Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 14, 2026 (policy version 2026-03-24)

Introduction

Thank you for using GlowRead: Read on Video Feed ("GlowRead", "Glowread", "we", "us", or "our"). GlowRead is a speed-reading and audio-reading application that lets you upload documents (PDF, EPUB, DOCX, RTF, TXT), generate audio via text-to-speech (TTS), track reading statistics and progress, and sync reading state across devices. This Privacy Policy describes how we collect, use, store, and share your personal information when you use the GlowRead app on Android or iOS and when you visit our website at glowread.app. It also explains your rights and choices. By using GlowRead, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy.

Information We Collect

Account Information

When you create an account or sign in via Google or Apple, we collect personal identifiers such as your email address and/or display name (as provided by the sign-in provider) and a unique user ID (for example, a Firebase Authentication UID). We do not collect sensitive personal details like your physical address or phone number during registration.

User Content

We collect and store the content you choose to upload: documents and the text extracted from them, generated audio files (text-to-speech readings) and associated timing data, plus your reading progress, bookmarks, highlights, and preferences. This content is necessary for GlowRead to function.

Subscription and Purchase Data

If you subscribe to premium features, we receive confirmation of your subscription and its status from our payment partners. We do not collect or store your payment card details — purchases are handled by the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Our system, via RevenueCat, stores your subscription tier, expiration date, and an anonymous identifier to manage entitlements.

Usage and Device Data

We automatically collect technical information such as device type, operating system version, unique device identifiers, IP address, usage timestamps, feature usage, and error logs or crash reports. To diagnose upload and narration pipeline problems, we also collect limited job-level operational telemetry when you create, upload, cancel, or complete a document-processing job (job phase/status, source and processing mode, file type and size, estimated word or page count, upload duration and transfer speed, app version, device class, brand and model, locale, coarse region code derived from locale, timezone, and connection type). This telemetry is not intended to include the substantive text of your uploaded document, precise GPS location, or payment card data.

We use Firebase Analytics to understand aggregate product usage and tune personalization. Analytics events may include limited metadata such as which feature was used, broad content category, reading duration bucket, upload mode, and a coarse reader-profile bucket. We do not send your uploaded document text, note text, transcript text, filenames, email address, or payment details to Firebase Analytics.

Push Notification Data

If you grant permission, we collect a push notification token associated with your device so we can deliver notifications via Apple's Push Notification service (iOS) or Firebase Cloud Messaging (Android). The token by itself does not reveal your identity. You can control push notifications in your device settings at any time.

Customer Support Communications

If you contact us (for example, at support@glowread.app or feedback@glowread.app), we collect the information you choose to provide and use it solely to respond to you.

We do not knowingly collect sensitive personal data (such as racial or ethnic origin, political opinions, religious beliefs, health information, or biometric data) and we do not collect precise GPS location.

How We Use Your Information

Third-Party Services and Processors

We rely on a small set of trusted third-party services (data processors) to operate GlowRead. They may access certain information only to perform services on our behalf and are contractually obligated to protect it.

Firebase Authentication (by Google)

Handles sign-ups and logins. Firebase Auth processes your email/password or Google/Apple credentials and provides us a unique user ID. Google's privacy policy governs Firebase services.

Firebase Crashlytics (by Google)

We use Firebase Crashlytics to detect and diagnose crashes and technical problems. When the app crashes or encounters an error, Crashlytics collects crash and diagnostic data such as stack traces, app state, device information (model, OS version, available memory), app version, and a pseudonymous identifier (including, where applicable, a pseudonymous user ID linked to your account) so we can group and reproduce issues. Crashlytics does not receive the content of your uploaded documents. This data is used solely for stability monitoring and improving reliability.

Cloudflare (Website Hosting and CDN)

Our website (glowread.app) is hosted and delivered through Cloudflare. When you visit, Cloudflare processes technical data necessary to serve and protect the site, including your IP address, browser and device information, and security logs (for example, bot detection and DDoS protection records). Cloudflare processes this data on our behalf as a data processor.

Third-Party Sign-In Providers (Google & Apple)

If you sign in via Google or Apple, those providers authenticate you and may share limited information with us (such as name and email, if you authorize it), governed by their own privacy policies.

RevenueCat

Manages in-app subscriptions. RevenueCat receives your app user ID, the purchase receipt or transaction ID from Apple/Google, and subscription details. It does not receive your payment card information.

Apple App Store and Google Play

Purchases are processed by Apple or Google, which collect payment and billing details under their own privacy policies. GlowRead never sees your full payment information.

Push Notification Services (APNs and FCM)

Apple and Google process push tokens and network data to route notifications to your device. They act as conduits and do not collect additional personal information beyond what delivery requires.

Google Cloud Platform (Backend Servers and Storage)

Our backend runs on Google Cloud Platform: Cloud Run (application logic and TTS jobs), Firestore (metadata such as reading progress and job status, including job lifecycle telemetry), and Cloud Storage (uploaded text and generated audio). Files are not publicly accessible; access requires authentication or time-limited signed URLs. Data is encrypted at rest and in transit.

Other Service Providers

We maintain basic logging and error tracking through Google Cloud's logging services. We do not use advertising networks in the app, do not integrate social media SDKs, and do not share your uploaded content with advertisers.

Website Analytics and Cookies

Our website at glowread.app uses Google Analytics 4 (GA4) to understand how visitors use the site. GA4 only sets analytics cookies if you consent: when you first visit, a cookie banner asks whether you accept analytics cookies. Until you accept, analytics runs in a cookieless, consent-denied mode (Google Consent Mode) and no analytics cookies are stored on your device. If we enable additional marketing tags (such as the Meta Pixel), they also load only after you accept.

If you accept, Google Analytics stores small cookies in your browser (names beginning with "_ga") containing a random identifier used to distinguish visitors and sessions; these cookies are set for up to two years. We configure GA4 with IP anonymization and do not use it to identify you personally. Your consent choice itself is stored in your browser's local storage (key "glowread_cookie_consent") so we do not ask again on every visit.

You can withdraw or change your choice at any time by clearing your browser's cookies and site data for glowread.app (the banner will then appear again), or by using your browser's privacy controls to block cookies for this site. Declining analytics cookies does not affect any website or app functionality.

Website Waitlist Form

If you join the waitlist at glowread.app, we additionally collect the email address you submit, a consent record (timestamp and policy version), and technical metadata used for abuse prevention (request origin, hashed IP address, user agent, Turnstile result). We use this to add you to the waitlist, send launch/product updates, and detect abuse and bot traffic. We use Cloudflare Turnstile for bot protection and Buttondown for email list management; if Buttondown is unavailable, we keep a server-side fallback record and retry later. Waitlist records are retained while the waitlist is active and may be kept longer for security, legal, and anti-abuse purposes. You can request access, correction, or deletion of your waitlist data at privacy@glowread.app.

Sharing and Disclosure of Information

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not share it with third parties for their own marketing. We share data only with the service providers described above (under our instructions), when required by law or valid requests by public authorities, when necessary to investigate or prevent fraud, abuse, or threats to safety, in the event of a business transfer (in which case we will notify you), or with your explicit consent. Your content is private to your account; other users cannot access it.

Data Storage and Security

All backend data is hosted on Google Cloud Platform with Public Access Prevention on storage buckets, time-limited signed URLs, HTTPS/TLS encryption in transit, and encryption at rest. Access within our systems follows least privilege: only authenticated requests from your app or our internal services can retrieve your data, and our processing services run under service accounts with strictly limited permissions. Operational logs are stored securely, retained for a limited period, and monitored for suspicious activity. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security; in the event of a breach affecting your personal data we will notify you in accordance with applicable law.

Data Retention and Deletion

Account Data

We keep your account information for as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, we remove or anonymize your personal information from our active databases, including deletion of your Firebase Authentication account.

User Content

Uploaded and generated content is retained so you can access it whenever you use the app. GlowRead also applies automated lifecycle policies to certain stored content: uploaded text/documents in cloud storage are automatically deleted after 7 days, and processed outputs such as generated TTS audio and timing data are automatically deleted after 30 days. Keep your own backup of important documents — GlowRead is not long-term cloud storage. Reading progress and metadata may remain in our database as long as your account exists.

Subscription and Transaction Data

Subscription status and purchase history are retained while you are a subscriber and for a reasonable period thereafter for financial record-keeping and billing disputes. We never retain payment card information.

Logs and Operational Data

Routine logs are kept for a short period (often 30 days) before deletion or anonymization. Some security-related logs may be kept longer (for example, certain Google Cloud audit logs up to 400 days). Upload and narration telemetry linked to your account may be retained longer where reasonably necessary for support, reliability, anti-abuse, quota/credit reconciliation, or dispute resolution, and is periodically deleted or anonymized when no longer needed.

Backups

We periodically create secure, encrypted backups of our database and storage for disaster recovery. If you delete your account, your account and associated data are removed from our active systems and are no longer accessible through the app. Residual copies may remain in encrypted backups and operational logs for a bounded period until those records are cycled out; we purge such residual copies within 30 days. Backup data is protected and not used for any other purpose.

Deletion Requests

You can delete your account within the GlowRead app (account deletion feature in settings) or by contacting support@glowread.app. Deleting your account through the app removes your account and the data associated with it (uploaded content, generated audio, reading progress, and account identifiers) from our active systems. Residual copies in encrypted backups or operational logs are purged within 30 days and remain protected until purged. Deletion is not reversible.

Children's Privacy

GlowRead is not directed to children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. Parents or guardians who believe a child under 13 has provided us personal data should contact support@glowread.app and we will promptly delete it. In jurisdictions with stricter age thresholds (such as the EU), minors between 13 and 16 should use GlowRead only with parental permission and supervision.

Your Rights and Choices

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, or object to the processing of your personal data, to withdraw consent, and to data portability.

We respond to rights requests in accordance with applicable law, typically within 30 days.

International Data Transfers

GlowRead is developed by Routinity, based in the European Union (Poland). Our cloud infrastructure (Google Cloud Platform) and some providers (Google, Apple, RevenueCat, Cloudflare) may store and process data in the United States or other jurisdictions. For users in regions with transfer restrictions (EEA/UK), we rely on legally provided mechanisms such as Standard Contractual Clauses employed by our providers, and we handle your data in accordance with this policy wherever it is processed.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we update the "Last updated" date above, and for significant changes we provide more prominent notice (such as an in-app notification or email). Continued use of GlowRead after changes signifies acceptance to the extent permitted by law.

Contact Us

Developer: Konrad Szeląg (Routinity)
Support: support@glowread.app
Feedback: feedback@glowread.app
Privacy (website/waitlist): privacy@glowread.app
Mailing address: Targowa 33b/37, 03-728 Warsaw, Poland