Readwick

Privacy policy

Last updated October 17, 2026

Readwick is a reading habit app. This policy explains what leaves your phone, why, who handles it, and how to delete it. Readwick has no ads, no analytics and no tracking, and never sells data.

What stays on your phone

Your reading sessions, streak, goals, books, quotes and settings are saved on your iPhone. The camera is used only when you photograph a page for a check or scan a book's barcode. Reminders are scheduled on your phone.

What leaves your phone, and why

Reading checks

When you verify a session, Readwick sends what you chose to check with to our server: either the quote you typed with the book's title and author, or a photo of one page with the page range you read. Our server passes it to Anthropic (the maker of Claude), which checks the quote or writes a question about the page, and sends the answer back. Readwick doesn't keep the photo or the quote on its server. Anthropic handles this data under its privacy policy and commercial terms. When you ask for book suggestions, your list of books and favourite genres are sent the same way.

Each check also sends a random identifier for your installation of the app, used only to limit how many checks one phone can run each day. Those daily counts are deleted after 48 hours.

Our server also keeps daily totals for the whole app, such as how many checks ran and how many people read that day. These are counts only: they don't include who did what and can't be linked to you.

Book search

When you search for a book or scan its barcode, the words you typed or the barcode number go straight from your phone to Open Library (openlibrary.org, run by the nonprofit Internet Archive) to find the title, author, page count and cover. If Open Library is down or doesn't have the book, the same words or barcode number go to Google Books instead. Covers are loaded from whichever one found the book. Readwick's own server isn't involved. These requests are handled under Open Library's terms and privacy policy and Google's privacy policy.

Backup

So that a new phone or a reinstall doesn't cost you your streak, Readwick keeps a copy of your app data on our server: reading sessions, streak and freezes, goals, books, quotes, settings and your first name if you gave one. It's tied to a random account number made on your phone; there's no email address or password. A backup code (shown in Profile → Backup) lets you restore it on another phone.

Friends (only if you join)

Nothing is shared with other people until you open Add friends. Then the friends you add can see your first name, your streak and best streak, your daily goal, your verified minutes for the last seven days, the book you're reading now, and your last 12 finished books. Only people who entered your invite code, or whose code you entered, and members of reading clubs you join can see this. Your shelf includes the date you finished each book, and your monthly totals, so club challenges can be scored.

Reading club chat

Each reading club has a group chat. Messages you send there are stored on our server so the club's members can read them, show your first name, and are deleted after 30 days, or straight away if the club is deleted. You can delete your own messages, and the club's owner can delete any message. If you report someone in a club, we keep a copy of that club's recent messages for up to one year so we can review it.

Weekly reading partners (18+)

If you confirm you're 18 or older, each week you ask for a buddy Readwick pairs you with another adult reader who likes similar books and also asked that week. To find a match, our server uses the genres you picked and the titles and authors of your current and finished books. Your buddy sees the same things your friends see (first name, streak, goal, the last seven days' verified minutes, current book and recent finished books), plus your favourite genres, how many books you've finished, when you usually read, and the favourite book and quote you choose (both optional). You can message, cheer and nudge each other inside the app. Messages are stored on our server so both of you can read them, and are deleted after 30 days. Turn partners off any time in Friends.

If you report a partner, we keep a copy of your recent conversation with them for up to one year so we can review it and remove people who break the community rules. Blocking someone means you won't be paired with them again.

Lock Screen streak countdown

So the countdown can appear on your Lock Screen in the evening without you opening the app, your phone sends our server a token from Apple that lets us start it, your time zone, and today's progress (your streak, daily goal, minutes read today and the title of the book you're reading). Apple delivers the countdown to your phone. Turn it off any time in Profile → Reminders; the token is deleted with your account.

Message notifications

So you hear when your buddy or a club member messages you, your phone sends our server a token from Apple for notifications, and the app tells our server when you open or close it. You get at most one message notification until you next open Readwick. Apple delivers the notification. Turn it off any time in Profile → Reminders.

Plus subscription

If you subscribe to Plus, Apple handles the purchase and your payment details. Readwick only learns, on your phone, whether your Apple Account has an active Plus subscription.

Who handles your data

We don't share your data with anyone else, except where the law requires it.

How long we keep it

Your choices

Children

Readwick isn't directed at children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect data from them. Weekly partners and partner messages are only for readers who confirm they're 18 or older. If you think a child has used Readwick's backup, friends or partner features, contact us and we'll delete the data.

Changes

If this policy changes, we'll update the date at the top. Big changes will also be mentioned in the app.

Contact

Questions about privacy: readwickapp@gmail.com.