MelonReader is an iOS ebook reader built for language learners, made by MelonPatch. This policy explains what data the app handles and what it doesn't.
The short version: MelonReader is local-first. Your books, saved words, reading progress, bookmarks, and settings live on your device. There's no account, no login, and no server of ours holding your content. The only thing we collect is a small amount of anonymous, non-personal usage data to help us fix bugs and improve the app — and you can turn even that off.
What stays on your device
The following never leaves your iPhone and is never sent to us:
- Your books. Files you import and public-domain books you download from the in-app catalog are stored only on your device.
- Your reading data. Reading positions, bookmarks, and collections are stored only on your device.
- Your vocabulary. Saved words and flashcard review progress are stored only on your device. You can export your word list to a CSV file yourself from within the app; we never receive it.
- Your settings. App preferences are stored only on your device.
- Translations and lookups. Translation happens on-device using Apple's Translation framework. The words and passages you tap are not sent to MelonPatch or to any third party for translation. Language packs used for translation are provided by Apple.
What we collect, and why
If anonymous analytics are enabled (they're on by default and can be turned off at any time — see Your choices), MelonReader records a small set of anonymous usage events so we can understand which features are used and where the app breaks. These include things like:
- App opens, and which screens and tabs are viewed
- Onboarding-tour progress
- Counts of actions such as books imported, reviews started and completed, words saved, and language-pack and book downloads
- Whether the subscription paywall was shown, and whether a subscription was purchased or restored
- Errors and app crashes
This data is tied to a random, anonymous identifier — not to your name, your email, or any personal identity. We use it only to improve the app and fix problems.
What we never collect: your name or email, the actual books or text you read, the words you look up or save, or any translation content. None of your reading or vocabulary content is ever included in analytics.
Crash reports
When the app crashes, a crash report is captured on your device using PLCrashReporter (an open-source crash reporter) and sent as an anonymous crash event through our analytics so we can diagnose and fix the problem. Crash reports contain diagnostic information such as error and status codes — not your personal information or reading content.
Third-party services
MelonReader relies on a small number of third-party services:
- PostHog — a third-party product-analytics service that processes the anonymous usage and crash events described above. The data is not linked to your identity, not used for advertising, and not sold.
- Apple — translation runs on-device using Apple's Translation framework, and translation language packs, dictionary/asset packs, and curated public-domain books are delivered as background assets hosted by Apple. As with any network request, standard network metadata (such as your IP address) is necessarily handled by Apple and our content hosting in the course of serving those downloads; we don't use it to identify you. Subscriptions are also handled by Apple (see below).
Subscriptions and payments
MelonReader Plus subscriptions are processed entirely by Apple through the App Store using StoreKit. MelonPatch never sees or stores your payment details — Apple handles all billing, receipts, and renewals. We only receive the anonymous event that a subscription was purchased or restored, as noted above.
No ads, no tracking, no selling your data
MelonReader contains no advertising and no ad tracking. We do not track you across other apps or websites, we do not build advertising profiles, and we never sell or rent your data to anyone.
Your choices and rights
- Turn analytics off. You can disable anonymous analytics at any time in Settings → Privacy → Share Anonymous Usage Data. The app is fully functional with analytics disabled.
- Export your vocabulary. You can export your saved words to a CSV file from within the app at any time.
- Delete your data. Because everything is stored on your device, deleting the app removes all of your books, vocabulary, reading progress, and settings. There is no separate account to close.
If you have a privacy question or request, contact us at the address below.
Data retention
Data stored on your device remains there until you delete it or uninstall the app. Anonymous analytics and crash events are retained only as long as needed to understand product usage and diagnose issues, and are never associated with your identity.
Children's privacy
MelonReader is not directed to children. It is intended for a general audience of language learners and is not designed for or targeted at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone, including children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will address it.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, we'll post the updated version at this address with a new "Last updated" date.
Contact
Questions or requests about this policy or your privacy: hello@melonpatch.dev.