Sidebar Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 6, 2026

Sidebar is an audiobook player with an optional AI conversation companion. This policy describes what we collect, why, and how to remove it.

What we collect

• Account information. When you create an account we store your email address (email sign-in) or your Apple account identifier (Sign in with Apple). Guest sessions are identified by a random device installation ID.
• AI conversation data. When you use the AI companion, your spoken questions, short excerpts of the audiobook audio playing around your question, and the assistant's responses are processed and stored so conversations can continue across sessions.
• Subscription status. Apple processes all payments. We receive subscription status information from Apple (product, expiry, renewal state) to grant access. We never see your payment details.
• Usage events. Basic product telemetry (for example, that a paywall was shown or a session started) tied to your account or guest ID.

What we share with the AI service, and when

The AI companion is powered by OpenAI, a third-party AI service. Before your first conversation, Sidebar shows you an in-app disclosure naming OpenAI and listing exactly what is sent, and asks for your permission. Nothing is sent to OpenAI unless you agree. You can withdraw permission at any time from Profile > AI & Data; the rest of the app, including playback, works without it.

When you open a conversation, and only then, the following is sent to OpenAI:

• Microphone audio — captured only while a conversation is open, and streamed to OpenAI's realtime service to be understood and answered.
• A short audiobook excerpt — up to the last 60 seconds of audio before your current playback position, plus the text transcript of it, so the assistant knows what you just heard.
• Your place in the book — title, author, chapter, and playback position.
• Your conversation — your questions and the assistant's replies, so a conversation can continue where it left off.

How this is collected: microphone audio is captured on your device by the AI conversation screen while a session is active; the audiobook excerpt is cut from the file you are playing at the moment you open a conversation; the book and position details come from the player.

All uses of this data: generating the assistant's spoken replies, transcribing the excerpt so the assistant has context, and storing conversation history so it can be resumed. It is not used for advertising, is not sold, and is not used to train OpenAI's models. Sidebar never uploads your audiobook library — only the short excerpt around your question.

OpenAI processes this data as our service provider under its API terms, which prohibit using it to train models and provide protections equivalent to those described in this policy. Your account identity (email or Apple account identifier) is never sent to OpenAI.

Service providers

• OpenAI — realtime AI conversation processing and excerpt transcription
• Apple — sign-in and subscription billing
• Fly.io — application hosting
• Resend — sign-in code emails

Data retention and deletion

You can permanently delete your account and all associated data (conversation history, trial record, usage events) at any time from Profile > Delete Account in the app. Detached subscription transaction records are retained as required for financial recordkeeping. An active subscription must be cancelled separately in your Apple ID settings.

Your books stay yours

Imported audiobook files stay on your device. We never upload your library.

Contact

Questions or requests: kaycbas@gmail.com