Buck Browser privacy

Updates by distribution

The Play Store edition uses Play Store to manage updates. It does not contact the Buck Browser release service for update checks, download its own replacement installer, or send optional installation reports.

The following release-check and installation-reporting controls apply to installations using Buck Browser’s direct-download updater. Automatic update checks default on. They send the browser platform, version and build to the company release service shortly after startup and every six hours while running. They do not include an installation identifier. Package downloads contact the same service when selected.

Turning automatic checks off stops scheduled release requests and optional installation reports, including their pending requests. Manual checks and explicitly selected downloads still contact the service. Browsing, configured filter-list downloads and enabled bookmark sync are separate network operations.

Optional reporting in direct-download installations

Reporting is off by default. When enabled, a successful release check may send a random installation identifier, platform, version and build, at most once daily. The identifier is independent of bookmark sync. No browsing history, bookmarks, passwords, search queries or sync identities are included.

Turning reporting off clears the local identifier. Previously received product records follow a 180-day retention period. Reporting counts cover participating installations only and do not identify people.

Company reporting

ObservationDeck records accepted package download requests and successful update checks separately from website page views. Retries and resumed downloads can add requests. These figures do not confirm installation or count unique people. Product records exclude raw IP addresses and raw user agents. Servers and the HTTPS delivery provider necessarily receive network connection information to serve requests; operational logs are separate from product analytics.

Company analytics are maintained on company infrastructure. Known automated requests and marked test activity are separated from normal totals.

Local data and bookmark pairing

Browser profiles store bookmarks, history, cookies and settings on the device. Desktop password storage is local. Optional bookmark sync sends end-to-end encrypted bookmark and folder content, group and device identifiers, device labels and sync status metadata to the company sync service. Bookmark content is encrypted before leaving the device; the relay cannot read it. Identifiers and device metadata are visible to the service and are used to operate sync. Pairing is optional and does not require an account. Sync connections use HTTPS. Websites, search providers and desktop extensions you use have their own network activity and privacy practices.

Retention and controls

Use browser settings to clear local browsing data and manage website permissions. Removing a bookmark while sync is active propagates its deletion to paired devices. Leaving a sync group removes the active device registration and stops sync on that device; local bookmarks and the remaining group are retained. The relay retains encrypted group records, deletion markers and necessary protocol metadata for synchronization and recovery. Leaving a group does not erase all relay records or backups, and those records do not have an automatic expiry.

For privacy or data-removal requests, contact [email protected]. Do not email a pairing phrase, encryption key, password or browsing history. Requests involving a sync group require verification of access to that group. Operational and recovery copies are separate from active sync records.

Website permissions and services

Websites may request access to your camera, microphone, location or selected files. Browser and Android permission controls govern that access. Information you choose to provide to websites is handled by those websites. Private tabs keep their browsing history out of your regular local history; they do not hide your activity from the websites or network you use. Ad and tracker blocking does not guarantee that every tracking request is blocked.

Development support

Opening About does not contact Buy Me a Coffee. Selecting the support link opens its website, where its own privacy and payment terms apply. Contributions are optional; Buck Browser remains free.

Website traffic

This website uses company-hosted ObservationDeck to record page requests and approximate browser, device and referring-site categories. Server records exclude IP addresses, raw user agents and query values. Supplemental browser sessions use a random local identifier with a 30-minute inactivity boundary and respect Do Not Track and Global Privacy Control. Website analytics are retained for 180 days. Download counts record accepted requests, including retries, rather than completed installations or unique people.