Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy describes how MyBookShelf collects, stores, uses, shares, retains, and deletes data when you use the app. It is written for the MyBookShelf mobile app and its related hosted pages.

Last updated: April 1, 2026

Who this policy covers

This policy applies to MyBookShelf, a library and lending tracker that lets users add books, scan barcodes or ISBNs, store notes, save cover images, track lending records, and optionally sync data through Firebase by signing in with Google or Apple.

This page is intended to serve as the public privacy policy URL for Apple App Store and Google Play submissions.

Data we collect or access

Depending on how you use the app, MyBookShelf may collect, access, or store the following categories of data:

  • Library content you create: book titles, authors, ISBNs or barcodes, categories, notes, purchase dates, quantities, and other library metadata you enter.
  • Lending records you create: borrower names, optional borrower phone numbers, optional borrower email addresses, dates lent, return dates, quantities, and notes.
  • Account data: Firebase user ID and basic sign-in information returned by Google Sign-In, Apple Sign In, or Firebase anonymous authentication.
  • Uploaded media: book cover images you choose to upload for syncing across devices.
  • Barcode lookup input: barcode or ISBN values sent to Google Books when you request a book lookup.
  • Subscription status: whether MyBookShelf Pro is active on the device and store account, including the selected monthly or yearly plan when available.
  • Advertising-related data for free users: device and app information processed by the Google Mobile Ads SDK to serve ads.

MyBookShelf does not claim that all data categories are collected for every user. Collection depends on which features you use.

How we use data

  • To create, display, edit, and organize your personal library.
  • To sync your library and lending records across devices when you use a signed-in account.
  • To upload and retrieve your chosen cover images from cloud storage.
  • To look up book details using Google Books after a scan or manual identifier entry.
  • To validate and restore an active MyBookShelf Pro subscription on eligible devices and store accounts.
  • To show ads to free users and remove ads for users with an active MyBookShelf Pro subscription.
  • To support account deletion and other user-requested account actions inside the app.

When data is shared

MyBookShelf does not sell your personal data. Data may be shared with service providers only as needed to operate app features you choose to use.

  • Firebase Authentication: used for sign-in and account identity.
  • Cloud Firestore: used to store synced books and lending records.
  • Firebase Functions: used to validate store subscription status and write a server-controlled entitlement record.
  • Firebase Storage: used to store uploaded cover images.
  • Google Books API: used when you request barcode or ISBN-based book lookup.
  • Google Mobile Ads: used to serve ads to free users.
  • Apple App Store and Google Play: used to process, validate, and restore in-app purchases.

These providers operate under their own policies and may process data according to their legal and operational requirements.

Ads and purchases

Free users may see banner and occasional interstitial ads. The app uses Google Mobile Ads for ad delivery. Premium features are unlocked through MyBookShelf Pro monthly and yearly auto-renewing subscriptions. Purchase transactions, billing, renewals, cancellations, and restoration are handled by Apple App Store or Google Play.

Subscription status may also be validated through Firebase Functions using store-provided purchase data so the app can confirm current entitlement status more reliably across devices.

Users may cancel their subscription at any time in their store account settings. If canceled, access to Pro features continues until the current billing month or year ends.

Where required by regional law or platform policy, the app presents ad consent choices and provides an in-app privacy choices entry point so users can review or update those selections later.

Users can report inappropriate or age-inappropriate ads through the in-app support flow or by contacting bilalmanisa@gmail.com.

MyBookShelf itself does not store your payment card number or direct billing credentials.

Security practices

MyBookShelf uses Firebase services and authenticated per-user access controls to limit access to synced data. Storage and Firestore rules are designed so users can access only their own cloud records.

No system can guarantee absolute security, but reasonable technical measures are used to protect synced data and account-scoped access.

Retention

Library records, lending records, and uploaded cover images are retained until you delete them, delete your account or guest library through the app, or otherwise remove the associated cloud content.

If you sign in with a permanent account, synced data may remain associated with that account until you delete it. If you use a guest or anonymous account, the guest library remains stored until it is removed through the app’s delete action.

Account and data deletion

MyBookShelf provides an in-app deletion path in Settings & Privacy.

  • Signed-in users can delete the account and synced library data from inside the app.
  • Guest users can delete the guest library and associated cloud data from inside the app.
  • Deletion is intended to remove synced books, lending records, and uploaded cover images tied to that account.
  • Purchase entitlements are store-managed and may remain restorable under the relevant store account even after app data is deleted.

Users who no longer have access to the app can also use the hosted deletion-request page at /delete-account.html.

Children

MyBookShelf is not designed as a children’s data product and is not intended to knowingly collect personal information from children in violation of applicable law. Users should avoid storing personal information about others beyond what is necessary for optional lending tracking.

Changes to this policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated to reflect feature changes, operational changes, legal requirements, or updated platform expectations. The “Last updated” date at the top of this page will change when material revisions are made.

Privacy contact

For privacy questions, account-related support, or deletion-related requests, contact bilalmanisa@gmail.com.

This same contact should also be used in Apple App Store Connect and Google Play Console so users and review teams see a consistent privacy contact path.