Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 2026

The short version

Decidel is designed with privacy at its core. Your reading history, bookmarks, and settings never leave your device. We don't require accounts, we don't track what you read, and we don't sell your data. Period.

Data that stays on your device

  • Your reading history and browsing activity
  • Bookmarked stories and threads
  • Smart Mute configuration and preferences
  • AI summary history
  • App settings and display preferences
  • Your API keys (stored in the iOS Keychain)

This data is stored locally on your iPhone and is never transmitted to Decidel servers.

AI providers (BYOK model)

Decidel uses a Bring-Your-Own-Key (BYOK) model for AI features. When you use cloud-based AI providers (Groq, OpenAI, or Anthropic), the Hacker News content you choose to summarize is sent directly to that provider's API using your personal API key. This is the same as using those services directly.

Decidel acts as a client to these services — your data goes from your device to your chosen provider. It does not pass through any Decidel infrastructure.

For maximum privacy, you can use Ollama (local models running on your Mac) or on-device AI, which process everything locally without any network requests.

Analytics

We use TelemetryDeck for anonymous, privacy-focused usage analytics. TelemetryDeck does not collect personal data, does not use cookies, and is fully GDPR compliant. We use this data only to understand which features are used and to prioritize development.

Hacker News API

Decidel fetches public data from the official Hacker News API (provided by Y Combinator). This includes stories, comments, and user-submitted content that is already publicly available on news.ycombinator.com. No authentication is required for this API access.

What we never do

  • Require you to create an account
  • Track your reading habits or browsing history
  • Sell or share your data with third parties
  • Store your API keys on our servers
  • Display advertisements
  • Use tracking cookies

Subscriptions

Pro subscriptions are processed entirely through Apple's App Store. We do not collect or store any payment information. Apple handles all billing, receipts, and subscription management.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be reflected on this page with an updated date. Material changes will be communicated through the app.

Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at decidel.app@gmail.com.