Privacy Policy

Who We Are

MBOX Reader is published by an independent iOS, iPadOS, and macOS developer (referred to in this policy as "we", "our", or "us"). You can reach us by email at [email protected].

This Privacy Policy describes how the MBOX Reader application for iPhone, iPad, and Mac (the "App") handles information.

Short version: we do not collect personal data about you, and your MBOX archives are not uploaded to us. The App reads selected mailbox files locally on your device.

Information We Collect

We do not collect, store on our servers, sell, or share personal information from the App. In particular, we do not collect:

• your name, email address, phone number, or contact details;
• the contents of your .mbox files;
• email subjects, senders, recipients, attachments, message bodies, or mailbox folders on our servers;
• your location;
• analytics or usage statistics;
• cookies, advertising identifiers, or tracking data;
• account or registration data, because the App has no accounts.

Because we do not collect personal data through the App, we do not maintain a user database.

What Stays on Your Device

The App stores a small amount of data locally so it can provide its reader, recent file, and premium features. This data is not sent to us.

• Selected mailbox access. When you open an MBOX file, the App reads the selected file through Apple's document picker and security-scoped file access. The App does not upload the archive to us.
• Recent files. File name, formatted file size, date opened, and optional security-scoped bookmark data are stored in UserDefaults so you can reopen recent archives. You can clear this list in Settings.
• Settings. Preferences such as date format, preview line count, attachment position, recent file limit, sort order, and whether you have seen the free-version notice are stored in UserDefaults.
• Review prompt counter. The App stores a local count of opened messages to decide when to ask the system App Store review prompt.
• Daily read counter. Free users can read up to 10 messages per day. The count for the current day is stored in the system Keychain.
• Counter integrity secret. The App stores a per-install Keychain secret used to sign the daily read counter and detect local tampering. It is not sent anywhere.
• Temporary attachments and exports. Attachment previews and shared/exported messages may create temporary files in the system temporary directory. Settings includes a control to clear the attachment cache.
• StoreKit entitlement state. Apple StoreKit provides purchase and subscription entitlement information so the App can determine whether Premium is active.
• iCloud backup. Depending on your device settings, locally stored preferences, bookmarks, or temporary files may be included in your personal backup. This is controlled by Apple and your device settings, not by us.

You can delete local App data by clearing recent files/cache in Settings where available, deleting temporary files through the system, or uninstalling the App.

How MBOX Files Are Processed

When you choose an MBOX file, the App reads the file on your device, scans MBOX message separators, decodes mail headers, builds folder and label groupings, parses MIME bodies, and extracts attachment metadata locally.

The App does not maintain a developer-side copy of your archive and does not send mailbox contents, attachments, search queries, or message metadata to our servers.

HTML Email and Remote Content

Email archives may contain HTML messages that reference remote images, media, or other external URLs controlled by the original sender or another third party. The App disables JavaScript and blocks main-frame navigation in rendered message HTML, but image or media URLs embedded in a message may still be requested by the system WebKit renderer.

Those external hosts may receive ordinary network request information, such as your IP address and request headers. We do not receive those requests or the data returned by those hosts. Mailbox archive processing itself does not require uploading your archive to us.

Sharing, Saving and Exporting

You can preview attachments, save attachments, and share/export messages using standard Apple system tools. On iPhone and iPad, shared messages may be rendered as temporary PDF files. On Mac, shared messages may be rendered as temporary HTML files. The destination is selected by you. The App does not log or track what you share.

Third Parties

Apple (App Store, StoreKit and system services)

Premium subscriptions and lifetime purchases are sold and managed by Apple through the App Store. Apple is the merchant of record. We do not see your payment details, Apple ID, billing address, or full name. Apple's own privacy policy applies to App Store purchases, subscription management, purchase restoration, App Store review prompts, iCloud backup, Quick Look, document picker, and other system services.

No analytics or advertising SDKs

The App does not include analytics, crash reporting, advertising, attribution, or tracking SDKs.

Purchases and Premium

• The free plan allows 10 message reads per day.
• Premium removes the daily message read limit.
• Premium may be offered as monthly and yearly subscriptions or as a lifetime purchase.
• Purchases are billed and managed by Apple through the App Store.
• You can restore purchases in the App and manage or cancel subscriptions through your Apple ID settings.
• We do not store, see, or process your payment information.

Children

The App is not directed at children under 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided personal information through the App, please contact us; because we do not collect personal data, there is normally nothing for us to delete from our systems.

Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have privacy rights under laws such as the EU/UK General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA/CPRA), and similar laws. These rights can include access, correction, deletion, portability, and objection to processing.

Because we do not collect or hold personal data from the App, we have no personal data to provide, correct, delete, or transfer in response to such a request. You still control the App's local data:

• clear recent files in Settings;
• clear the attachment cache in Settings;
• delete local App data by uninstalling the App;
• manage backups in your device settings;
• cancel subscriptions through iOS Settings > Apple ID > Subscriptions;
• contact us with privacy questions at [email protected].

California residents: we do not "sell" or "share" personal information as those terms are defined under the CCPA/CPRA, and we have no categories of personal information to disclose because we do not collect any through the App.

Security

The App relies on security features built into iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, including app sandboxing, document picker permissions, security-scoped file access, Keychain storage, and Apple's StoreKit transaction verification. No method of local electronic storage can be guaranteed to be perfectly secure. However, the App does not transmit your mailbox archive to our servers.

International Use

The App may be available through the Apple App Store in multiple countries. Because mailbox processing happens on your device and we do not collect mailbox contents or personal data through the App, we do not transfer your App data across borders on our side.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, for example to reflect new App functionality or legal requirements. When we do, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top. The basic commitment that the App does not upload your MBOX archives to us will not change without clear notice.

Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or the way the App handles data, please write to [email protected].

Summary

• We do not collect personal data through the App.
• MBOX archives are read on your device and are not uploaded to us.
• Recent files, settings, daily read counter, cache files, and exports are stored locally.
• HTML emails may reference remote sender-controlled content; those requests do not go to us.
• Purchases are handled by Apple.
• No analytics, advertising, tracking, or account system.