Privacy Policy

Upon A Time for iPad — last updated November 1, 2026

Upon A Time is built for families, and we keep it simple: your books, photos, and settings live on your iPad. There are no accounts, no ads, and no tracking. We collect only anonymous usage data to improve the app, and you can turn that off in Settings.

What stays on your device

• Every storybook you create (text, images, and narration audio)
• The character profile: name, age, interests, description, and any photo you add
• All app settings

This data is stored only on your iPad (and in your own iCloud/iTunes device backups, if you use them). Deleting the app deletes it.

What is sent, and where, when you create a story

Making a new book requires AI services. When you create a story, the character details you entered (such as first name, age, interests, an optional description or photo) and your story idea are sent through our secure server to the following processors, solely to generate your book:

• OpenRouter (openrouter.ai) — writes the story text
• fal.ai — creates the illustrations and the narration audio

Before the first story is made, the app asks a parent to agree to this. These providers process the request to return your story and are not permitted to use it for advertising. We recommend using only a first name or a nickname, and the photo is always optional. Reading books you have already made requires no connection at all.

Anonymous usage data

To understand how the app is used and fix what's confusing, the app sends anonymous usage data to PostHog (posthog.com, servers in the United States), which processes it on our behalf:

• App sessions: when the app is opened and closed, and which screens are visited (for example the bookshelf, the reader, or Settings)
• A few app events: a story was requested, finished, failed, or opened, and a story pack was bought. These include only counts and settings such as the number of pages, the reading level, and how many characters were picked
• Session recordings of the app's screens, in which all text and all photos and pictures are blacked out on your iPad before anything is sent. They show the layout and where the screen was tapped, so we can see where people get stuck
• Basic technical details: app version, iPad model, and iOS version

This data is identified only by a random number created when the app is installed. It never includes names, ages, photos, story ideas, story text, or illustrations. It is not linked to you or your child, not combined with data from other apps or websites, and never used for advertising. We do not use the advertising identifier, and we do not store IP addresses or location. Session recordings are deleted after 30 days.

Turning it off: open Settings in the app and switch off Share anonymous usage data. Nothing more is sent from that moment.

What we don't collect

No accounts, no advertising SDKs, and no tracking across apps or websites. We never see your books. Our server forwards story-creation requests without storing their contents.

Notifications

If you allow them, the app shows notifications when a story is ready and can send a reading reminder. They are scheduled on your iPad. No push service is used, and nothing about them is sent to us.

Children's privacy

The app is designed for parents and children to use together. We do not require or collect any personal information, and we never build profiles. The anonymous usage data described above contains no personal information about you or your child, and a parent can switch it off in Settings. Character details are used only inside the story-generation request described above. Parents can remove all data at any time by deleting the photo in Settings, deleting individual books, or deleting the app.

Changes and contact

If this policy changes, the updated version will be posted at this address. Questions or data requests: midhun@blackboattech.com.