Shelf Shelf — Privacy Policy
Last updated: October 8, 2026 · Applies to the Shelf Shelf ("Shelf") browser extension (Chrome, Edge, Firefox and others) and the Shelf website.
The short version: Shelf has no accounts, no server, no analytics and no ads. Your apps stay in your browser.
What Shelf stores
The sites you save (address, name and logo), your folders, your to-do lists (text, notes, dates and reminders) and your settings. These are stored:
- On your device, in the browser's extension storage. On the website, they are in IndexedDB.
- In your browser account, only if Sync Across Devices is on. The browser (for example Chrome Sync or Firefox Sync) handles this copy under its own privacy policy. Shelf never sees your account.
The Quick Note is saved on your device and, with Sync on, in your browser account (long notes stay on the device only).
Uploaded logos and a wallpaper photo stay on the device where you added them.
To time its two one-off tips (pinning Shelf to the toolbar, and asking for a rating), Shelf keeps a few numbers on your device: the day it was installed, how many times it was opened, on how many days, and whether you answered. They never leave your device and are not synced.
Shelf Shelf Pro (only if offered). - Payment happens on the Shelf Shelf website through Razorpay, under Razorpay's privacy policy. Shelf never sees your card or UPI details. - The payment server keeps your email, the payment ID and your licence, so it can restore your purchase. - The licence key is saved in your browser account, so your other computers get Pro. It contains your email and the payment ID. - Free trial and automatic restore (Chrome and Edge, only if you allow it). - When you start the free trial or restore a purchase, the browser asks to let Shelf "know your email address". - Shelf then reads your browser account's internal ID. It doesn't use your email address. - It scrambles that ID with SHA-256, a one-way hash. - It sends only that hash to the payment server, which uses it to: - remember that this account already had its trial - find a purchase made on it - You can turn this off anytime in the browser's extension settings.
What Shelf sends over the internet
- Opening an app simply opens that website, as clicking a link would.
- Logos. To show a site's logo, Shelf loads the icon from the site itself, or from Google's public favicon service (
t2.gstatic.com,www.google.com/s2/favicons). The request contains the address of the site. Logos you upload are never sent anywhere.
Nothing is ever sent to the developer. Shelf contains no tracking or analytics code, and it doesn't load scripts from the internet.
Permissions (extension)
| Permission | Why |
|---|---|
| Storage and unlimited storage | Saves your apps, backups and settings on your device. |
| Active tab | When you open Shelf, it reads the current tab's address, title and icon to offer "Add this site". Nothing is stored unless you add it. |
| Context menus | Adds "Add Page to Shelf" and "Add to To-Do" to the right-click menu. When you use "Add to To-Do", the selected text and the page address are saved as a to-do on your device. |
| Alarms | Schedules the reminders you set on to-dos. |
| Notifications (optional) | Shows your reminders. Asked for the first time you set one. |
| Bookmarks (optional) | Used only while you import bookmarks. Shelf then gives the permission back. |
| Tabs (optional) | Used only when you choose “Save Open Tabs as Folder”: Shelf reads the addresses and titles of the tabs in that window once and saves them in your Shelf. Nothing is sent anywhere. |
Your control
- Export Backup gives you everything in one file.
- Reset Everything removes it. Uninstalling the extension deletes its local data. Turning off Sync stops the account copy.
- Shelf does not sell, share or transfer data, and it doesn't use data for advertising, credit or any purpose other than being your launcher.
Contact
Questions: Harsha Varthan E P — h24creationz@gmail.com