Book Garden privacy information

Who operates Book Garden

Book Garden is operated by Chaotic Great, LLC. Parents can contact tim@getbookgarden.com with privacy, support or deletion requests. This information covers the Android app; the companion website is a separate service.

Family information

Parents can create a Google or email/password account. Google Firebase processes the parent account identifier, email, authentication credentials and available profile information. Children have managed profiles, not independent sign-ins. A family library contains child names or nicknames, avatars, themes, books and reading statuses, goals, reading logs, reading levels and interests. Book Garden does not ask for a child's email, date of birth, school, location or photograph. Use nicknames if you prefer.

Device storage and cloud sync

Guest libraries stay on the device. Signing into a verified parent account enables private family sync through Firebase Firestore in its United States nam5 region. The family document is accessible to its verified parent account under the configured security rules. The original guest library is kept separately and is only copied into an account through a parent action. Signed-in libraries also have local copies for offline use. Parent controls use the device screen lock. Book Garden does not store a parent PIN or device passcode. Automatic Android backup is disabled.

Book searches, covers and scanning

Book searches send the title or ISBN you enter to Google Books or Open Library. Loading a remote cover contacts its image provider; those services receive ordinary connection information such as your IP address. Reading levels and interest selections are used on the device to match a curated catalog and are not sent as recommendation queries. Barcode scanning uses Google Play Services. Google scanning and integrity services may collect device or installation identifiers and diagnostics for security, performance and usage analysis. Google sign-in may supply the parent account's profile photo URL. Book Garden does not request location access or include an advertising SDK. It does not include Firebase Analytics.

Subscriptions and purchase verification

The paid Android release offers a family subscription through Google Play. Invited free beta builds remain unlocked and do not sell subscriptions. Google Play processes payment details; Book Garden does not receive your card or bank details. To verify and restore access, the app sends a Google Play purchase token, a hashed parent account identifier, a Firebase parent sign-in token and an App Check token to Book Garden's server hosted on Google Cloud in the United States. The server asks Google Play for subscription status and expiration and acknowledges valid purchases. A private server purchase registry stores purchase references, the hashed parent account identifier and checkout attempts to verify access and prevent overlapping checkouts. Sign-in and App Check tokens are checked for authorization, not intentionally stored in the registry or application logs. Purchases that can resume billing may block a new checkout until their store status is resolved. Restoring a purchase in the updated app registers existing purchases with this service. Google Cloud may keep operational logs and connection information under its service policies. Google Play maintains purchase records under its own policies. Purchases are linked to the parent account that starts them. Manage or cancel subscriptions in Google Play; account deletion does not cancel a subscription.

Keeping and removing data

Family information remains on the device and, when sync is enabled, in the parent account's cloud library until it is changed or deleted. Hiding a child profile keeps that child's books and goals. Signing out preserves the account's local library and switches back to the separate guest library. Exported backup files remain where you save them and are your responsibility to remove or protect.

Deleting a parent account

In the app, open Parents, unlock parent controls, then open Parent account & sync and choose Delete parent account. Recent sign-in is required. Version 0.8.3 and later also allow deletion before email verification; if an older version cannot complete deletion, update the app or use the email route below. Confirm deletion using your password or Google sign-in. This removes the parent authentication account, its cloud family library, owned sharing records, friend requests and sharing permissions, purchase references and checkout records, and the account cache and account backup files on that device. Server cleanup supports older clients and retries interrupted cleanup. Two minimal closure records remain permanently: a billing record containing the hashed account identifier and a timestamp, and a family record containing the account identifier and a timestamp. These prevent delayed purchase requests and old sign-in tokens from recreating data. They contain no family library, email address or purchase token. Guest libraries, exported files and copies on other devices are separate. Deleting an account does not cancel a Google Play subscription; cancel any subscription separately through Google Play. Provider backup or operational-log retention may follow Google's service policies.

Requesting deletion without the app

Email tim@getbookgarden.com from the address used for your parent account with the subject Delete Book Garden account. We will verify account ownership before acting. Do not send passwords, PINs or a child's personal information. You can also use this route if you cannot verify an email or complete in-app deletion. Instructions are available at https://book-garden-c5d44.web.app/delete-account.

Your choices

Use the app without a parent account to keep a guest library on your device. Parents can export their family library, edit book and goal information, change child names and reading preferences, and request deletion. To remove a guest library and all local app data, use Android's app-storage controls. For cloud data, delete the parent account before clearing the app or contact us. Other signed-in devices may retain local copies; clear app data on those devices when retiring an account.

Parent-controlled sharing

Parents can publish a nickname and currently-reading books, and approve another verified parent account to view that card. Reading status updates refresh an already published card. Parents can revoke access; the full family library remains private. Parents can also create a 30-day wish-list link showing Want to read book titles, covers and ISBNs. Anyone with the link can view the list, which contains an ownership account identifier but no child name. Links can be revoked or updated. Deleting the parent account makes these shares inaccessible. Remote covers and book-retailer links contact those providers when opened.