Privacy Policy

Last updated: April 28, 2026

Unpack is built around a single idea: you should be able to learn while you listen, without your data becoming the product. This policy explains exactly what we collect, where it goes, and what we don't do.

The short version.

Your podcast subscriptions, glossary, and listening history live on your device. We never see them.
When you look up a term, we send the term and a brief surrounding transcript snippet to our definition service. We do not store these requests with your identity.
We do not sell your data. We do not run third-party advertising networks. We do not build a profile to share with anyone.

What stays on your device

The following data is stored locally on your iPhone using Apple's SwiftData and is never transmitted to us:

Your podcast subscriptions and downloaded episodes
Your personal glossary, vocabulary profile, and learning progress
Listening history, playback positions, sleep timer settings
App preferences and settings

If you delete the app, this data is removed with it. We have no copy on our servers.

What we send when you use a feature

Definition lookups

When you ask Unpack to define a term, the app sends the term itself and a brief surrounding transcript window (roughly 30 seconds of context, or about 200 words) to our proxy at unpack-app-nu.vercel.app, which forwards it to Anthropic's Claude API. Anthropic processes the request to return a contextually correct definition and does not retain the data for training (per their commercial privacy terms). We do not log these requests with any identifier that points back to you.

Spoken definition readback

If you trigger a hands-free lookup with AirPods or Siri, the definition text (not your voice) is sent to ElevenLabs via our proxy to be synthesized into speech. The audio is streamed back and not stored.

Transcript cache

To make the app faster, we cache podcast transcripts (the text content already published in podcast RSS feeds) in a Supabase database. This cache is shared across users and contains no personal information — only the public transcript text from the podcast itself.

Subscription status

We use RevenueCat to manage subscriptions and trial entitlements. RevenueCat receives an anonymous user identifier we generate, plus the receipt Apple provides at purchase. RevenueCat does not receive your name, email, or any podcast data. See RevenueCat's privacy policy.

Analytics

We use PostHog to understand which features are used and where the app's onboarding loses people. We send anonymous events — no podcast names, term lookups, glossary contents, or anything tied to your identity. You can disable analytics in Settings → Privacy at any time. See PostHog's privacy policy.

Permissions Unpack asks for

Motion & Fitness — to detect head gestures from AirPods. Motion data stays on your device and is never transmitted.
Speech Recognition — only when you opt into Siri triggers. Apple processes voice on-device or via Apple's servers per Apple's privacy policy.
Notifications — for trial expiry warnings and spaced-repetition quizzes. You can disable these any time in iOS Settings.

Third parties we work with

Apple — App Store purchases, Siri, AirPods motion data (on-device), notifications
Anthropic — AI definitions (via our proxy)
ElevenLabs — spoken definition readback (via our proxy)
Supabase — transcript cache (no personal data)
RevenueCat — subscription management
PostHog — anonymous analytics

Each third party processes only the minimum data needed to provide its service. We do not share data across them.

Children

Unpack is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has used the app, please contact us and we will remove any associated data.

Your rights

Because most of your data never leaves your device, the easiest way to delete it is to remove the app. For server-side data (transcript cache and anonymous analytics), you can request deletion by emailing us at support@unpack.fm. We will confirm within 30 days.

If you are in the EU, UK, or California, you have the right to access, correct, delete, or restrict processing of your personal data. We will honor these requests.

Changes to this policy

If we change how Unpack handles data, we will update this page and notify you in the app before the change takes effect.

Contact

Questions, concerns, or deletion requests: support@unpack.fm