Arch Buddy ("we", "us", "our") is built with your privacy in mind. This policy explains what information is collected, how it is used, and what choices you have.
By downloading or using Arch Buddy you agree to the terms of this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the app.
| Type | What | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Reading sessions | Word count, WPM, completion status, timestamps | On your device only |
| Archive progress | Level, streak, Bookmarks, Scrolls, owned Realms, Augments, skins | On your device only |
| Settings & preferences | WPM, highlight colour, font choice, sound preferences | On your device only |
| Scanned images (Pro OCR) | Photos or screenshots you submit for Deep OCR | Sent to OpenAI—see Section 5 |
| Purchase records | What you've bought—managed by Apple or Google | Apple ID / Google account—not us |
| Anonymous analytics | Crash reports, feature usage counts (no personal identifiers) | Analytics provider—see Section 7 |
We do not collect: your name, email address, location, contacts, photos library access, or any identifier that can personally identify you.
Your reading history, Archive world, earned currencies, streaks, level progress, settings, and preferences are stored entirely on your device using local storage. This data is never transmitted to our servers—we do not operate any servers that store user data.
This means:
- No account is required to use Arch Buddy
- We cannot access your reading history
- If you delete the app, locally stored data is lost (see Purchases section for what can be restored)
- Your reading log entries are automatically deleted after 21 days—this happens locally on your device
| Service | Purpose | Their policy |
|---|---|---|
| Apple App Store | App distribution, payment processing, subscription management | apple.com/legal/privacy |
| Google Play | App distribution, payment processing (Android, if applicable) | policies.google.com/privacy |
| RevenueCat | In-app purchase and subscription management | revenuecat.com/privacy |
| OpenAI | Pro Deep OCR—image text extraction (Pro users only, opt-in per scan) | openai.com/policies/privacy-policy |
We are not responsible for the privacy practices of these third-party services. We encourage you to review their privacy policies.
When you choose to use Pro Deep OCR, the image or photo you submit is sent over the internet to OpenAI's API (specifically GPT-4o Mini) for text extraction. This is the only circumstance in which any data leaves your device to a service other than Apple or Google for purchases.
What is sent: The image you submit for scanning. No other data from your device—not your reading history, Archive progress, or any identifier—is included in that request.
What is not sent: Your name, email, location, contacts, other photos, or any data from your Archive or reading history.
OpenAI's data handling: OpenAI may process and temporarily store submitted images in accordance with their API usage policies. We use the API with data privacy settings enabled where available. Please review OpenAI's privacy policy and usage policies for full details on how they handle API-submitted data.
Your consent: By tapping "Deep OCR" and submitting an image, you consent to that specific image being transmitted to and processed by OpenAI. You can always use the free on-device OCR instead, which processes everything locally with no data leaving your device.
Each Deep OCR scan uses one credit from your Pro vault. Unused credits do not roll over between subscription periods.
All purchases—including the Arch Buddy Pro subscription, fonts, skins (including Mimi and other Foundry items), Augments, Realms, and any other unlocked content—are processed and managed entirely by Apple (via the App Store) or Google (via Google Play). We do not collect or store your payment information.
Purchases are linked to your Apple ID or Google account, not to Arch Buddy itself. This means:
- No account in this app is required to make or restore purchases
- If you delete and reinstall the app, tap "Restore Purchases" to recover anything linked to your Apple ID or Google account
- Locally earned content (Bookmarks, Scrolls, streak, Archive progress) is stored on-device and cannot be recovered if lost—we have no servers to restore it from
- Purchases can be transferred to a new device by signing into the same Apple ID or Google account
Auto-renewal: Pro subscriptions auto-renew unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the renewal date. You can manage or cancel your subscription at any time through your device's subscription settings (iOS: Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions).
Refunds: We do not process refunds directly. Refund requests must be submitted through Apple or Google's respective refund processes. We have no authority over refund decisions made by Apple or Google.
We may collect anonymised, aggregated usage analytics to understand how the app is being used and to identify crashes or technical issues. This data does not contain any personally identifiable information.
Examples of what may be collected:
- App crash reports and error logs (no user content included)
- Which features are used and how often (aggregated, not per-user)
- Device type, operating system version, and app version
- Session duration and app launch frequency
We do not collect: the content of your reading sessions, the text you scan, your Archive progress, or any data that could identify you as an individual.
You may be able to opt out of analytics collection through your device's privacy settings (iOS: Settings → Privacy & Security → Analytics & Improvements).
Arch Buddy is rated 4+ on the App Store and is designed to be suitable for all ages. The app does not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 (or the applicable age in your jurisdiction).
Because Arch Buddy does not require account creation and stores all personal data locally on the device, there is no mechanism by which we could collect or identify a child's personal information through normal use of the app.
The only exception is the Pro Deep OCR feature, which transmits images to OpenAI. Parents or guardians should supervise use of this feature by children and should not allow children to submit images containing personally identifiable information.
If you believe a child has submitted personal information through any part of our service, please contact us at the address below and we will take appropriate steps.
| Data type | Retention | Controlled by |
|---|---|---|
| Reading log entries | Automatically deleted after 21 days | Your device (automatic) |
| Archive progress, currencies, level | Until you delete the app | Your device |
| Settings & preferences | Until you delete the app | Your device |
| Pro OCR image submissions | Processed then subject to OpenAI's retention policy | OpenAI |
| Purchase records | Managed by Apple / Google / RevenueCat per their policies | Apple / Google / RevenueCat |
| Anonymous analytics | Per our analytics provider's retention policy | Analytics provider |
Since we do not operate servers that store your personal data, there is no data held by us that we can delete on your behalf. Deleting the app removes all locally stored data from your device.
Depending on where you live, you may have rights regarding your personal data under applicable law (including GDPR in the EU/UK, CCPA in California, and similar legislation). In practice, because we hold almost no personal data about you, exercising most of these rights is straightforward:
- Access: Your data lives on your device—you can access it directly within the app
- Deletion: Delete the app to remove all locally stored data
- Portability: We do not hold your data on servers, so there is nothing to export from us
- Objection to analytics: Opt out via your device settings (iOS: Settings → Privacy & Security → Analytics & Improvements)
- Objection to Deep OCR: Use the free on-device OCR instead—no data leaves your device
For any privacy-related request or concern, contact us using the details at the bottom of this page. We will respond within 30 days.
California residents (CCPA): We do not sell personal information. We do not share personal information for cross-contextual behavioural advertising. You have the right to know what personal information we collect—this policy describes it in full.
EU/UK residents (GDPR): Our legal basis for any minimal data processing is legitimate interest (improving app stability via crash reports) and consent (Deep OCR image submission). You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority.
Arch Buddy is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied, including but not limited to implied warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, and non-infringement.
We make no guarantees regarding:
- Uninterrupted or error-free operation of the app
- Accuracy or completeness of text extracted by OCR (free or Pro)
- Retention of locally stored data, Archive progress, earned currencies, or unlocked content
- Availability of third-party services (OpenAI, RevenueCat, Apple, Google) that the app relies on
To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, we shall not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including loss of data, loss of profits, or loss of goodwill, arising from your use of or inability to use the app.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. For significant changes—particularly those that expand the types of data collected or the ways it is used—we will notify users through the app or via the App Store update notes.
Your continued use of Arch Buddy after any changes to this policy constitutes your acceptance of the updated terms.
We encourage you to review this page periodically. The current version is always available at this URL.
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests related to this Privacy Policy or the way your data is handled, please contact us:
We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.