At a glance
There are no accounts and no sign-in. We do not run our own servers that hold your reading activity. We do not advertise to you, track you across apps or websites, or sell your data. We use PostHog for anonymous product analytics so we can see which screens help people read more.
Reading data and iCloud
Your books, page progress, streaks, lock preferences, and other reading settings are stored on your device. If you turn on iCloud backup, this information may also be stored in your own iCloud using Apple’s iCloud key-value storage so it can be restored on a new iPhone. Apple’s terms and privacy practices apply to iCloud.
Page photos
When you finish a reading goal, you can take a photo with the camera or choose one from your photo library to confirm the page you reached. These photos stay on your device. They are never uploaded to us or shared with another service.
Screen Time and selected apps
Read First uses Apple’s Family Controls and Screen Time frameworks to place limits on apps you choose. Apple represents those apps to us as opaque tokens. We cannot see which apps you selected, read your messages, inspect content, or know what you do inside another app.
The usage totals shown during onboarding are computed by iOS on your device. They never leave your device.
Book search
When you search for a book, the title you type is sent to Open Library, a service run by the Internet Archive, to find book information and cover art. Open Library’s own privacy policy applies to that request.
Subscriptions
Apple handles all payments. We use RevenueCat to check whether your subscription is active. RevenueCat may receive an anonymous app user identifier, your purchase and subscription history, and basic device information such as device model, operating-system version, country, and currency. We do not send RevenueCat your name or email address.
Product analytics
Read First uses PostHog (hosted in the EU) to understand how the app is used, for example which onboarding screens people complete, whether they start a free trial, and how many pages are logged. PostHog receives an anonymous, random identifier, the events and screens you use, answers you choose in onboarding (such as an age range or which reading struggles apply to you), and basic device information such as device model, operating-system version, app version, country and language. We do not send PostHog your name, email address, the books you read, your page photos, or which apps you chose to lock. Your first name, if you enter one, stays on your device. This data is not used for advertising and is not linked to your identity. RevenueCat may share subscription events (such as a trial converting to a paid plan) with PostHog under the same anonymous identifier.
Notifications and alarms
If you allow it, Read First schedules reminders and focus-timer alarms on your iPhone. They are created on your device; we do not run a notification server.
Children
Read First is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
Deleting your data
Delete Read First from your iPhone to remove its local data. If you enabled iCloud backup, also turn off iCloud backup for Read First in iOS Settings to remove that copy.
Changes and contact
We may update this policy as the app changes. The date above shows the latest revision. Questions about privacy can be sent through our Support page.