Whirr — Privacy Policy
Last updated: 8 November 2026
Whirr is an iOS client for Audiobookshelf, a self-hosted media server. This policy describes what Whirr does with your information.
The short version
Whirr collects no data about you. There is no Whirr server, no account with the developer, no analytics, no telemetry, and no third-party crash reporting or advertising code in the app. Nothing you do in Whirr is transmitted to the developer or to any third party.
There is no developer-operated service
Whirr does not have a backend. When you set up the app you enter the address of your own Audiobookshelf server. All of Whirr's network activity — signing in, browsing your library, streaming, downloading, artwork, and syncing your listening progress — goes to that server and nowhere else.
The developer has no access to that server, its contents, or any traffic between it and your device. Your relationship with that server is governed by whoever runs it, which in the ordinary case is you.
What is stored on your device
| Data | Where it is kept | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Server address and account identity | App container | Never leaves the device except to reach that server |
| Access and refresh tokens | iOS Keychain | Device-only; explicitly excluded from iCloud and desktop backups |
| Your account password | Not stored | Used once to sign in, then discarded |
| Library metadata and listening progress | Local database in the app container | Protected with iOS file protection |
| Downloaded audiobooks, podcasts, and books | App container | Excluded from iCloud backup |
| Cover artwork cache | App container | Cleared on sign-out |
| App-wide display preferences | iCloud key-value storage | A fixed allowlist of non-sensitive settings only — never server addresses, account identity, credentials, tokens, library contents, or media |
Diagnostics
Whirr uses Apple's MetricKit to record local performance information. That information is written to the device's own system log and is never uploaded — not to the developer, not to anyone. It is visible only to you, on your device.
Whirr writes no credentials, tokens, or authorization headers into any log, error message, or exported diagnostic file.
Tracking and advertising
Whirr does not track you. It contains no advertising identifier (IDFA), no App Tracking Transparency prompt, no advertising or attribution SDK, and no analytics SDK of any kind. No data is shared with data brokers or advertising networks, and no user profile is built for any purpose.
Links out of the app
An EPUB you read may contain external links. Whirr opens one only after you confirm it, only for
http, https, mailto, and tel addresses, and only
by handing it to the appropriate system app. Once a link opens elsewhere, that destination's own
privacy policy applies. All other link types are refused.
Siri and App Shortcuts
Whirr's voice actions carry no title, author, account, server, or library information. They accept only a playback direction or a sleep-timer duration.
Children
Whirr is a client for a library you supply. It contains no first-party catalogue and shows no advertising. It collects no data from anyone, including children.
Deleting your data
Signing out of Whirr deletes your stored credentials, the local database for that account, all downloaded media, the artwork cache, and any exported diagnostics from the device. Deleting the app removes everything in its container.
Because the developer holds no data about you, there is nothing to request, correct, export, or delete from the developer. Requests about the contents of your Audiobookshelf server should go to whoever operates that server.
Your rights
Whirr processes no personal data on the developer's behalf, so there is no controller-held data subject to access, rectification, erasure, portability, or objection requests under the UK GDPR, the EU GDPR, or the CCPA/CPRA. Whirr sells no personal information and shares none.
Changes
If this policy changes, the updated version will be posted at this address with a new "last updated" date. Material changes affecting how the app handles your information will also be noted in the app's release notes.
Contact
Questions about this policy: support@whirrapp.uk