Last Updated: January 18, 2026
OVERVIEW
HNews Offline is a mobile application that provides offline access to Hacker News stories and comments. This privacy policy explains how the app handles your data.
DATA COLLECTION
HNews Offline does not collect, transmit, or share any personal information. The app operates with the following principles:
Information We Do NOT Collect
- No personal identification information
- No usage analytics or tracking
- No advertising identifiers
- No location data
- No contact information
- No device identifiers sent to external servers
LOCAL DATA STORAGE
The app stores data locally on your device for offline functionality:
Cached Content
- Hacker News Stories: Story metadata (titles, URLs, scores, authors) fetched from the Hacker News API
- Comments: Comment threads stored locally for 24 hours before automatic deletion
- Web Articles: Temporarily cached article content for offline reading
- Storage Location: All data is stored in your device's local storage using AsyncStorage and in-memory caches
Data Retention
- Comments are automatically deleted after 24 hours
- Cached articles are cleared when you close the app or when memory limits are reached
- You can clear all cached data by uninstalling the app
THIRD-PARTY SERVICES
Hacker News API
The app fetches public content from the Hacker News API (hacker-news.firebaseio.com). When you use the app:
- Story and comment data is retrieved from Hacker News servers
- Your requests follow the Hacker News API terms of service
- No authentication is required or performed
Article Websites
When you open article links, the app loads content from the original publisher's website. These websites may have their own privacy policies and tracking mechanisms. HNews Offline does not control or monitor these external websites.
DATA SECURITY
- All data is stored locally on your device
- No data is transmitted to our servers (we don't have any servers)
- Standard iOS/Android security mechanisms protect your local data
CHILDREN'S PRIVACY
HNews Offline does not knowingly collect any information from children. The app displays user-generated content from Hacker News, which may not be appropriate for children.
CHANGES TO THIS POLICY
We may update this privacy policy from time to time. Any changes will be reflected in the app's documentation with an updated "Last Updated" date.
CONTACT
If you have questions about this privacy policy, you can contact the developer at:
YOUR RIGHTS
Since no personal data is collected or stored on external servers:
- There is no data to request, modify, or delete from our systems
- All data is under your control on your device
- Uninstalling the app removes all locally stored data
CONSENT
By using HNews Offline, you consent to this privacy policy and the local storage of public Hacker News content on your device.