Privacy Policy

1. No Account Required

libFT requires no registration, login, or account of any kind. We do not collect your name, email address, or any personally identifying information.

2. Data Stored Locally on Your Device

All app data is stored exclusively on your device. Structured data lives in a private SQLite database; downloaded audio files live in the app's private storage directory. This includes:

• Your playback progress (book, track, and position in milliseconds) for both remote and local titles.
• Your favorite books list.
• Your bookmarks (track index, position, and any optional label you add).
• Metadata cached from archive.org to speed up browsing (book titles, authors, cover URLs).
• Your local library index (file paths, track names, cover images found on-device).
• Audiobook audio files you choose to download for offline playback, stored under the app's private documents folder. You can delete a download at any time from the book details screen, and the app can be configured to auto-delete a download once you finish the book.
• Your in-app preferences (theme, interface language, playback speed, sleep-timer choice, auto-resume, download policy, Wi-Fi-only setting, and storage limit).

None of this data is transmitted to us or to any third-party server.

3. Internet Access

The app uses an internet connection solely to:

• Fetch book metadata and cover art from the archive.org API (librivox.org catalogue).
• Stream audio files from archive.org when you press play on a remote title.
• Download audio files from archive.org for offline playback, when you choose to download a book.

These requests go directly to archive.org / librivox.org, which are operated by the Internet Archive, a US 501(c)(3) nonprofit. We do not operate any intermediate server, proxy, or analytics endpoint. Your IP address is visible to archive.org during streaming and downloading, as with any direct internet connection. Please refer to the Internet Archive's privacy policy for their data practices.

4. Network State Awareness

The app inspects whether your device is connected via Wi-Fi or cellular so that it can respect your "stream on mobile data" and "download on Wi-Fi only" settings, and so that it can show an offline banner when no connection is available. This check happens entirely on your device. We do not transmit your connection type, IP address, or any related information to our servers — we have no servers.

5. Storage Awareness

To display the offline-storage progress bar in Settings, the app reads the total and available storage of your device. This is a local read-only measurement; the values are shown to you in the UI and are never transmitted off the device.

6. Device Permissions

Android

• Read Media Audio (Android 13+) / Read External Storage (Android 12 and below) — used solely to scan a user-selected folder for audio files and to display cover art found on-device. The app never modifies or deletes your files. These permissions are requested only when you choose to use the local library feature; the remote streaming feature works without any storage permission.
• Post Notifications — required to show the media playback notification (play/pause controls, track name) in the system notification shade on Android 13+. No notification is sent for any other purpose.
• Foreground Service / Wake Lock — allow uninterrupted background audio playback while the screen is off.
• Internet — required for streaming and downloading audiobooks from archive.org and for fetching catalogue metadata. No other network destinations are used.

iOS

• Background Audio (UIBackgroundModes: audio) — allows audiobook playback to continue while the screen is off or another app is in the foreground. Required for any audiobook listening session longer than the screen-on timeout.
• File Sharing (UIFileSharingEnabled and LSSupportsOpeningDocumentsInPlace) — exposes the app's Documents folder in the iOS Files app so you can drop your own audiobook folders into libFT. The app does not request access to your wider file system; you place files into the app, not the other way around.
• Documents Folder Usage (NSDocumentsFolderUsageDescription) — shown only when you tap "Import Files" and select audiobooks through the system document picker. Selected files are copied into the app's private storage; the originals are not altered.

The iOS build does not access your Apple Music library, Photos, Microphone, Camera, Contacts, Calendar, Reminders, Health data, Location, or Bluetooth.

When you use the manual file import option on either platform, selected files are copied into the app's private storage directory. The originals on your device are not altered.

7. Analytics and Advertising

libFT contains no analytics SDKs, no advertising networks, and no crash-reporting services. We do not track how you use the app, which books you listen to, or how long you listen. There are no ads.

8. Children's Privacy

libFT does not knowingly collect any information from children under 13. Because no personal data is collected from any user, the app is safe for use by all ages.

9. Data Retention and Deletion

All data lives on your device. You can clear it at any time by clearing the app's storage in your device settings (on Android: Settings → Apps → libFT → Storage → Clear data; on iOS: delete and reinstall the app), or by uninstalling the app. Downloaded audio files can also be removed individually from the book details screen. We hold no copy of your data and there is nothing for us to delete on our end.

10. Changes to This Policy

If we update this policy, the "Last updated" date above will change. Continued use of the app after any change constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact

Questions or concerns? Email us at [email protected].