Privacy Policy - Cognito

Last updated: February 21, 2026

Developer: Sérgio Caiado / Tiny Little Lab ("we," "us," or "our") operates the Cognito iOS application (the "App").

This page informs you of our policies regarding the collection, use, and disclosure of personal data when you use our App and the choices you have associated with that data.

Privacy at a Glance

• ✅ No user accounts required - The app works entirely without sign-up or login.
• ✅ Your books stay private - All EPUB/PDF files, highlights, and notes are stored locally on your device.
• ✅ No third-party analytics or tracking - We do not use third-party analytics, tracking, advertising, or profiling SDKs.
• ✅ You choose AI processing - Select between on-device AI (Apple Intelligence, iOS 26+) or cloud AI (OpenRouter).
• ✅ On-device = zero data sharing - When using Apple Intelligence, nothing leaves your iPhone.
• ⚠️ Cloud AI shares query data - When using OpenRouter models, your questions and relevant book excerpts are sent to their servers (anonymously).

1. Information We Do NOT Collect

We do not collect any of the following:

• ❌ Email addresses, names, phone numbers, or account credentials
• ❌ Location data or GPS information
• ❌ Contacts or address book data
• ❌ Browsing history or search history outside the app
• ❌ Device identifiers used for cross-app tracking or advertising
• ❌ Photos, camera data, or microphone access
• ❌ Health or fitness data
• ❌ Payment information (handled entirely by Apple App Store)

2. Information Collection and Use

We collect minimal data to provide and improve the App.

2.1. User Content (On-Device)

The App processes the following content locally on your device:

• Books: EPUB and PDF files you import.
• Highlights & Notes: Annotations you create.
• Reading Progress: Your current page and bookmarks.

This data is stored on your device and in your private iCloud container (if enabled). We do not have access to this data.

2.2. AI Features - You Choose How Your Data is Processed

The App offers AI-powered features (e.g., "Chat with Book," "Summarize") with two privacy options that you control in Settings.

Default Setting: Apple Intelligence (on-device) is selected by default to maximize your privacy.

3. AI Processing & Third-Party Services

Cognito uses third-party artificial intelligence (AI) service providers to deliver features such as text analysis, summaries, explanations, and conversational interactions related to books and documents.

When a user chooses to use AI-powered features, only the text explicitly selected by the user and the user's prompt are transmitted to these AI service providers for processing.

No personal identifiers are included with this data, and the data is not used to train AI models.

Users must explicitly consent before AI-powered features are enabled and may disable these features at any time in the app settings.

3.1. Option 1: Apple Intelligence (On-Device Processing) — Recommended for Privacy

• Requires: iOS 26 or later
• How it works: All AI processing happens entirely on your iPhone using Apple's on-device models.
• Data sharing: ZERO. No data leaves your device.
• Privacy: Uses Apple’s on-device AI capabilities in accordance with Apple’s platform privacy protections.

3.2. Option 2: OpenRouter (Cloud-Based AI Models)

• Service Provider: OpenRouter (openrouter.ai)
• How it works: Your queries are sent to cloud servers for processing.
• What is shared:
  • Text Queries: The questions you ask the AI.
  • Book Context: Relevant excerpts from the current book.
• What is NOT shared:
  • Your identity (anonymous connections).
  • Personal identifiers (name, email, device ID).
  • Books or highlights unrelated to your query.
• Consent: By selecting a cloud-based model in Settings, you consent to data transmission to OpenRouter.

OpenRouter's Privacy Policy: openrouter.ai/privacy

Data Retention: OpenRouter's data retention is governed by their privacy policy. We do not control how long they retain query data.

We do not store or log AI queries on our own servers.

4. Analytics and Tracking

We do not use third-party analytics, tracking, advertising, or profiling tools.

5. Personal Data

We do not collect account-based personal data.

6. Data Safety & Security

• Encryption: Data stored in iCloud is encrypted by Apple.
• Local Storage: Data on your device is protected by iOS sandboxing.
• No Server Storage: We do not operate servers that store your data.

7. Data Retention and Deletion

All data is stored locally on your device or in your private iCloud container.

8. Children's Privacy

The App is not intended for use by anyone under the age of 13.

9. Your Data Rights

• Access and delete your data at any time
• Control AI processing in Settings

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this policy from time to time.

11. Contact Us

• Email: support@tinylittlelab.com
• Website: tinylittlelab.com

By using Cognito, you acknowledge this Privacy Policy. Certain features, such as AI-powered functionality, require explicit user consent before activation.