Privacy Policy for Halfleaf
Effective date: August 19, 2026
Developer: Qiang Qiu
Policy URL: https://halfleaf.qqfly.net/en/privacy
1. Scope
This Privacy Policy explains how Halfleaf handles information when providing reading, text-to-speech, offline audio generation, iCloud synchronization, and support features.
Halfleaf is designed to work offline first. The app has no account system, advertising, behavioral analytics, or telemetry. It does not upload imported books, generated audio, reading history, or annotations to an application backend operated by the developer.
Some features do require network connections to Apple iCloud, voice-model repositories, email providers, or the hosting service for this website. These connections are described separately below.
2. Data stored on your device
Halfleaf stores data required to provide its features locally, including:
- imported books and parsed reading caches;
- reading position, reading statistics, book lists, annotations, and chapter adjustments;
- offline audio stored on the device and its local index;
- voice models, custom voices, and reference recordings;
- settings such as theme, text size, and voice preferences; and
- device-local diagnostic information.
This data is stored in the app sandbox or other app-specific directories provided by the Apple operating system. Except as described in this policy, Halfleaf does not transmit it to the developer.
3. iCloud synchronization
When you allow Halfleaf to use iCloud in system settings, the app can synchronize the following data between devices signed in to the same Apple Account through an Apple CloudKit private database:
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Book information | Title, author, cover, and original filename |
| Reading data | Position, progress, lists, annotations, and highlighted text |
| Reading settings | Theme, text size, voice preferences, and chapter adjustments |
| Source files | EPUB, TXT, or Markdown files that you imported |
| Offline audio | Generated audio files and narration timelines |
| Custom voices | Name, description, reference recording, and preview audio |
The CloudKit private database is associated with your Apple Account and is not a server operated by the developer. The developer does not receive this content through its own services. Apple provides the transfer, storage, and security mechanisms, and its terms and privacy policy apply.
Halfleaf does not currently offer separate synchronization switches for each category of data. You can stop future synchronization by disabling Halfleaf in your system iCloud settings. Disabling synchronization does not automatically delete data already stored on your device or in iCloud.
If you upgrade from an earlier test build, your device or iCloud account may still contain pronunciation-correction records created by that build. The current release no longer provides an interface for creating or editing those records, but it may still read them for compatibility. You can remove the corresponding local or iCloud data using the methods in Section 8.
4. Voice-model downloads
Neural voice models are not included in the app download. When you choose to download a model, Halfleaf may connect to public model repositories or mirrors, including:
- Hugging Face (
huggingface.co); - a Hugging Face mirror (
hf-mirror.com); and - ModelScope (
modelscope.cn).
Model-download requests do not include book content, reading history, annotations, your iCloud account, or a unique device identifier. To provide the network connection, the repository and its network providers may process your IP address, request time, requested file, and ordinary HTTP request information. Their respective privacy policies apply to that processing.
Voice-model downloads are optional. You can use Apple's built-in system voices without downloading a model, and audio already generated does not require the original model for playback.
5. This website
Halfleaf's Privacy Policy and support pages are hosted on Tencent Cloud. The site consists only of static content. It has no account system, database, or online form, and it uses no advertising, behavioral analytics, cookies, external fonts, or third-party content delivery network.
To establish a connection, deliver pages, and protect the service from abuse, the hosting and network providers may process limited technical information such as IP address, request time, requested path, and browser type. The developer does not use this information for profiling or advertising and does not associate it with data in the Halfleaf app. Technical logs are retained according to the actual server configuration and the service provider's applicable terms.
6. Feedback and communications
You can contact the developer through the in-app Feedback option or by emailing halfleaf@qqfly.net directly.
The in-app option opens your system mail application and pre-fills the following technical context:
- app version and build number;
- operating system and version;
- device model code; and
- app interface language.
The pre-filled text does not contain book titles, authors, book text, reading progress, annotations, logs, file paths, your iCloud account, device name, or a unique device identifier. You can review, edit, or remove any content before sending the message.
Only after you choose to send an email will the developer receive your sender address, message, attachments, and any pre-filled information you leave in place. This information is used only to respond, investigate an issue, and maintain records reasonably necessary for that communication. It is retained only for as long as needed for those purposes or to meet applicable legal obligations. The email providers used by both parties also process the message under their own terms.
7. Microphone and custom voices
Halfleaf requests microphone access only when you choose to create a custom voice by recording a reference clip.
- You start and stop the recording yourself.
- Before creating the voice, you must confirm that the recording is your own voice or that you have the speaker's express permission.
- The recording remains in the app sandbox and is not sent to the developer or an online speech service.
- If iCloud is enabled, the recording can synchronize to your own CloudKit private database as part of the custom voice.
Halfleaf does not use the microphone for any other purpose.
8. Deletion and retention
| What you want to remove | How to remove it | Result |
|---|---|---|
| A local copy of offline audio | Choose Remove Download under Settings — Offline Audio | Removes only the local audio; a copy in iCloud can be downloaded again |
| A local book source and derived caches | When the source is already in iCloud, press and hold the book in the library and choose Remove Download | Keeps the book record and cloud copy; opening it again can retrieve the source from iCloud |
| Offline audio stored in iCloud | Choose Delete in Offline Audio | Removes the corresponding local and iCloud audio; other devices update after synchronization |
| A custom voice | Delete it under Settings — Custom Voices | Removes its reference and preview audio; book audio already generated with the voice remains |
| A book and its associated data | Delete the book from the library | Removes the book, reading progress, annotations, source file, and associated offline audio; other devices update after synchronization |
| All local app data | Delete the app | Removes app data from that device but does not automatically remove copies in iCloud |
| All Halfleaf data in iCloud | Remove Halfleaf data under Settings — Apple Account — iCloud — Manage Account Storage | Removes Halfleaf data stored in your iCloud account |
Halfleaf does not currently offer a single control that deletes all cloud data. To remove both local and iCloud data, you must delete each separately.
You control how long device-local and iCloud data is retained. Feedback email and necessary website security logs are handled for the purposes and periods described in Sections 6 and 5, respectively.
9. Children's privacy
Halfleaf is not specifically directed to children and does not ask users to provide their age. The app contains no advertising, behavioral analytics, or account registration. If a parent or guardian believes that a child provided inappropriate information through a feedback email, they can contact the developer at the address below.
10. Your rights
You can access, modify, or delete Halfleaf data directly on your device and through iCloud settings. To request access to, correction of, or deletion of information supplied by feedback email, or to ask a question about this policy, contact halfleaf@qqfly.net. The developer will respond within a reasonable period after verifying the request.
11. Security
Halfleaf relies on Apple's app sandbox, device encryption, and iCloud protections for data in transit and at rest. This website is served over HTTPS. The developer applies safeguards appropriate to the product and the information handled, but no storage or transmission method can guarantee absolute security.
12. Changes to this policy
The developer may update this policy when Halfleaf's features, data practices, or applicable requirements change. The updated policy will be published on this page with a new effective date. Material changes affecting user rights will also be communicated in the app or its release notes, as appropriate.
13. Contact
Email: halfleaf@qqfly.net
Chinese version: https://halfleaf.qqfly.net/privacy