1. Introduction

TonePerfect ("we," "our," or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application and related services.

Please read this privacy policy carefully. By using the App, you consent to the practices described in this policy.

2. Information We Collect

Personal Information

We may collect the following personal information:

Email: When you create an account or sign in using third-party services
Name: If provided through third-party authentication services
Profile information: From Google Sign-In or Apple Sign-In if you choose to use these services

Usage Data

We automatically collect certain information about your use of the App:

Learning progress and statistics
Features used and time spent in the App
Device type, operating system, and version
App performance data and error logs

Audio Recordings

To give you pronunciation feedback, the App records your voice while you practice speaking and processes it to score your pronunciation. Processing your recording to produce that feedback is necessary to provide the pronunciation features you choose to use. The following describes how these recordings are handled:

Audio recordings and the Chinese text you are practicing are processed on TonePerfect's own servers to generate real-time pronunciation scores and feedback. We do not send your recordings to any third-party speech provider.
We do not use your voice to identify you, and we do not create voiceprints.
Recordings made for scoring are used only to generate your feedback and to operate and troubleshoot the App, and are kept only as long as needed for that purpose, after which they are deleted — unless you opt in to the optional open research dataset described below.
People under 18 are never included in the optional research dataset.
Optional: if you turn on “Contribute recordings to research” in Settings, we keep your recordings and may use them to improve TonePerfect and to build a free, public open research dataset for language learning. This is off unless you turn it on, your name and account details are removed, and because the dataset is released publicly, once a recording is in a published version it cannot be recalled (though we will exclude it from future versions if you withdraw). You can turn this on or off at any time in Settings → Privacy.

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

Provide, maintain, and improve the App
Process your pronunciation and provide AI-powered feedback
Track your learning progress and personalize your experience
Communicate with you about updates, support, and promotional offers
Analyze usage patterns to improve our service
Use anonymized audio recordings to train and improve our pronunciation assessment models
Prevent fraud and ensure the security of our service
Comply with legal obligations

4. Data Storage

Your data is stored securely using Firebase and Google Cloud Platform services. Our servers are located in the United States. We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data against unauthorized access, alteration, disclosure, or destruction.

5. Third-Party Services

We use the following third-party services:

Authentication

Firebase Authentication: For secure user authentication
Google Sign-In: Optional authentication method
Sign in with Apple: Optional authentication method

Analytics and Performance

Firebase Analytics: To understand app usage and improve our service
Firebase Crashlytics: To identify and fix technical issues

Payments

RevenueCat: For subscription management
Apple App Store / Google Play: For payment processing

Note: We do not receive or store your payment card details. All payment information is handled directly by Apple or Google. We only receive confirmation of your subscription status.

Pronunciation Analysis

TonePerfect pronunciation engine (self-hosted): AI-powered pronunciation assessment and real-time feedback, run on our own servers.

When you use the App's pronunciation features, your audio recording and the Chinese text you are practicing are processed by TonePerfect's own servers to produce real-time pronunciation scores and feedback. We do not send this data to any third-party speech-analysis provider, we do not use your voice to identify you, and we do not create voiceprints. Recordings are kept only as long as needed to generate your feedback and are then deleted, unless you have opted in to the optional open research dataset described above.

6. Subscription Data

When you subscribe to TonePerfect:

Payment is processed entirely by Apple App Store or Google Play Store
We receive only subscription status confirmation (active, expired, cancelled)
We do not have access to your payment method details
Subscription management and billing inquiries should be directed to Apple or Google

7. Data Retention

We retain your personal information for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide you services. We will retain and use your information as necessary to:

Comply with our legal obligations
Resolve disputes
Enforce our agreements

Upon account deletion request, we will delete your personal data within 30 days, except where we are required to retain certain information by law.

8. Your Rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

Access and Portability

You can request a copy of your personal data in a structured, commonly used format.

Correction

You can request correction of inaccurate personal data.

Deletion

You can request deletion of your personal data. This can be done through the App settings or by contacting us directly.

Opt-Out

You can opt-out of promotional communications and certain data collection practices.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at tlgnicolas@gmail.com.

9. Children's Privacy

TonePerfect is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If we learn we have collected personal information from a child under 13, we will delete that information promptly.

If you believe we have inadvertently collected information from a child under 13, please contact us immediately.

10. Security Measures

We implement appropriate technical and organizational security measures to protect your data:

Encryption of data in transit and at rest
Secure authentication mechanisms
Regular security assessments and updates
Access controls limiting data access to authorized personnel
Monitoring for suspicious activity

However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

11. International Data Transfers

Your information may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your country of residence, including the United States. These countries may have different data protection laws. By using the App, you consent to the transfer of your information to these countries.

We take appropriate safeguards to ensure that your personal data remains protected in accordance with this Privacy Policy.

12. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have additional rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA):

Right to know what personal information is collected, used, shared, or sold
Right to delete personal information held by us
Right to opt-out of the sale of personal information (we do not sell your data)
Right to non-discrimination for exercising your privacy rights

13. European Privacy Rights (GDPR)

If you are in the European Economic Area (EEA), you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR):

Right to access your personal data
Right to rectification of inaccurate data
Right to erasure ("right to be forgotten")
Right to restrict processing
Right to data portability
Right to object to processing
Right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy in the App and updating the "Last updated" date. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.

Your continued use of the App after any modifications indicates your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

15. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

tlgnicolas@gmail.com