Privacy Policy

Effective date: October 20, 2026

This policy explains how Literate Chinese and Literate Cantonese (together, "the apps") collect, use, and protect your information. Both apps are made by Ray Banks and Literate Languages ("we," "our," or "us"). It applies to everyone who uses the apps, including people who sign in with email, Google, or Apple, and to the email signup on this website.

What we collect

Account information

When you sign in with email, Google, or Apple, we may collect basic account details such as your email address and name. If you use Sign in with Apple, you can choose to hide your email address. Each account also gets a user ID that the apps use to keep your data together.

Learning progress and settings

Your learning progress and settings, such as words studied, flashcard reviews, stories read, streaks, word lists, custom stories you create, and your display preferences. These are stored on Google Firebase servers so they are backed up and sync across your devices when you sign in.

Purchase information

If you subscribe or buy premium access, Apple (App Store) or Google (Google Play) processes the payment. We never receive your card number or billing details. We receive your purchase and subscription status (for example active, in a free trial, or expired) so the app can unlock the right features.

Usage analytics and crash reports

The apps record how they are used: which screens and features you open, events such as starting or finishing a story or a review session, your study settings, summary figures such as vocabulary size, streak, and whether you are a premium user, and the learning goal you pick during setup, along with device and app details such as device model, operating system, and app version. Our analytics providers also estimate an approximate location, such as your country or city, from your IP address. When something crashes, the app sends a crash report describing what went wrong. When you are signed in, analytics and crash reports are linked to your account's user ID so we can understand and fix problems for real users. We use this information to improve the apps, not to show you ads.

On Android, Firebase Analytics can read your device's advertising ID as part of its standard analytics. We do not use it for advertising. You can reset or delete your advertising ID in your Android settings.

What you send to AI features

Some features use AI: asking the AI helper about a word or sentence, translating or reading text you paste, reading text from a photo you take (for example a menu or a sign), transcribing an audio clip you record, and creating custom stories. When you use one of these features, the text, photo, or audio clip you submit is sent through our server to OpenAI to produce the answer. Only you see the result.

Text you play aloud

When you tap to hear a word or sentence, that text is sent through our server to Microsoft Azure text-to-speech to generate the audio. We store the generated audio on our servers by its text and voice so the same sentence does not have to be generated twice. The stored audio is not linked to you.

Optional features

• Arcade leaderboards. Only if you choose to join: the nickname you pick and your scores. Leaderboards never show your email or account name.
• Shared word lists. When you share a word list, its name and words are stored under a share code, and anyone with the code or link can open it.
• Class codes. If you redeem a class code from a teacher, the code is saved with your account. See Student Privacy for how class-code accounts work.
• Study reminders. If you allow notifications, the app schedules reminders on your device and may save a notification token with your account.

Emails you send us and website signups

If you email us, we keep the conversation so we can help you. If you join our email list on this website, we store the email address you enter, the page you signed up on, and when you signed up.

What we do not collect

• Your payment card or bank details
• Your precise (GPS) location
• Your contacts, or photos and recordings other than the ones you choose to submit to a feature

How we use it

• To run the apps: sign you in, save and sync your progress, and unlock premium features you have paid for.
• To provide the AI, audio, and capture features you choose to use.
• To find and fix bugs and crashes, and to learn which features and stories work so we can improve them.
• To answer your support requests.
• To send learning tips and news by email if you agreed to receive them (see Your choices).

We do not sell, trade, or rent your personal information to third parties, and we do not use it for advertising.

Third-party services

We use the following services to run the apps. Each one handles data under its own privacy policy.

• Google Firebase (Authentication, Cloud Firestore, Cloud Functions, Cloud Storage): accounts, progress storage and sync, and the server that connects the apps to the AI and audio services. Firebase privacy.
• Google and Apple sign-in: authentication providers if you choose to sign in with them.
• Apple App Store and Google Play: payment processing for subscriptions and purchases.
• RevenueCat: manages subscription status across the App Store and Google Play. It receives your user ID, your email address, and your purchase history in the app, never your card details. RevenueCat privacy.
• Mixpanel: usage analytics. Mixpanel privacy.
• Google Analytics for Firebase: usage analytics.
• Firebase Crashlytics: crash reports.
• OpenAI: powers the AI features, using the text, photos, or audio you submit to them. OpenAI privacy.
• Microsoft Azure AI Speech: text-to-speech audio. Microsoft privacy.
• Resend: sends our emails and keeps our email list. Resend privacy.

Children

Both apps are rated 4+ and are designed to be safe for users of all ages. There are no ads, no social feed, and no messaging between users. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children without appropriate parental consent. If we discover that a child under 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in their country) has provided personal data without parental consent, we will delete it.

Students who use the apps with a class code from their teacher never see a payment screen. Teachers, schools, and parents can read Student Privacy for details.

Data retention and account deletion

We keep your data for as long as necessary to provide the service, unless you ask us to delete it. Some data may be retained for record-keeping or to comply with legal obligations.

Delete your account in the app: go to Settings > Account > Delete Account. This permanently removes your account, progress, word lists, custom stories, and settings from our servers. If the app asks you to sign in again first, do that and try once more.

Or by email: write to literatelanguages@gmail.com from the address on your account and tell us which app you use. You can also ask us to delete specific data, such as a shared word list, a leaderboard nickname, or analytics linked to your account.

Deleting your account does not cancel a subscription. Cancel it separately in your Apple Account settings or in Google Play. Literate Chinese and Literate Cantonese have separate subscriptions.

Your choices

• Marketing emails. Every email we send has an unsubscribe link. When you create an account with email, you can leave the marketing checkbox unchecked. You can also email us to be removed.
• Analytics. The apps do not have an in-app switch to turn analytics off. Analytics are never used for ads or sold. You can ask us to delete the analytics linked to your account, and on Android you can reset or delete your advertising ID in your device settings.
• Notifications. Turn study reminders on or off in the app's settings or your device settings.
• Sign in with Apple. You can hide your email address when you sign in.
• Your information. You can manage your account and update your information within the app.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Any changes will appear on this page with a new effective date.

Contact

Questions about this policy or your data: literatelanguages@gmail.com. You'll hear back from Ray, the developer. For help with the apps, see Support.