Akim Works
Privacy policy
Gistbyte. Effective 21 October 2026.
Gistbyte is an Android app from Akim Works. It is a reader for Hacker News, news and engineering blogs, and Product Hunt and Kickstarter launches, with short AI summaries. This policy explains what the app sends, what the server keeps, and what is shared. It covers the app published as Gistbyte (com.akimworks.gistbyte).
No account
Gistbyte has no sign-in and no account. We do not ask for your name, email address, or phone number.
What the app sends to our server
The app talks to one server, gistbyte.akimworks.com, run by Akim Works. It never calls Hacker News, Product Hunt, Kickstarter, or any publisher directly. The server collects those feeds and sends them to the app.
When the app asks the server for something, the server sees:
- your IP address
- your user agent, which is the app and Android version text your phone sends with every request
- the address you asked for, such as a feed or a search
The server writes these to a request log (JSON). We use the log for rate limiting, to stop abuse, and to find bugs. [OWNER: confirm how long server logs are kept]
Search
When you search, the text you type is sent to the server so it can run the search. The search is not tied to a name or account. Like any other request, it arrives with your IP address and user agent. The request log records the request address, so it can contain your search text.
Bored
The Bored button picks a random item for you. When you tap it, the server stores the pick together with your IP address in a table called bored_history. We use it to show what was discovered recently and to count how many people are using Bored. It is not tied to a name or account.
What stays on your phone
Recent searches, your theme choice (System, Light, or Dark), and your Bored settings are saved on your phone only. They are not sent to the server. You can clear them by clearing the app’s storage in Android settings, or by uninstalling the app.
Links and images
The app does not load images from publishers. When you tap a link to an article, a thread, or a launch page, it opens in your browser. From that point the publisher’s own privacy policy applies, not this one.
Ads
Gistbyte shows one banner ad through Google AdMob. AdMob and its partners may collect and use:
- your device’s advertising ID
- IP address
- device and app information, such as device model, language, and the version of Gistbyte
- coarse location derived from your IP address
- ad interactions, such as whether an ad was shown or clicked
- diagnostic data related to ad delivery
That data is used to show ads, measure them, and limit fraud. It is processed by Google under Google’s privacy policy. AdMob’s own notes for users are in Google’s advertising guide.
You can reset or delete your advertising ID, or opt out of personalized ads, in your phone’s Google settings.
Crash reports
Gistbyte uses Google Firebase Crashlytics to receive reports when the app crashes or fails to read a server reply. A report can include the error type and stack trace, the name of the server endpoint involved, your device model, Android version, the version of Gistbyte, and a Firebase installation ID. It does not include your search text or the links you open.
We use these reports only to find and fix bugs. They are processed by Google under Firebase’s privacy and security terms. Crash reporting is off in debug builds. Gistbyte does not use Firebase Analytics.
What we do not do
- We do not ask you to create an account.
- We do not sell your data.
- We do not collect your contacts, SMS, photos, or precise GPS location.
- The app is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them.
Data safety summary
| Data | Leaves the phone? | Who receives it |
|---|---|---|
| Search text | Yes, to run the search | Akim Works server. Not tied to a person. |
| IP address and user agent | Yes, with every request | Akim Works server (request log). Used for rate limiting and abuse checks. |
| Bored picks, with IP address | Yes, when you tap Bored | Akim Works server (bored_history) |
| Recent searches, theme, Bored settings | No | Nobody. Saved on the phone only. |
| Advertising ID, device info, IP address, ad interactions | Yes, for ads | Google (AdMob) and its advertising partners |
| Crash reports (error details, endpoint name, device model, Android version, app version, installation ID) | Yes, for bug fixing | Google (Firebase Crashlytics) |
All data the app sends travels over HTTPS.
Changes
If this policy changes, the effective date at the top will change, and the updated text will stay at this address.
Contact
Akim Works
[email protected]