Privacy policy
Last updated September 22, 2026
Audionaut is an iPhone app for browsing and playing free radio, podcasts, Internet Archive recordings and live shortwave receivers. It has no user accounts, no sign-in, no analytics, and no advertising. This page explains exactly what that means in practice, and is written to match what the app actually does — not a generic template.
The short version
Audionaut does not collect, store, or transmit any personal data to us, because there is no Audionaut server. The app is a client that talks directly, from your iPhone, to the independent services listed below when you browse or play something. We — the developer — never see your activity, your favorites, or anything you listen to.
Data collected by Audionaut
None. Audionaut has no backend, no account system, and no analytics or crash-reporting SDK. We have no server to send data to, and nothing you do in the app is visible to us.
Data stored on your device
To make the app useful, some information is saved locally on your iPhone, using Apple's on-device storage (SwiftData and standard app preferences). None of it leaves your device or is visible to us:
- FavoritesStations, podcasts and Archive items you've starred.
- Listening history and playback positionSo on-demand episodes resume where you left off.
- Downloaded episodesAudio files saved for offline playback.
- Custom streams and settingsAny stream URLs you've added yourself, plus preferences like playback rate and sleep timer.
Deleting the app deletes all of this. You can also clear history or delete downloads at any time from within the app.
Services Audionaut connects to
When you browse or play something, the app makes a direct network request from your iPhone to whichever independent service provides that content. Each one operates under its own privacy practices, which we don't control:
| Service | What it's used for |
|---|---|
| Radio Browser | The directory of 60,000+ radio stations. Audionaut reports a play back to Radio Browser when you listen, which is how that community's station rankings stay accurate — this is a station play count, not tied to any personal identifier. |
| Apple's podcast catalog | Podcast charts, categories and search. Episode audio streams directly from each show's own RSS feed and host, not from Apple. |
| PodcastIndex | A second, independent podcast search index, for shows Apple's directory doesn't carry. |
| Internet Archive (archive.org) | Old-time radio, audiobooks, live music, speeches and other recordings. |
| SomaFM | Listener-supported internet radio streams. |
| WebSDR, KiwiSDR, UberSDR / SpinTheDial | Volunteer-operated software-defined radio receivers for ham radio and shortwave, streamed into the app's built-in receiver. |
| Broadcastify | Only if you paste a Broadcastify feed URL yourself under My Streams — Audionaut includes no Broadcastify directory. |
As with any network request, these services can see the request itself (your IP address, the station or search term, and standard technical details like device and app version) — the same as visiting any website. Audionaut does not attach any additional identifier, account, or advertising ID to these requests.
Some independent radio stations only serve their stream over plain HTTP rather than HTTPS, so Audionaut is configured to allow that — this applies only to audio streams, never to anything containing personal data.
Bluetooth, AirPlay and background audio
Audionaut uses standard iOS audio APIs to let you choose a Bluetooth or AirPlay speaker and to keep playing while your phone is locked or you're in another app. It does not scan for or store a list of your Bluetooth devices, and requests no Bluetooth permission beyond the system's own output-device picker.
Location and microphone
Audionaut does not request or use your location, and does not access your microphone. Neither permission is declared in the app.
Children's privacy
Audionaut is not directed at children and has no way to knowingly collect information from anyone, children included, since it collects no personal data from any user.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, the "last updated" date above will change with it. Material changes will be reflected here before they take effect.
Contact
Questions about this policy or the app: [email protected]
For App Store review
Summary for App Store Connect's App Privacy questionnaire: Audionaut collects no data of any category (contact info, health, financial, location, browsing/search history, identifiers, usage data, diagnostics, or otherwise) and does not link or track data across apps or websites. All app state is stored locally on-device via SwiftData/UserDefaults and is never transmitted to the developer. The app makes direct client-side network requests to the third-party services listed above to fetch publicly available directory data and stream audio; see each service's own privacy policy for how they handle standard request data (e.g. IP address) on their end.