Privacy Policy

Account details: your name, email, and password (stored securely by our authentication provider, never in plain text), and an optional profile photo or a chosen avatar color.

Your learning data: the words you save, your flashcards, your journal entries, your quiz and test results, your streak and XP, and your learning-style profile.

Subscription status: if you subscribe, we record whether your plan is active and when it renews. We never receive or store your full card number; our payment providers handle that.

Technical data your device sends, like which pages loaded and error reports, so we can keep the app working. Some settings and progress are also saved on your device so the app remembers your preferences.

The Speak feature listens to you say a word or sentence so it can score your pronunciation. On iPhone and iPad this uses Apple's on-device speech recognition; on the web it uses your browser's built-in speech recognition, which may send the audio to your browser's provider to turn it into text.

We use the result only to score you in the moment. We do not record, keep, or store your voice, and the microphone is used only while you are actively practicing in Speak.

To run the app: sign you in, sync your progress across your devices, and tailor lessons to how you learn best. To provide the paid subscription. To keep the service working, safe, and free of abuse. To contact you about your account, for example the streak reminders you turn on.

We do not sell your personal information, and we do not use it for third-party advertising.

Where the GDPR applies, we process your data to provide the service you asked for (contract), to run and secure the app (our legitimate interests), with your consent where it is required (for example optional reminders and the microphone), and to meet legal obligations. You can withdraw consent at any time.

We share data only with the providers that help us run the app, and only as much as each needs to do its job:

Supabase, our hosting, database, and sign-in provider, stores your account and learning data. Stripe processes web payments. Apple processes In-App Purchases on iPhone and iPad. Google Cloud Text-to-Speech turns the story text (not your personal data) into the read-aloud audio. Loops sends account and reminder emails, and receives your email address and first name to do so.

We may also share information if the law requires it, or to protect the safety of our users. If the app is ever sold or merged, your data may transfer as part of that, and we would tell you.

Rankings is a social feature. If you take part, your display name, your avatar, and your XP and streak are shown to other learners on the leaderboard. Your journal, saved words, and email are never shown publicly. You can avoid appearing by not using the Rankings feature.

We use only what the app needs to work: a sign-in session, and some settings and progress saved in your browser or device storage. We do not use advertising cookies or third-party ad trackers.

Your data is stored on secure servers with our providers, which are located in the United States. If you use the app from outside the United States, your data is processed in the United States.

We keep your data while your account is active. When you delete your account, we remove your personal data from our active systems; limited copies may remain briefly in routine backups before they cycle out.

We use industry-standard protections. No online service can promise perfect security, so please use a strong, unique password.

You can view and edit your profile, turn reminders on or off, and delete your account at any time from the web or the iOS app; deleting your account removes your personal data.

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, export, delete, or limit the use of your data, and not to be treated differently for using those rights. This includes rights under the GDPR in the EU and UK and under the CCPA and CPRA in California. We do not sell your personal information. To exercise any right, email us and we will help.

The app is meant for general audiences. We do not knowingly collect data from young children without a parent or guardian's involvement. If you believe a child has given us data, contact us and we will remove it.

We will update this policy as the app grows and note the date at the top. If a change is significant, we will announce it in the app or by email. Questions about your privacy? Email us at contact@storiesabroad.com and we will explain things plainly.