Privacy Policy

01

About this policy

This Privacy Policy describes how VocabNext (“VocabNext,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) handles personal information when you use our mobile applications, website, cloud features, and support services (together, the “Service”).

LZ Studio operates VocabNext and is responsible for the personal information described here. This policy does not govern third-party services that you choose to use, such as an app store or external sign-in provider; those services have their own privacy policies.

02

Information we collect

The information we handle depends on the features you use.

• Account and profile information. This may include an internal user identifier, account type, sign-in provider, email address, display name, profile-photo reference, language choices, and account dates. Guest accounts may use an anonymous Firebase identifier.
• Information from sign-in providers. If you choose Apple or Google sign-in, we receive the account details that provider makes available with your permission. Passwordless email sign-in uses the email address you provide to send and complete a secure sign-in link.
• Feedback and support information. When you contact us in the app, we collect your feedback category and message, plus any contact email, screenshot, or diagnostics you choose to include. Diagnostics are limited to details such as app version, platform, language, and the screen from which feedback was sent.
• Technical request information. Our hosting, authentication, database, and content-delivery providers may process details such as IP address, device or browser type, request time, requested file, and error or security logs when your device connects to the Service.
• Subscription and purchase information. When you purchase, restore, or use VocabNext Premium, we receive a signed App Store transaction and information such as the product identifier, transaction and original transaction identifiers, a pseudonymous app-account token, purchase and expiry dates, renewal status, billing-retry or grace-period state, refund or revocation status, and whether the transaction occurred in a test or production environment. Apple processes your payment method; VocabNext does not receive your payment-card or bank-account details.
• Crash and reliability information. Production versions use Firebase Crashlytics to collect crash reports and related diagnostics, which may include stack traces, app and operating-system versions, device type, timestamps, and technical identifiers needed to group and investigate errors.

VocabNext does not request precise location or contacts. If you choose to record your pronunciation, the app requests microphone access and stores the resulting audio locally on your device for playback; pronunciation recordings are not included in cloud backup. If you enable reminders, your device handles notification permission and scheduling. If you choose a profile photo, the app requests access only so you can select that image.

03

Your learning data

VocabNext stores your learning progress locally so the core learning experience can work without a continuous internet connection. Local data may include your language and learning preferences, known and learning word or phrase statuses, notes, saved items, discovery position, review cards, review history, reminder settings, and locally stored pronunciation recordings.

If you sign in with a recoverable Apple, Google, or email account and choose Back up now, we upload a filtered copy of your portable learning data to Firebase. A backup can include progress, notes, review cards, review logs, and selected learning preferences. It does not include bundled definitions, examples, translations, images, audio, authentication secrets, provider tokens, notification permission, or local file paths.

Cloud backup is not continuous multi-device sync, and the first version is not end-to-end encrypted. Our cloud provider protects data in transit and at rest, but authorised VocabNext personnel may be able to access stored information when reasonably necessary to operate the Service, investigate a security issue, or resolve a support request. Routine support does not require reviewing the contents of your backup.

04

How we use information

We use information to:

• create and secure guest or recoverable accounts;
• provide learning features, remember your choices, and restore a backup you select;
• download the language packs, images, and audio needed for the Service;
• send service or sign-in messages and device reminders you request;
• verify purchases, restore Premium, maintain entitlements, and process subscription changes, refunds, and billing events;
• respond to feedback, troubleshoot problems, and improve reliability;
• detect misuse, protect users, and maintain the security of the Service; and
• comply with applicable law and enforce our agreements.

Where privacy law requires a legal basis, we rely on the performance of our agreement with you, our legitimate interests in operating and improving the Service, your consent where requested, and compliance with legal obligations.

We do not sell your personal information or use your learning history for third-party advertising. The current VocabNext website does not set advertising or analytics cookies. If you use the account portal, Firebase stores the browser sign-in session locally so you can securely view your own backup history until you sign out.

05

When we share information

We disclose information only in the circumstances described below.

• Service providers. Google Firebase provides authentication, database, storage, cloud-function, and Crashlytics services. Cloudflare delivers learning assets such as audio, images, and language packs. These providers process information for us under their own contractual and security obligations.
• Services you choose. Apple or Google processes information when you use its sign-in option. Apple’s App Store processes information when you download the app, purchase or restore Premium, manage a subscription, or request a refund. Apple also sends us signed transactions and subscription status notifications so we can verify and provide Premium access.
• Legal, safety, and security reasons. We may disclose information if reasonably necessary to comply with law or valid legal process, protect a person from harm, investigate abuse, or defend our rights.
• Business changes. Information may be transferred as part of a merger, financing, acquisition, reorganisation, or sale of all or part of the Service, subject to applicable law and appropriate safeguards.
• With your direction. We may share information when you ask us to or give us permission.

We may use aggregated or de-identified information for operations and product improvement when it cannot reasonably be linked back to you.

06

Your choices and controls

• You can use core learning features as a guest and link an account later.
• You decide whether and when to create or restore a cloud backup.
• You can sign in to the website account portal to choose which retained backup the app offers to restore.
• You can change learning, language, audio, and reminder settings in the app.
• You can disable notifications in VocabNext or in your device settings.
• You can deny or revoke microphone access in device settings; without it, pronunciation recording is unavailable.
• You can leave optional diagnostics, contact email, and attachments out of feedback.
• You can reset local learning data without deleting your account.
• You can delete your account and associated data from the app.

Signing out does not automatically erase learning data already stored on that device. Uninstalling the app usually removes app data, subject to your operating system and device-backup settings.

07

How long we keep information

We keep personal information only for as long as reasonably necessary for the purposes described in this policy, including to provide the Service, meet legal obligations, resolve disputes, and protect the Service.

• Local learning data remains on your device until you reset it, delete your account, uninstall the app, or your device removes it.
• Account and cloud-profile information is generally kept while your account remains active.
• Cloud backup keeps at most three complete generations, including the current and immediately previous backups. Older and incomplete generations are removed through cleanup processes.
• Subscription and transaction records are kept for as long as reasonably necessary to verify entitlements, process renewals, cancellations, refunds, and revocations, prevent fraud or duplicate ownership, support subscription recovery, and meet accounting or legal obligations.
• Crash reports and related diagnostics are kept only as long as reasonably necessary to investigate reliability and security issues, subject to our provider’s configured retention controls.
• Feedback and related diagnostics are kept for as long as needed to investigate, respond, improve the Service, and maintain appropriate support records.
• After account deletion, we may retain a limited de-identified deletion event for operational reporting for up to 365 days. It does not contain your email, name, raw user identifier, notes, or backup contents.

Deleting your account removes the associated authentication identity, cloud profile, cloud backups, entitlements, and local account database through the in-app deletion process. It does not cancel an App Store subscription. We detach the subscription from the deleted Firebase user identifier, but pseudonymous app-account tokens and transaction records may remain for the purposes described above. Locally stored pronunciation recordings are not part of the cloud account and may remain on that device until they are replaced, removed with the app, or cleared by the operating system. Some information may also remain briefly in restricted backups or logs until normal deletion cycles complete, unless a longer period is required by law.

08

International processing

VocabNext is available in multiple countries. Our providers may process information in countries other than the one where you live. The primary Firestore database used for account profiles and cloud backups is hosted in the Asia-Pacific region, while provider support, security, and content-delivery systems may operate globally.

Where required, we use recognised contractual or legal safeguards for international transfers. Local privacy protections may differ, but we continue to handle your information as described in this policy.

09

How we protect information

We use reasonable technical and organisational safeguards designed to protect information from loss, misuse, and unauthorised access, disclosure, alteration, or destruction. These include encrypted network connections, provider access controls, account-scoped database rules, and integrity checks for cloud backups.

No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. You should protect your device and sign-in method, install updates, and contact us if you believe your account or information may have been compromised.

10

Children’s privacy

VocabNext is not intended for anyone who cannot legally consent to the processing of their personal information. We do not knowingly collect personal information from such individuals without the consent or authorisation of a parent or legal guardian where required by applicable law.

If you believe a child has provided personal information without appropriate permission, please contact us so we can investigate and delete it where required.

11

Your privacy rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or receive a copy of your personal information; restrict or object to certain processing; withdraw consent; or appeal a decision about a request. You may also have the right to complain to your local privacy or data-protection authority.

To make a request, use the contact option below. We may ask for information needed to verify your identity and protect your account. Some rights are subject to exceptions under applicable law. We will not discriminate against you for exercising a privacy right.

12

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as VocabNext evolves or legal requirements change. We will post the revised policy here and update the effective date. If a change is material, we will provide additional notice where reasonably possible before it takes effect.