In short
Readlet is a PDF workspace. The core reader does not need a Readlet account, and it does not sell personal information, build advertising profiles, or track unrelated browsing.
Optional Readlet AI can use a cloud provider you choose, or a supported on-device model on Mac. Chrome’s ChatGPT connection uses Readlet Companion; Mac and Windows have a built-in connection. Readlet Plus is a one-time purchase handled by Polar as merchant of record. These terms describe the product; this page describes the information involved.
On your device
Ordinary reading, search, OCR, annotations, forms, signatures, page tools and export run locally. Readlet stores the state those features need in browser storage, IndexedDB, or the desktop app’s local store:
- Appearance, zoom and reading preferences
- Recent documents, page position and cached local files
- Marks, custom text boxes and form-field overrides for a document
- Locally saved AI chats and generated titles
- Diagnostics used for troubleshooting
- Vault entries, profiles and signature images
- Readlet Plus trial, dismissal and entitlement state
You can clear this from Readlet or through your browser or system settings. Uninstalling the Chrome extension normally removes its browser storage. A vault passcode encrypts vault contents at rest; other local Readlet data is not presented as encrypted storage. Vault exports are unencrypted JSON files by design, so keep them somewhere safe.
Readlet does not
- Sell personal information
- Build advertising profiles
- Track unrelated browsing
- Run in-app advertising analytics
- Use data for credit decisions
- Read files you have not opened
Readlet does keep locally
- Reading history and position
- Preferences and recent documents
- AI chat history and diagnostics
- Vault entries and saved signatures
- Plus trial and purchase entitlement
When something leaves the device
Nothing below happens just because a panel is open. Each path waits for an action you take.
- A PDF on the web. Opening a remote file requests it from the site that hosts it. That site receives ordinary request information, such as your IP address and browser headers.
- Readlet AI. A cloud request sends your prompt and the document context needed for that job: relevant text, page images or visual crops, recent conversation, and any form values required for the action. Translation sends the pages you choose to translate. Supported on-device models keep inference local after any required model download. AI can be turned off globally or for an individual PDF.
- Desktop updates. Mac and Windows check feeds on readletpdf.com and download signed installers from GitHub. These requests include ordinary network metadata. They do not upload PDFs, annotations, signatures, AI chats or licence keys. Mac system profiling through Sparkle is disabled.
- Companion updates. Chrome can check a public GitHub release manifest to tell you when a newer companion is available.
- Windows setup. A Windows installation may download WebView2 from Microsoft if the runtime is not already present.
Cloud AI is handled by the provider you select, whose terms and privacy policy apply. The ChatGPT connection uses your connected OpenAI account. Readlet does not ask you to enter your ChatGPT password into the app. OpenAI’s privacy policy applies to that processing.
Readlet Plus
The reader does not require a purchase. The 60-day trial and the later five-day extension are stored on your device. Polar is not contacted until you open checkout or enter a licence on a new installation.
Polar Software, Inc. is the merchant of record. Checkout, tax and payment details are handled on Polar’s hosted checkout. Polar’s privacy policy and buyer terms apply to that transaction. Readlet never sees your card number.
Entering a licence on a new installation sends it to Polar once for activation. Readlet stores the resulting entitlement locally, without scheduled revalidation, and does not keep the raw licence key. GitHub Pages hosts this website. GitHub’s privacy statement covers that hosting. The Chrome Web Store may provide aggregate listing information; Google’s privacy policy applies to Chrome and the store.
Chrome permissions
The Chrome extension asks for a small set of permissions so it can open PDFs and, if you choose, talk to Readlet Companion. The Mac and Windows apps do not use these Chrome permissions.
- webNavigation
- Knows when a tab is opening a PDF so Readlet can show it instead of Chrome’s built-in viewer.
- webRequest
- Detects PDFs that do not have “.pdf” in the address, by checking the file type.
- activeTab
- Gives Readlet access to the current tab when you click the extension icon.
- scripting
- Lets Readlet look for a PDF embedded in the page you just clicked on.
- storage
- Keeps preferences, reading history, local chat history, the vault and Plus entitlement on this device.
- nativeMessaging
- Connects to Readlet Companion when you choose ChatGPT in Chrome. The reader works without it.
- Access to websites
- Loads PDFs hosted on other sites. Browser security would otherwise block those files.
These permissions are for PDF detection, loading, local settings and the optional companion. Readlet does not use them to build a history of unrelated browsing, and it does not sell or transfer user data for advertising or credit decisions.
Children
Readlet is a general-purpose PDF tool and is not directed to children under 13. A parent, guardian, school or organisation should decide whether optional AI processing is appropriate, and should review the chosen provider’s terms.
Changes
If this policy changes, the date above will change with it. Significant changes will be noted in the relevant release notes or Chrome Web Store listing. Continued use after a change means you accept the updated policy.
Contact
Questions about privacy: contact@codernoel.com. Built by codernoel.