You can use the core app without giving us your name, email address, or phone number.
Privacy, in plain language
Privacy Policy
Libly is a local-first audiobook player. Most of your library and listening data stays on your device. When a feature needs a network service, this policy explains what is sent and why.
We do not sell personal data, show third-party ads, or use advertising identifiers.
Audio and text are sent to Libly services only when you request transcription, translation, or related language features.
1. Scope
This Privacy Policy applies to the Libly audiobook application for Android and iOS (the “App”) and the online services operated for the App by Oleksandr Boliachyi (“Libly,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). It does not replace the policies of a third-party service you independently connect to Libly, such as your own Audiobookshelf server.
Libly does not require a Libly account. We do not ask for your name, email address, phone number, contacts, precise location, or payment-card details to use the App.
2. Data we process
Content and activity stored on your device
Audiobook files and metadata, cover art, transcripts, playback position and history, saved vocabulary, practice progress, downloads, connected-server settings, and App preferences. This data is primarily stored locally and is not automatically uploaded to Libly.
Audio and language-feature content
If you request transcription, Libly sends the audio segment or file you selected, basic audio-processing parameters, and related file or folder labels when available. Translation, language identification, and word-context features send the selected text, nearby context, and source or target language choices.
Installation and service identifiers
Libly creates a random installation identifier and sends it to our service to enforce transcription quotas, prevent duplicate processing, and protect the service from abuse. It is not your Apple ID, Google Account ID, advertising ID, device serial number, name, or email address.
Usage and diagnostic information
Production builds use Google Analytics for Firebase to record feature interactions such as screen views, listening duration, download outcomes, transcription outcomes, and Premium paywall activity. Events use general categories and measurements rather than audiobook titles, transcript text, translation text, or Audiobookshelf credentials. Android and iOS release builds also use Firebase Crashlytics, which may process crash traces, relevant App state, device and operating-system information, and installation identifiers.
Subscription information
Apple or Google processes your payment. To verify Premium access, Libly sends our server a signed App Store transaction or a Google Play purchase token and product identifier. We receive entitlement status and expiration information, but not your full card number, bank-account details, or store-account password.
Network and technical information
Like most online services, our servers and hosting providers may process IP address, request time, response status, App version, operating-system details, and similar security logs when your device connects.
3. Feature-specific details
Transcription and language tools
Audio or text is transmitted only after you invoke the relevant feature. We use it to return the requested transcript, translation, language result, or contextual word result, maintain feature quotas, troubleshoot failures, and protect the service. We do not use the content to build advertising profiles or sell it.
Audiobookshelf
If you connect an Audiobookshelf server, Libly sends the server URL and the credentials you provide directly to that server to authenticate. Access and refresh tokens are stored in protected storage on your device. Library metadata, cover art, audio downloads, and listening progress pass between the App and your selected Audiobookshelf server. Libly’s own service does not receive your Audiobookshelf password or access token. Your Audiobookshelf administrator’s privacy and retention practices apply to that server.
LibriVox
When you browse or download a LibriVox audiobook, the App connects to LibriVox to retrieve catalog metadata and the audiobook files LibriVox makes available. LibriVox may receive ordinary network information such as your IP address and user-agent information under its own policy.
Premium subscriptions
Purchases and renewals are managed by Apple App Store or Google Play. Libly verifies purchase evidence with our server to unlock Premium and stores a short-lived access token and entitlement expiration on your device. Subscription management, cancellation, billing history, and refunds are handled by the applicable app store.
4. Service providers and sharing
We share data only as needed to provide the App, operate it securely, comply with law, or respond to a valid legal request. We do not sell or rent personal data. Our main service providers are:
| Provider | Purpose | More information |
|---|---|---|
| Google Firebase | Usage analytics, remote configuration, and crash diagnostics on Android and iOS. | Firebase privacy and security |
| Apple | App distribution, StoreKit subscription purchase, and transaction evidence. | Apple Privacy Policy |
| Google Play | App distribution, subscription purchase, and purchase-token evidence. | Google Privacy Policy |
| Netlify | Hosting this Privacy Policy webpage; Netlify may process standard web request logs. | Netlify Privacy Statement |
| Audiobookshelf and LibriVox | Connect to the Audiobookshelf server you configure and retrieve public-domain audiobooks from LibriVox. | The policy of your server operator or LibriVox applies. |
We require providers acting on our behalf to protect information consistently with their agreements and applicable law. Services you independently select or administer are controlled by their respective operators.
5. How we use information
- Provide audiobook playback, downloads, transcription, translation, vocabulary, practice, and sync features.
- Verify Premium purchases, apply subscription benefits, and enforce feature quotas.
- Maintain reliability, diagnose crashes and failed requests, and improve App usability.
- Prevent fraud, duplicate processing, abuse, and attacks against the App or service.
- Comply with legal obligations and enforce our rights.
Where data-protection law requires a legal basis, we rely on performing the service you request, our legitimate interests in operating and securing Libly, compliance with legal obligations, and consent where applicable.
6. Retention and deletion
- On-device data remains until you delete the applicable audiobook, transcript, saved item, or server connection, clear the App’s storage, or uninstall the App. Some secrets stored by the operating system’s protected credential store may persist across reinstallation, depending on the platform.
- Uploaded audio is retained only for the time reasonably necessary to process the requested transcription and deliver or troubleshoot its result, then deleted from active processing storage. We do not keep it as a permanent personal media library.
- Translation and language content is retained only as needed to process the request, maintain security, and diagnose failures. Results you save in Libly remain on your device until you remove them.
- Installation, quota, subscription, and security records are kept while needed to provide the feature, prevent abuse, resolve disputes, meet legal obligations, and maintain service integrity. They are deleted or de-identified when no longer necessary for those purposes.
- Firebase data follows Google’s retention controls. Firebase states that Crashlytics crash traces and associated identifiers are retained for 90 days before removal begins. Analytics retention may depend on our configured Firebase settings.
Because Libly has no user-account system, we may need your random installation identifier, purchase evidence, or other request details to locate server-side records. Email us to request deletion; we will explain any data we must retain for security, legal, or transaction-record obligations.
7. Your choices and rights
- Do not invoke transcription or translation if you do not want the selected content sent for processing.
- Disconnect an Audiobookshelf server in Libly to remove its saved connection and tokens from the App.
- Delete downloaded books, transcripts, or vocabulary items from the App, or clear/uninstall the App.
- Manage or cancel Premium through your Apple App Store or Google Play subscription settings.
- Use your device settings to limit permissions available to Libly.
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to request access, correction, deletion, restriction, portability, or objection, and to withdraw consent or complain to a data-protection authority. Contact us to exercise a right. We may ask for limited information needed to verify and locate the relevant records.
8. Security and international processing
We use HTTPS for Libly-operated network services and platform-provided protected storage for sensitive tokens where available. No method of storage or transmission is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. Data may be processed in countries other than your own by us or our providers, subject to applicable contractual and legal safeguards.
9. Children
Libly is a general-audience app and is not directed to children under 13 or the minimum digital-consent age in their country. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child provided information to us, contact us so we can investigate and delete it where appropriate.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy when Libly’s features, providers, or legal requirements change. We will post the revised version here and update the effective date. Material changes may also be highlighted in the App.
11. Contact
Questions, privacy requests, and deletion requests can be sent to the developer and data controller below.
Oleksandr Boliachyi
Developer of Libly