Privacy Policy
Summary: Embark Reader is designed with privacy in mind. Your data is stored locally on your device by default. Cloud sync is optional and requires creating an account. We don't sell your data or show you ads.
Introduction
Embark Reader ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our macOS and iOS applications.
Information We Collect
Information You Provide
When you create an account for cloud sync (optional), we collect:
- Email address — if you sign up with email and password
- Apple ID identifier — if you use Sign in with Apple (we don't receive your actual Apple ID email unless you choose to share it)
Your Content
The app stores the following data that you create or import:
- ArXiv papers you save (title, authors, abstract, publication date, categories)
- Your organization data (folders, tags, starred items)
- Read status for papers you've viewed
- GitHub repositories you track
- Open tabs in the app
- Downloaded PDF files
- AI-generated summaries (if you use this feature)
By default, all this data is stored locally on your device only. If you enable cloud sync, this data is encrypted and synced to our secure servers so you can access it across your devices.
Automatically Collected Information
We do not collect:
- Analytics or usage tracking data
- Device identifiers for advertising
- Location data
- Contacts or other personal information
How We Use Your Information
We use the information we collect to:
- Provide and maintain the app's functionality
- Sync your data across devices (if you enable cloud sync)
- Authenticate your account
- Respond to support requests
Third-Party Services
Embark Reader integrates with the following third-party services:
ArXiv
We fetch paper metadata from the arXiv.org API. Your searches and paper views are sent directly to arXiv's servers.
GitHub
When you track GitHub repositories, we query the GitHub API to fetch repository information (stars, commits, etc.).
Firebase (Cloud Sync)
If you enable cloud sync, we use Google Firebase for authentication and data storage. Your data is stored in Firebase Firestore with security rules that ensure only you can access your data.
AI Features (Optional)
If you use AI-powered features:
- Paper summaries — Paper content may be sent to Google's Gemini API to generate summaries
- Audio summaries — Text summaries may be sent to ElevenLabs for text-to-speech conversion
These features are opt-in and only activated when you explicitly request them.
Data Storage and Security
Local storage: Data stored on your device uses Apple's SwiftData framework and is protected by your device's security features (passcode, Face ID, Touch ID).
Cloud storage: If you enable sync, your data is stored in Google Firebase with:
- Encryption in transit (TLS)
- Encryption at rest
- Security rules limiting access to authenticated users only
Data Retention
Your data is retained for as long as you have an account. You can delete your data at any time by:
- Deleting individual items within the app
- Deleting your account (which removes all cloud-synced data)
- Uninstalling the app (which removes all local data)
Your Rights
You have the right to:
- Access your data — All your data is visible within the app
- Export your data — Use the app's export feature to download your data
- Delete your data — Delete your account or individual items at any time
- Opt out of cloud sync — Use the app entirely offline with local storage only
Children's Privacy
Embark Reader is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.
Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last updated" date.
Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact us at: