HN Lens

Privacy Policy

Last Updated: November 1, 2026

Our Privacy Commitment

By default, HN Lens processes all data on your device. We don't collect, store, or receive any personal information, and HN Lens has no servers. If you choose to use Claude or Gemini through the optional Brain Upgrade, the text described below is sent directly from your device to that provider, never to us.

What We Don't Collect

HN Lens does not collect any information about you:

• No names, email addresses, or contact information
• No reading history or usage patterns
• No analytics or telemetry data
• No cookies or tracking technologies
• No data shared with third parties, except the text you choose to send to Anthropic or Google (see Optional Cloud AI below)
• No ad tracking or ad networks (see Sponsored Link below)

How the App Works

HN Lens uses Apple's FoundationModels framework for on-device AI processing. Here's what happens when you use it:

• Fetching Stories: Your device connects directly to Hacker News' public API. No intermediary servers involved.
• AI Processing: Summaries are generated on your iPhone using Apple's on-device language models. Comment text stays on your device.
• Local Storage: Bookmarks and cached content are stored using SwiftData, Apple's local database framework.
• No Cloud Services: We don't operate servers that receive or process your data.

Optional Cloud AI (Brain Upgrade)

The Brain Upgrade in-app purchase lets you use Anthropic's Claude or Google's Gemini instead of Apple's on-device model, with your own API key. It is off unless you turn it on, and HN Lens asks for your permission before anything is sent to either provider. When it is on:

• What is sent: the text needed to answer your request: story titles, article text, Hacker News comments, and the messages you type in Deep Dive chat.
• Where it goes: directly from your device to Anthropic (api.anthropic.com) or Google (generativelanguage.googleapis.com), authenticated with your API key. It never passes through us.
• How the provider handles it: Anthropic's or Google's own privacy policy and API terms apply to that data, under your own account with them.
• Your API key: never leaves your iPhone except inside your own requests to the provider it belongs to. It is stored only in your iPhone's Keychain, is not synced to iCloud or included in backups, and is never sent to us.
• Turning it off: remove your key or switch back to Apple Intelligence in Settings > AI Brain, and nothing more is sent.

Sponsored Link

Each story screen shows one sponsored product, labelled "Ad", which links to Amazon through the Amazon Associates program. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

• No tracking in HN Lens: the app doesn't record whether you see or tap the ad, and uses no ad network, advertising identifier or analytics.
• When you tap it: Amazon opens outside HN Lens with an affiliate tag in the link. From then on, Amazon's own privacy policy applies, and Amazon may credit the developer for qualifying purchases.
• Remove Ads: an optional one-time in-app purchase hides the ad. Owning any other HN Lens unlock hides it too.

Data Stored on Your Device

The following information stays on your device and is never transmitted:

• Bookmarked stories and saved articles
• Selected persona preferences
• Cached story content and generated summaries
• App settings and user preferences
• Your Claude or Gemini API key, if you add one (in the Keychain)

You control this data. Clear it anytime through Settings or by deleting the app.

Third-Party Services

HN Lens connects to these external services:

• Hacker News API: Direct connection from your device to fetch public stories and comments. Hacker News may log API requests according to their privacy policy.
• Apple FoundationModels: On-device AI framework. No data sent to Apple servers—all processing is local.
• Anthropic or Google (optional): Only if you turn on the Brain Upgrade and add your own API key, as described in Optional Cloud AI above.

We don't use analytics services, advertising networks, or other tracking tools.

Children's Privacy

HN Lens doesn't collect information from anyone, including children under 13. The app is designed to be privacy-safe for all ages.

Security

Data stored by HN Lens stays on your device and relies on your iPhone's built-in protections: encryption, device passcode, and biometric authentication. If you use the optional Brain Upgrade, requests to Anthropic or Google are sent over encrypted HTTPS connections.

Changes to This Policy

Updates to this policy will be posted in the app. We can't notify you directly since we don't collect contact information. Check back periodically for changes.

Your Rights

Since we don't collect your data, there's nothing for us to access or delete. For text you sent to Anthropic or Google, use the privacy controls of your account with that provider. You maintain control through:

• Clearing cache in Settings
• Managing bookmarks in the Library tab
• Removing your API key in Settings > AI Brain
• Deleting the app to remove all local data

Contact

Questions about this privacy policy? Contact us through the App Store listing.

Transparency

Our privacy-first approach is built into the app's architecture. By default, all AI processing uses Apple's on-device FoundationModels framework. HN Lens has no servers, so we never receive your data; the only time text leaves your device for an AI is when you choose Claude or Gemini with your own API key.

Legal Compliance

We don't collect or process personal data as defined by GDPR, CCPA, or similar regulations. Public content from Hacker News is accessed directly by your device. If you use the optional Brain Upgrade, Anthropic or Google processes the text you send under your own agreement with them.