Flippy is a PDF reader app that respects your privacy. We do not track you, show you ads, or sell your data. Your reading data stays on your device unless you choose to enable optional cloud features.
Data Stored on Your Device
By default, all your data stays on your device and never leaves it:
- PDFs you import
- Bookmarks and notes
- Text highlights
- Pen and highlighter drawings (annotations)
- Reading progress and page positions
- Reading statistics (pages read, time spent, reading streaks)
- Tags and library organization
- App preferences and settings
This data is stored locally using your device's storage (localStorage and IndexedDB). The app works fully offline with no account required.
Optional Premium Features
Flippy offers optional premium features that involve third-party services. These are entirely opt-in — you choose whether to use them.
Cloud Sync
If you sign in with Google to enable Cloud Sync:
- Your Google email and profile name are used for authentication via Firebase Auth (Google)
- The following data syncs to Firestore (Google Cloud) so you can access it across devices:
- Bookmarks and notes
- Text highlights
- Page positions and reading progress
- Reading statistics (pages read, time spent, reading streaks)
- Tags
- Your data is stored securely and only you can access it (enforced by Firestore security rules)
- You can sign out at any time to stop syncing
AI Read-Aloud
If you use the AI Read-Aloud feature:
- The text content of the current PDF page is sent to Google Cloud Text-to-Speech API to generate audio
- We do not store this text — it is processed by Google per their API terms
- Audio files are temporary and overwritten each time
- Offline fallback: If unavailable, Flippy uses your device's built-in text-to-speech engine, which sends no data anywhere
AI Q&A and Summaries
If you use the AI Q&A or summary features:
- The text content of the current page (plus your question) is sent to Google Gemini API
- We do not store this text or your questions — they are processed by Google per their API terms
- Conversation history is only kept for the current session and is not saved
Premium Subscriptions
If you purchase a premium subscription:
- Payment is handled entirely by Google Play Billing
- We never receive or store your payment information (credit card, billing address, etc.)
- Flippy only checks whether your subscription is active
Importing PDFs
When you import a PDF by pasting a URL:
- Flippy makes a direct request to that URL to download the file
- The PDF is saved locally on your device
- We do not log or store the URLs you import
Data Flow Summary
| Feature | What's Sent | Where | User-Initiated? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Cloud Sync | Bookmarks, highlights, progress, stats, tags | Firebase/Firestore (Google) | Yes (sign in required) |
| AI Read-Aloud | Current page text | Google Cloud TTS API | Yes (tap play) |
| AI Q&A | Current page text + your question | Google Gemini API | Yes (ask question) |
| Subscriptions | Purchase info | Google Play Billing | Yes (tap subscribe) |
| URL Import | HTTP request | The PDF's server | Yes (paste URL) |
| Everything else | Nothing | Nowhere | N/A |
What We Do NOT Collect
- We do not use analytics or tracking services (no Google Analytics, Firebase Analytics, etc.)
- We do not use crash reporting services (no Crashlytics, Sentry, etc.)
- We do not show advertisements
- We do not collect device identifiers
- We do not access your location, contacts, camera, or microphone
- We do not sell or share your data with third parties
- We do not track your behavior or build profiles about you
App Permissions
Flippy requests only the permissions necessary for its features:
- Internet — Required for Cloud Sync, AI features, URL imports, and Google Drive downloads
- Storage / Files — Required to open PDFs from your device
- Foreground Service — Required for AI Read-Aloud to continue playing when the app is in the background
Third-Party Services
The optional premium features use Google services. Their privacy policies apply when you use these features:
Children's Privacy
Flippy is not directed at 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 users of any significant changes by updating the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.
Contact
If you have questions about this privacy policy, contact us at: