Privacy Policy
Vocalize4u is built to need as little of your data as possible. Here's exactly what happens to your text.
Last updated: August 17, 2026
No accounts, no tracking
Vocalize4u does not require you to sign up, log in, or create an account. We don't set tracking or advertising cookies, we don't run analytics that profiles you across sites, and we don't show ads. There is nothing to opt out of because there's nothing being collected for marketing purposes in the first place.
Reading aloud in your browser
When you paste text and press "Start Reading," playback uses the Web Speech API — a feature built into your browser and operating system. This processing happens entirely on your device. Your text is never uploaded or sent to our server for in-browser reading.
Downloading audio
When you use the "Download" button, the text you want converted is sent to Vocalize4u's own server so it can be synthesized into an audio file using Piper, an open-source voice engine we run ourselves — not a third-party cloud API. A few specifics on what happens to that text:
- Temporary caching for performance. The resulting audio file is cached on our server, keyed to a hash of the text, voice, and speed you chose, so that requesting the exact same audio again doesn't require re-generating it. Cached files are automatically deleted after 24 hours (or sooner, depending on server configuration).
- No account linkage. Downloads are not tied to an account or identity — Vocalize4u doesn't have accounts.
- Not used for training or shared with third parties. Your text and the resulting audio are not sold, shared with advertisers, or used to train any model.
Rate limiting
To keep the free download feature available to everyone, download requests are rate-limited per IP address (a generous hourly cap). This is handled in memory on our server for abuse prevention and is not used to build a profile of you or retained beyond what's needed for that limit.
Server logs
Like virtually any web server, our hosting infrastructure may generate short-lived technical logs (e.g. IP address, timestamp, requested URL) for security and debugging purposes. These are standard operational logs, not analytics or tracking, and are not used to build advertising profiles.
Local storage on your device
Vocalize4u saves a few preferences — your chosen theme, voice, speed, and pitch — in your browser's local storage so the app remembers your settings next time. This data stays on your device; it is never transmitted to our server.
Progressive Web App / offline caching
If you install Vocalize4u or simply keep it open, a service worker may cache the app's own files (HTML, CSS, JavaScript) in your browser so in-browser reading keeps working offline. This cache stores app code, not your text.
Third-party links
The "Buy Me a Coffee" button and the Piper attribution link take you to third-party sites with their own privacy practices, which we don't control. We recommend reviewing their policies separately.
Children's privacy
Vocalize4u does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone, including children, because it does not collect personal information at all — there are no accounts or profiles of any kind.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, the update will be posted on this page with a revised "Last updated" date. Continued use of Vocalize4u after a change means you accept the revised policy.
Contact
Questions about this policy? Reach out via the Contact Us page.