Last updated: 2026-08-24
Board Game Library ("the app") is a personal board-game lending-library tracker for Android and iOS. This policy explains what data the app handles and why.
Everything you enter into the app — your game collection, the friends you add, checkout/return history, and play logs — is stored only in a local database on your device. It is never transmitted to the developer.
If you use the "Sync with BGG" feature (or the app's automatic daily sync, which only runs if you've already configured a BGG username), the app sends your BGG username (and, if you provide it, your BGG password or API token) directly to BoardGameGeek's own servers, to retrieve your collection. This exchange is between your device and BGG — the developer of this app never sees or stores your BGG credentials or data. See BoardGameGeek's own privacy policy for how they handle that information. Your BGG password, if entered, is stored only in your device's secure, encrypted credential storage (Android Keystore / iOS Keychain) — never in the app's regular database or in any backup file.
If you use the "Scan Barcode" feature to add a game, the app opens your device's camera to read a barcode live — no photo or video is captured, saved, or transmitted anywhere; the camera feed is only used, in real time, to decode the barcode's number. That number is then sent to UPCitemdb.com, a third-party product lookup service, to guess a product name, which is used to search BoardGameGeek for a matching game for you to confirm. Nothing besides the scanned barcode number is sent, and this only happens when you actively choose to scan.
The app uses Sentry, a third-party crash-reporting service, to automatically report unexpected crashes or errors so they can be diagnosed and fixed. If the app crashes or hits an internal error, Sentry receives a stack trace and basic technical context (device model, OS version, app version) — it does not receive your library data, BGG credentials, or any personally identifying information, and there is no user account tying this to your identity. This happens automatically in the background; there is currently no in-app toggle to disable it.
If you choose to set a custom cover photo for a game, the app opens your device's photo picker. The photo you pick is copied into the app's local storage for display — it is never uploaded anywhere.
The app has an in-app "Export Backup" feature that creates a JSON file of your library data on your device, which you can then save or share anywhere you choose using your device's normal share sheet — this is entirely under your control. On Android, the operating system's standard Auto Backup feature may also include the app's local data in your device's own Google account backup; this is a standard Android OS feature, governed by your own Google account and Google's policies, not something this app configures or accesses independently.
Board Game Library is a general-audience utility app and is not directed at children. It does not knowingly collect any information from children.
You can delete all app data at any time from the app's Settings menu ("Clear All Data"), or by uninstalling the app, which removes its local database entirely.
If this policy changes, the "Last updated" date above will be revised. Material changes will be reflected in the app's release notes.
Questions about this policy or the app can be raised via GitHub Issues.