Privacy Policy — Apex Comics

This Privacy Policy describes how UPPR (“we”, “us”) handles information when you use Apex Comics, a local-first comic reader for Android published on Google Play. We designed the app so your comic files stay on your device; network use is limited to optional features and services described below.

1. Summary

Your CBZ, CBR, and PDF files are read from folders you choose; we do not upload your comics to our servers.
Reading progress, library metadata, stats, and settings are stored locally on your device.
Premium purchases are processed by Google Play Billing; we do not receive your payment card details.
The free tier may show Google AdMob ads, subject to Google’s policies.
We use Aptabase for privacy-friendly product analytics with non-identifying event data.
We use GlitchTip for technical crash and error reporting to improve stability (stack traces and minimal technical context only).
Optional online features (Discovery, X-Ray) call third-party APIs and may send search or metadata-related requests.

2. Information we process

2.1 Data stored on your device

When you use the app, the following may be stored locally (for example in app storage or a local database):

Paths and metadata for comics you add to your library (titles, progress, favorites, sections, cover thumbnails).
Reading session data used for library statistics (e.g. duration, time of day), when you use reading analytics.
App preferences (sort order, reader settings, theme, backup location, Premium entitlement cache after purchase).
Optional backup files you export to a location you select; we do not control that destination.

You can clear app data or uninstall the app to remove this information from your device.

2.2 Files you provide

You grant the app permission to access comic archives and images you select via the system file picker or storage APIs. That content remains under your control and is not transmitted to us for hosting.

2.3 Online features (Premium / optional)

If you use features that require the internet, limited data may be sent to third parties:

Discovery (Premium): release and series data are fetched from the Metron comic database API. Requests may include search terms, series identifiers, or related metadata needed to show results. See Metron for their practices.
X-Ray (Premium): character and issue lookups use the Comic Vine API. Queries may include issue titles or character names you search for in the reader. See Comic Vine (Fandom) for their policies.
On-device translation / OCR: when enabled, text recognition and translation may run via Google ML Kit on your device or through Google services as configured by the SDK; image data is processed to display translations in the reader.

2.4 Advertising (free tier)

If you use Apex Comics without Premium, Google AdMob may collect and use data to serve and measure ads (for example device identifiers, ad interaction, and approximate location), in line with Google’s Privacy Policy. You can limit ad personalization in your device Google settings. Premium removes in-app ads.

2.5 Purchases

Premium lifetime and the 30-day Premium pass are sold as in-app products through Google Play. Google processes payment and provides us with purchase status (e.g. product ID, purchase token) so we can unlock Premium features for the purchased period. We do not collect or store your full payment credentials.

2.6 Notifications (Premium)

If you enable weekly release notifications, the app may schedule local notifications based on series you follow in Discovery. Notification permission is requested through Android; you can disable it at any time.

2.7 Product analytics

We use Aptabase to understand feature usage and coarse app reliability using event-based telemetry (for example screen usage, reader mode changes, guided view outcomes, and high-level error categories). Events are pseudonymous and we do not send comic file paths, full comic titles, OCR text, or direct user identifiers in these events. See Aptabase for their practices.

2.8 Crash and error reporting

To diagnose crashes and fix bugs, we use GlitchTip, an open-source error-tracking service hosted at app.glitchtip.com (United States). The app may send:

Crash and exception reports (for example exception type, stack trace, app version, and device/OS information provided by the Android SDK).
Minimal technical context needed to reproduce issues (for example feature area, error code, or file format such as CBZ/CBR/PDF — not full paths or filenames).

We configure the app not to send default personally identifiable information. Before events leave your device, we scrub sensitive patterns (such as storage paths, content URIs, tokens, and similar values). We do not intentionally send comic titles, folder names, OCR or translation text, email addresses, or payment details in these reports. GlitchTip may also apply server-side data scrubbing. Reports are retained for a limited period (typically up to 30 days) and then deleted or aggregated. See GlitchTip for their practices.

The mobile SDK speaks a Sentry-compatible protocol, but data is sent to GlitchTip, not to Sentry’s commercial cloud service.

3. How we use information

We use the information described above to:

Provide core reading, library management, and backup functionality.
Display reading statistics and Premium features you have unlocked.
Operate Discovery, X-Ray, translation, and ad-supported free features.
Verify and restore Premium purchases through Google Play.
Improve stability and fix bugs (see sections 2.7 and 2.8).

We do not sell your personal information.

4. Legal bases (EEA/UK users)

Where applicable, we rely on:

Contract — to provide the app and features you request.
Legitimate interests — to secure the app, prevent abuse, and improve the product.
Consent — where required for ads, notifications, or optional online features you enable.
Legal obligation — when we must comply with law.

5. Sharing and retention

We share data only with service providers that help operate the app (Google Play, Google AdMob, Google ML Kit, Metron, Comic Vine, Aptabase, GlitchTip) as needed for the features you use. We retain purchase-related records as long as required for entitlement and accounting. Crash and error reports retained by GlitchTip are kept for a limited period as described in section 2.8. Local app data remains on your device until you delete it or uninstall.

6. Your choices and rights

Revoke folder access in Android settings or remove comics from the library.
Use Restore purchases in Settings for Premium tied to your Google account.
Opt out of personalized ads via device settings (free tier).
Request access, correction, or deletion of data we hold about you (typically minimal) by contacting us.

EEA/UK residents may also lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority. California residents may have additional rights under applicable state law; contact us to exercise them.

7. Children

Apex Comics is not directed at children under 13 (or the minimum age in your country). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact us so we can take appropriate steps.

8. Security and international transfers

We use reasonable measures to protect data we process. Third-party providers may process data in countries other than yours (for example GlitchTip in the United States, and Google or API providers as applicable); they apply their own safeguards and terms. Where required, we rely on appropriate transfer mechanisms such as standard contractual clauses offered by providers.

9. Changes

We may update this policy from time to time. We will post the new version on this page and update the effective date. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance where permitted by law.

10. Contact

For privacy questions or requests, contact us via the developer contact option on the Google Play listing for Apex Comics, or email privacy@uppr.dev.