Privacy policy
No account needed, no selling your data, and only what the app needs to work. This page explains exactly what that means.
Effective October 17, 2026 · Last updated October 17, 2026
No account needed
Use Instantly anonymously. We keep a random device ID with your topics, language and country.
No selling, no ads
We never sell personal data and don't share it with advertisers.
Your city, not your location
Location is optional and only used for local news. You can type a city instead.
What we collect
Windlight Labs (“Instantly”, “we”) is the controller of your personal data when you use the Instantly app and this website.
| Data | When | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Device ID | Always | A random identifier created by the app, so your feed and alerts work without an account. |
| Topics & publishers | Always | To choose which stories to show you and which to alert you about. |
| Language & country | Always | To write stories in your language and show national news. |
| City | If you share location or type one | To show local news. We store the city, not your exact location. |
| Push token | If you allow notifications | To deliver alerts to your phone. |
| Stories viewed | As you read | For your watch history and to improve your For You feed. |
| Account details | If you sign up | Email and a securely hashed password, or your Google account ID and name. |
| Saved stories & settings | If you sign up | To sync them across your devices. |
| Questions in Ask | When you use Ask | To answer them. They're not used to build a profile of you. |
We don't collect your contacts, photos or location history. The microphone is only used while you hold the mic button to ask a question out loud.
How we use it
To run the app. Show your feed, write stories in your language, sync your account and send the alerts you've turned on.
To personalize For You. What you read shapes which stories you see next.
To keep Instantly working. Security, fixing bugs and preventing abuse.
Who we share it with
A small number of service providers process data for us, under contract:
- Google Firebase Cloud Messaging delivers push notifications (your push token and the alert text).
- Google Sign-In, if you choose to continue with Google.
- AI model providers write stories and answer Ask questions. They receive the story's sources and, for Ask, your question, never your account details.
- Text-to-speech providers read stories aloud. They receive the story text only.
- Cloud hosting runs our servers and database.
We may also disclose information if the law requires it, or to protect the rights and safety of our users.
How long we keep it
Device data is kept while you use the app and deleted after 12 months of inactivity. Account data is kept until you delete your account. You can clear your watch history in the app at any time.
Your choices
No account. Tap Skip for now and use Instantly anonymously.
Location. Type a city instead of sharing your location, or leave it empty.
Notifications. Turn them off completely, or for any topic or publisher, under You → Notifications.
History. Clear it under You → Watch history.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, including the EU, UK and California, you can access, correct, delete or export your personal data, and object to or restrict how we use it. Email privacy@windlight.si to make a request. You can also complain to your local data protection authority.
Children, changes & contact
Instantly isn't directed at children under 13 (or 16 where local law requires), and we don't knowingly collect their data.
If we make important changes to this policy, we'll tell you in the app before they take effect.
Windlight Labs, Leonardo-da-Vinci-Allee 25, 60486 Frankfurt am Main, Germany. privacy@windlight.si