Privacy Policy
Vocatch (the "App") respects user privacy and handles only the minimum information necessary. This policy describes the information the App handles, the purposes of use, third-party processing, and retention.
1. Information We Collect
- Account information: Depending on the sign-in method (anonymous / Google / Apple), we receive a user identifier and the basic profile information (email address, display name) provided by the authentication provider. We do not collect or retain any information beyond what is needed for sign-in, such as your Google account password, contacts, calendar, Gmail, or Drive contents.
- Learning data: Words you save and your learning progress. Stored on our servers to enable cross-device synchronization.
- Purchase information: Your subscription status. Payments are processed by the App Store or Google Play; the App does not collect payment details such as credit card numbers.
- Crash and error information: To improve stability, we collect technical information at the time of a crash or error (stack traces, OS, device, and app version) along with an internal identifier that does not directly identify a specific individual.
- Usage information: Basic usage statistics such as launch counts, OS, device model, app version, and approximate region. This data is not used for advertising purposes; it is used solely to understand and improve the usage of the App.
2. Microphone and Pronunciation Feature
The App requests microphone access for the pronunciation practice feature, which evaluates your pronunciation. We do not transmit or store recorded audio on our servers or in cloud storage. Recordings are used only temporarily on your device and are deleted after the recognition result is obtained.
Note that speech recognition itself relies on the operating system's speech recognition feature, so audio may be processed by Apple or Google in accordance with their respective privacy policies.
3. Purposes of Use
- Account authentication and synchronization of learning data across devices
- Providing review recommendations based on Spaced Repetition
- Verifying subscription status and providing the corresponding features
- Detecting defects, improving stability, and understanding basic usage
4. Legal Basis for Processing Personal Information
The App processes personal information on the following legal grounds:
- Performance of a contract (account management, provision of learning features, etc.)
- Legitimate interests (service improvement, analysis for stability, etc.)
- Consent (where required for advertising or tracking)
5. Third-Party Services
The App uses services provided by the following entities. These service providers process information only for the stated purposes and do not use it for their own purposes (subject to each provider's privacy policy).
- Google LLC — Firebase (authentication, database, analytics, crash reporting), Google Play
- Apple Inc. (App Store, iOS platform)
We do not sell users' personal information to third parties. Except as required by law, we do not provide information to third parties other than those listed above.
6. Advertising
As of the effective date of this policy, the App does not display any advertisements and does not collect advertising identifiers (IDFA on iOS, Advertising ID on Android).
We may introduce advertising in the future, in which case interest-based targeted advertising may be used. When this happens, we will update this policy and implement the consent mechanisms required by each platform and applicable law, such as iOS App Tracking Transparency (ATT) and the GDPR. Users can avoid being targeted by declining such consent.
7. Retention and Deletion
Account information and learning data are retained for as long as your account exists. You can delete your account from the in-app settings, after which related data on our servers will be deleted within a reasonable period. Diagnostic information and usage statistics are automatically deleted after a fixed period in accordance with the retention policies of our third-party services.
8. International Transfers
The third-party services listed above may process information on servers outside Japan (primarily in the United States). By using the App, users consent to these international transfers.
9. User Rights
You have the right to request access, correction, deletion, restriction of processing, and data portability with respect to your personal information. Please contact us using the details below to exercise these rights.
10. Changes to This Policy
We may update this policy in response to changes in law or new features (such as the introduction of advertising). We will notify users of material changes within the App or on this website.
11. Contact
For inquiries about this policy and the handling of personal information, including requests to exercise the rights described above, please contact us at: