ShioriShiori is a player for the visual novels you own. It’s made by Owen Cramer, an independent developer (“I” below).
The short version: I don’t collect anything. Shiori has no account of its own, no server, no analytics, no ads and no tracking. What you sign in with and what you play stays on your devices, in your iCloud, and with the services you choose to use.
What Shiori stores, and where
On your device
- The games you download, their patches and their saves, in Shiori’s folder (visible in the Files app).
- A cache of your library, artwork, the compatibility and patch lists, and series information, so the app works offline.
- Your settings, and a short connection log for troubleshooting. The log never contains passwords or tokens and never leaves your device.
In your iCloud
Apple’s iCloud, under your Apple Account. I can’t access it.
- iCloud Keychain: your Steam sign-in token, your SteamGridDB API key if you add one, and your library choices (games added or hidden, collections, artwork picks, each game’s version choice, per-game options and the last-played record). This is what lets you sign in once and see the same library on your iPhone, iPad and Apple TV. Signing out ends the session with Steam and removes the token from every device.
- iCloud Drive: each game’s saves, so they follow you between devices.
Turning off iCloud Keychain or iCloud Drive for Shiori keeps everything on the one device.
Services Shiori talks to
Shiori connects directly from your device to these services. Each receives your IP address and the request itself, as with any internet connection, and handles it under its own privacy policy. Shiori sends them nothing else about you.
| Service | When | What it receives |
|---|---|---|
| Steam (Valve) | When you sign in, and while you use your library | Your sign-in (a QR code you approve in the Steam app, or your account name and password, encrypted for Steam). Shiori never stores your password; it keeps only the sign-in token Steam returns. Shiori also reads your library, your store content preferences, game downloads and your public profile name and avatar, and appears in your Steam account as a device named “Shiori (iPhone)”, “Shiori (iPad)” or “Shiori (Apple TV)”. |
| Steam Cloud (Valve) | Before and after you play a game that uses it | Your saves for that game, downloaded from and uploaded to your own Steam account. Uploads can be turned off in Settings › Saves. Any cloud save that an upload would replace is backed up on your device first. |
| GitHub | About every six hours, and when you open a game | Requests for the public compatibility list, the public patch list and a public table of game formats. Nothing about you or your library is sent. |
| VNDB (vndb.org) | Now and then, for Collections | The Steam app numbers of the games in your Visual Novels tab, to find which series they belong to. No account or name is sent. |
| SteamGridDB | Only if you add an API key and pick artwork | Your API key and the Steam app number of the game you’re choosing art for. |
| Patch hosts | Only when you download a patch | The download request. These are the links in the patch list and their mirrors: publishers’ sites, Google Drive, MEGA, WeTransfer, Dropbox, MediaFire, pixeldrain and others. |
| Denpasoft | Only if you sign in to Denpasoft (shown only when your Steam store preferences allow adult content) | You sign in on Denpasoft’s own page. Shiori never sees your Denpasoft password; the session stays in the device’s web storage, and Shiori uses it to list and download the patches your Denpasoft account owns. Signing out in Settings removes it. |
| Image hosts | When artwork is shown | Requests for game artwork and your profile avatar, from Steam’s and SteamGridDB’s image servers. |
What Shiori doesn’t do
- No analytics, advertising or tracking of any kind, and no third-party SDKs that do them.
- No Shiori account, and no server of mine that your data passes through.
- Nothing is sold or shared with anyone.
- No access to your contacts, photos, location, microphone or camera. Bluetooth is used only to connect game controllers.
Crash reports
If you’ve chosen to share analytics with app developers in your device’s settings, Apple may send me anonymous crash reports and usage statistics. That’s Apple’s system and your choice; Shiori adds nothing to it.
Adult content
Adult patches, adult downloadable content and adult artwork appear in Shiori only when your Steam account’s own store preferences allow adult content. Shiori reads that preference from Steam and never offers a switch of its own.
Children
Shiori is rated 18+ and isn’t directed at children. I don’t knowingly collect information from anyone, children included.
Deleting your data
- Games and saves on a device: delete a game from its page, or delete Shiori.
- Synced settings and the Steam sign-in: sign out in Settings (this signs out every device), or remove Shiori’s items from iCloud Keychain.
- iCloud saves: Settings › [your name] › iCloud › Manage Storage › Shiori.
- Steam: signing out ends Shiori’s session with Steam. You can also remove the Shiori device from your account’s authorized devices on Steam’s website; Steam Cloud saves are managed by Steam.
- Denpasoft: Settings › Denpasoft › Sign Out.
There’s nothing to delete on my side, because I hold nothing.
Changes
If this policy changes, the new version will be posted at ocramer.com/apps/shiori/privacy with a new effective date.