1. About this policy
This policy covers the iDub apps for iPhone, iPad and Mac, and idub.live. For privacy questions, contact support@idub.live.
iDub translates nearby speech, conversations, audio from supported apps and media files, and imported or pasted text. You use your own Google Gemini API key. There is no iDub account or iDub server that receives your translation sessions.
2. Information used by iDub
Your API key and preferences
Your key is saved in device-only Keychain storage on iOS and macOS. It is sent to Google to check access and authenticate translation requests, including when you connect or check a saved key. It is not sent to an iDub server. Language, audio and display preferences are saved on your device.
Audio and translation
In Nearby speech, Listen live and Conversation capture speech through the selected microphone. In Video & audio → From apps on iOS, the broadcast feature supplies audio from supported apps; iDub discards screen video and microphone audio in this mode. On Mac, you choose a display in the macOS sharing picker. iDub uses ScreenCaptureKit to receive system audio, excludes its own playback, and does not receive screen video or microphone audio for this mode. Audio / video file reads the media you select on your device and sends its decoded audio for translation, rather than uploading the video file. The selected audio, language settings and translation instructions are sent directly to Google Gemini over an encrypted connection. Google returns translated speech and text. Google also receives connection and request information, such as your IP address and API authentication details.
Books and text
iDub extracts text from a document on your device or uses text you paste. Selected text, language and voice settings, and translation instructions are sent directly to Google Gemini to produce translated text and narration. Generated narration is also sent to Google for speech recognition and word timing used to highlight the text during playback. The source text and prepared results are saved locally as described below.
Permissions
Listen live and Conversation require microphone permission. From apps requires you to start an iOS broadcast; Mac audio requires you to approve the macOS sharing picker and any capture permission requested by macOS. Media and document import use the files or photos you select through the system picker. You can decline access, stop a session, or manage permissions in iOS Settings or macOS System Settings → Privacy & Security. Stop an iOS broadcast with the recording indicator or Control Center; stop Mac audio in iDub or using macOS sharing controls. The corresponding feature cannot work without its required access.
Advertising on iOS and Android
The free iOS and Android versions use Google AdMob for banners, interstitials and optional rewarded ads. Google may process IP address and approximate location, device identifiers, ad interactions, usage and diagnostics for advertising, measurement and fraud prevention. Translation audio, documents and your Gemini key are not sent to AdMob. Required consent and privacy choices use Google UMP; privacy options appear in Settings when required. Plus users and the Mac app have no ads.
App analytics on iOS
The iOS app uses Google Analytics for Firebase to measure app use and acquisition, including the first app open (first_open), sessions, API-key connection (api_key_connected) and the first successful translation (first_translation_success). Firebase may also measure in-app purchase and subscription events through StoreKit. This measurement runs in both Free and Plus.
Analytics uses an app-instance identifier and technical data such as app version, device and operating-system information, language, event times and approximate location derived from the network connection. We do not send API-key values, translation text, audio or document contents to Analytics. IDFA and IDFV collection and advertising personalization are disabled for this Analytics integration.
The iOS app also uses Meta App Events to measure Facebook and Instagram advertising: installs, sessions, purchases and subscriptions, API-key connection and the first successful translation. Meta receives technical and event data and device identifiers. IDFA is used only with iOS tracking permission; after refusal, limited measurement can continue without IDFA. Translation remains available either way. We do not send API keys, translation text, audio or documents to Meta.
Depending on its configuration, the iOS app uses Tenjin or AppsFlyer to measure advertising campaigns, installs, sessions, API-key connection and the first successful translation. Only the selected provider is active. It receives technical and event data and device identifiers; IDFA is enabled only with iOS tracking permission. Attribution and configured event postbacks may be sent to connected advertising partners. We do not send API keys, translation text, audio or documents to these providers.
This website and support
Advertising landing pages use Google Analytics only after you allow analytics. It measures visits, campaign tags, opening the download dialog, App Store clicks and use of the video demo. Your choice is stored in your browser’s localStorage, and Google Analytics may use analytics cookies after consent. You can withdraw consent or change your choice using “Analytics settings” in the landing-page footer. We do not send API keys, audio, translation text or document contents to Google Analytics. Google Signals and advertising personalization are disabled.
When you select “Start translation” in the live demo, our server sends audio from one of our demo videos to Google Gemini and streams translated audio and captions back to your browser. The demo does not accept your files or microphone audio. The permanent demo API key stays on our private server; your browser receives no Gemini API key or access token.
Our hosting provider may process IP addresses, request times, browser details and other access logs to deliver and secure the site. If you email support, we receive your email address, message and any files you choose to send. Our email provider processes that correspondence to deliver and store it. Do not send your API key or private recordings.
Daily allowance and purchases
The Free allowance is 30 minutes per day on your device, shared across Listen live, From apps / Mac audio, Audio / video file and first-time listening to Books and text narration. It resets at 00:00 UTC. For books and text, only time actually spent listening to previously unheard parts of a prepared recording uses the allowance; replaying already heard parts, pausing and seeking do not. iDub Plus removes this iDub allowance; Google’s API quotas still apply.
To maintain the allowance, iDub stores a random installation identifier, daily usage, a one-way fingerprint of the most recently used API key and a time anchor in device-only Keychain storage. On iOS this storage is shared with the broadcast extension. It also stores fingerprints of prepared book audio and the time ranges already listened to, so those ranges can be replayed without using the daily allowance. These records contain no book text, titles or audio. Listening records remain across daily resets and are not cleared when you delete a book or clear its audio cache. The allowance and listening records stay on that device and are not synchronized between devices or uploaded to an iDub server. Keychain records may survive reinstalling the app; changing or deleting your API key does not reset the allowance. To verify time, the app connects to an Apple HTTPS endpoint when needed; Apple receives ordinary connection metadata, but no translation content, key, identifier or usage count from this check. Apple handles iDub Plus purchases and provides verified subscription information through StoreKit. iDub does not receive payment-card details.
4. Storage and deletion
Stopping translation stops the session; it does not erase every local copy. The iOS and macOS apps handle data as follows:
- API key: stays in Keychain until replaced or removed from that protected storage. You can replace it or choose Delete saved key on the key connection screen. To invalidate access, revoke the key in Google AI Studio. Uninstalling iDub may leave Keychain items behind.
- Listen live captions: stay in the app’s working memory while that session view/model remains alive, including after you stop. They are not an iDub cloud history. Exported text remains wherever you save or share it.
- Conversation history: the most recent 30 conversations are saved as text on your device. Delete individual conversations from History. Audio for replay stays only in the current session’s memory and is not part of the saved text history.
- From apps / Mac audio captions and status: local files hold the recent session. On iOS these files are shared with the broadcast extension; on Mac the app reads them and supplies captions to its local floating window. The saved session is replaced when a new session is prepared, or removed on a refresh after it becomes more than one hour old.
- Audio / video files: selected media is read locally; videos selected from the photo library may be copied into app cache. File translation captions and status are stored separately from app audio sessions. Settings → Cache → Video and audio files clears imported copies and saved file translations after playback stops, while keeping your original files.
- Books and text: your library stores extracted or pasted source text and available document covers. Prepared translation, narration, speech recognition results, word timing and listening position are saved on your device for reuse. Delete a book from the library to remove its saved source and associated prepared audio. Settings → Cache → Book audio clears generated audio, translations and word timing while keeping source books and listening positions; cleared audio will need to be generated again. To enforce the remaining allowance, playback may create a temporary, shortened local copy of a prepared recording. The app removes this copy when it replaces or releases the playback window. Book audio is not currently available for export.
- Book preparation records: local records track request times, book and section identifiers, audio duration, translated character counts, usage returned by Google and sanitized error or quota identifiers. They support preparation and troubleshooting; API keys are not included.
- Diagnostic audio check: when explicitly requested, a short audio sample of up to 12 seconds may be saved locally for troubleshooting. It is removed on a refresh after it becomes more than one hour old. Copies you export must be deleted separately.
- Preferences: remain until changed or the app’s local data is removed. The operating system may remove cached files earlier when it needs space.
We do not maintain server copies of these sessions or keys. Google controls retention of information it receives; use Google’s project controls or privacy channels for requests about Google-held data. A request to us cannot erase copies held independently by Google or recipients you chose.
Support messages are kept while needed to answer and resolve your request, follow up on the issue or meet legal obligations, and then deleted. Hosting logs follow the host’s retention settings and security requirements. Email us to request deletion of information we hold; we will explain any legal reason we must keep a limited record.
5. Your choices and privacy rights
You can stop capture, manage microphone and capture permissions, remove your saved Google key or revoke it through Google, delete conversations and books, clear selected cache categories and choose whether to share or export supported transcripts. There is no iDub account to delete. See data deletion help for practical steps.
Where data-protection law applies, we process information to provide the features or support you request, with consent where required, and for legitimate interests in maintaining security and responding to enquiries. Legal obligations may require limited retention or disclosure.
For requests about correspondence you send to support, contact support@idub.live. Subject to applicable law, you may request access, correction, deletion or a copy, object to or restrict handling, withdraw consent, or contact your local data-protection authority. Requests concern information we actually hold; they do not remove content stored on your device or by Google.
6. Security and international processing
iDub uses encrypted connections to Google, device-only Keychain protection for saved credentials and allowance records, and app sandboxing on iOS and macOS. On iOS, conversation history and shared session files also use iOS file protection. These measures reduce risk but cannot guarantee absolute security. Protect your device and key.
Google, hosting and email services may process data outside your country. Applicable safeguards depend on the provider and service, including their contractual commitments where required by law. Their policies linked above explain their processing arrangements.
7. Policy updates
We will update this page when our data practices change. Material changes will be communicated in the app or on this website as appropriate, with fresh consent where required.
8. Contact
Privacy contact: iDub support
Email: support@idub.live
Website: idub.live