Privacy Policy

This policy explains how Umbra processes data in the iOS app and on this website. It is written for GDPR compliance in Austria and was last updated on 21 June 2026.

1. Controller

August Ellison
Linzer Strasse 300/9
1140 Vienna
Austria
Email: hi@augustellison.com

2. What Umbra does

Umbra lets you search for Wikipedia articles, save them, and listen to them in the app. The app stores listening state, saved articles, settings, downloaded session data, and artwork cache data on your device so the experience can continue where you left off.

3. Data stored on your device

Umbra stores app preferences and product state locally, including your selected language, display name, saved articles, recent listening progress, queue state, playback settings, analytics consent, premium voice setting, and cached article/artwork data. This local data is used to provide the app and is not sold.

4. Wikipedia and Wikimedia requests

When you search, open, save, or listen to an article, Umbra requests article text and related artwork from Wikipedia and Wikimedia services. These requests are necessary to provide the app. Wikipedia/Wikimedia may receive technical connection data such as your IP address, user agent, request time, language, and requested article or image. Their own privacy terms apply to that processing.

5. Premium voice processing

If you use the improved premium voice, Umbra may send prepared article text to Umbra's phonemizer service to convert text into pronunciation data. Audio synthesis happens in the app. The phonemizer service is protected with Apple App Attest and processes the text only to return the pronunciation data needed for playback.

The service logs technical metadata such as request ID, route, language, text length, latency, cache status, and error details. Raw article text is not intentionally written to application logs. The service may keep short-lived in-memory cache entries to make repeated processing faster.

6. Analytics in the app

App analytics are optional. If you opt in during onboarding, Umbra uses TelemetryDeck to understand product interaction, diagnose issues, and improve the app. Events may include actions such as onboarding completion, playback starts, playback pauses, saved-article actions, settings changes, purchase-related events, and error states. Some events may include contextual properties such as app language, source, or article title.

If you do not opt in, Umbra uses a no-op analytics client and does not send app analytics events. Umbra does not use analytics data for third-party advertising or tracking.

7. Purchases and subscriptions

Purchases and subscriptions are handled by Apple StoreKit. Umbra receives entitlement state needed to unlock premium features, but payment details are processed by Apple. Apple may process data under its own terms for App Store purchases, subscription management, refunds, tax, fraud prevention, and customer support.

8. App security

Umbra uses Apple App Attest / DeviceCheck for abuse prevention and to protect the premium voice service. This involves device-generated attestation material and request signatures used to verify that requests come from a legitimate Umbra app installation.

9. Website analytics

This website uses Google Analytics 4 only after you provide explicit consent. Google Analytics helps understand reach and improve the website. Advertising features are disabled. The legal basis is your consent under Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR.

Website analytics may include pseudonymous usage data such as page views, technical device and browser information, approximate location, and referrer information. You can withdraw your consent at any time through the cookie settings on this website. More information is available at https://policies.google.com/privacy.

10. Website access data and hosting

When you visit this website or use Umbra's backend services, hosting providers may process technical server log data such as IP address, timestamp, requested URL, status code, user agent, and similar connection data. This is used to operate the services, maintain security, debug errors, and prevent abuse.

11. Contact and support

If you contact us by email, the information you send is processed to answer and manage your request. This may include your email address, message content, and related correspondence.

12. Legal bases

The legal basis for providing the app and website is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR where processing is needed to provide requested functionality. Security, abuse prevention, service operation, and product improvement may rely on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. Analytics that require consent rely on Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR. Legal obligations, where applicable, rely on Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR.

13. Data sharing

Umbra may use service providers and platform services necessary to operate the app and website, including Apple, TelemetryDeck, Google Analytics for the website, hosting providers, and Wikipedia/Wikimedia services. Umbra does not sell personal data.

14. Retention

Local app data remains on your device until you delete it in the app, delete the app, or iOS removes it. Server logs and analytics data are kept only as long as reasonably necessary for operation, security, analytics, and legal compliance.

15. Your rights

You have the right to access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability, and objection. Where processing is based on consent, you can withdraw consent at any time. To exercise your rights, contact us using the address above.

16. Right to lodge a complaint

If you believe your data is being processed unlawfully, you may file a complaint with the Austrian Data Protection Authority:
Osterreichische Datenschutzbehorde, Barichgasse 40-42, 1030 Vienna, Austria.

17. Updates

This privacy policy may be updated when Umbra's functionality, providers, or legal requirements change.