Privacy
BookShelf is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy periodically. We'll notify you of significant changes through the app.
