Last updated: April 2026
Shelv does not collect any personal data. There is no tracking, no analytics, no advertising, and no user account required beyond the credentials for your own music server.
Shelv stores your server address and username on your device using iOS preferences. Passwords are stored in the iOS Keychain and never written to regular app storage. Your password is used solely to authenticate with the server you configured and is never sent in plain text — authentication uses a salted MD5 hash as required by the Subsonic API.
Shelv saves your current playback position, queue, and player settings locally on your device so that your session is restored after relaunching the app. This data is stored exclusively on your device and is never transmitted anywhere.
When the Recap feature is used, Shelv keeps a local listening history in an on-device SQLite database. Each entry contains the song identifier, a timestamp, the song duration, the identifier of the server it came from, and a random per-device identifier. This data is used only to generate your personal Recap playlists on your own music server and to distinguish plays across your own devices.
If scrobbling is available on your server, Shelv additionally sends play events to that server using the standard Subsonic scrobble endpoint. No other destination is involved.
If iCloud Sync is enabled in the Recap settings, Shelv uses Apple CloudKit to sync your listening history and Recap markers across your own Apple devices. The data is stored in a private CloudKit database tied to your own Apple ID, inside a dedicated zone called ShelveRecapZone. Only you can access this data — neither the developer nor any third party has access. The synced records contain the same fields as the local listening history (song identifier, timestamp, song duration, server identifier, per-device identifier) plus Recap playlist markers. You can disable iCloud Sync at any time in the app's settings, and you can delete all iCloud data from the advanced settings.
All music streaming, cover art, and metadata are fetched directly from the Navidrome or Subsonic-compatible server address you provided. Aside from Apple iCloud (only when you enable it), the app communicates with no other server. Technical data such as your IP address may be logged on your music server. This is entirely outside the control of Shelv and is the responsibility of the respective server operator.
Shelv does not integrate any third-party SDKs, analytics frameworks, crash reporters, or advertising networks. No data is shared with any external service.
Shelv is an independent third-party app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or officially connected to the Navidrome or Subsonic projects.
If you download the app via the App Store, Apple's privacy policy applies additionally. Shelv has no influence over this.
If you have any questions about this privacy policy, you can reach out at login@gatze.ch.