Privacy Policy

📋 1. Information We Collect

We collect only the information required to deliver SpeakMate's coaching, Lessons, role-play features, forced-update mechanism, and ad-supported free experience. Here is a complete breakdown:

🎯 2. How We Use Your Information

Your data is used exclusively to power the SpeakMate experience:

• Personalised Greeting: The name you enter during onboarding is used to greet you by name on the Home screen and in relevant places throughout the app.
• Real-Time AI Coaching: Your conversation messages are sent, via our Cloudflare Workers relay, to OpenAI (gpt-4o-mini) to generate grammar corrections, vocabulary suggestions, fluency tips, pronunciation notes, and scores in real time.
• Lessons & Learning Path: Structured lesson content grouped by level and goal is fetched from Cloud Firestore. Your position in the path — current unit/lesson, completed lessons, streak, and XP — is read from and written to Firestore so your progress unlocks the right content and is not lost if you reinstall on the same account session.
• Role-Play Missions: Your messages are sent, via our Cloudflare Workers relay, to OpenAI with a custom role-play system prompt so the AI stays in character as the specified scenario partner.
• Progress Tracking: Scores and session records stored on-device power your Progress dashboard, skill bars, and weekly streak calendar; summary totals (streak, XP, sessions, minutes) are mirrored to Firestore.
• AI Voice Responses: The AI coach's text reply is sent, via our Cloudflare Workers relay, to Google Cloud TTS to synthesise natural-sounding speech, cached locally for instant replay.
• Banner & Interstitial Ads (AdMob): Google AdMob banner ads and interstitial ads are displayed to support the free experience. Ad content is determined by Google based on contextual signals and, where personalisation is enabled, your Advertising ID (GAID).
• Rewarded Ads (AdMob): In Practice mode, roughly every 2 minutes of active back-and-forth conversation, the mic locks after the AI finishes speaking and switches to "Watch Ad to Continue" — never mid-recording, only between turns. In Lessons, a similar gate appears before the first Speaking activity of a lesson, with an explicit "Not Now" option. In both cases, watching (or briefly viewing and closing) the ad unlocks the mic again; this exists because continuing to converse with the AI coach costs us real, per-use fees (OpenAI and Google Cloud TTS) on your behalf. If a rewarded ad fails to load or show in Practice mode, the mic does not unlock for free — it stays gated while the app quietly retries loading another ad in the background, and your only way to end the wait is to tap "End Session." If a mission is in progress when the gate appears, its countdown timer is paused for the duration of the gate so you don't lose mission time waiting on an ad. No in-app currency or bonus XP is granted for watching.
• Forced / Mandatory App Updates: The app reads a shared, non-personal Cloud Firestore config document to check whether your installed version meets the minimum required version. If not, you'll see a mandatory update prompt via the Google Play In-App Updates API or the Play Store.
• Daily & Mission Reminders: Android WorkManager schedules local device notifications — no data leaves your device for this feature.
• Crash & Stability Improvements: Anonymous crash reports help us identify and fix technical issues.
• Usage Analytics: Anonymous event counts help us understand which features are most used so we can improve the app.

We do not use your data for advertising profiling, data brokering, or any purpose beyond what is listed above.

🔐 3. App Permissions

SpeakMate requests the following Android permissions. Each is strictly necessary. Adding Lessons, Firestore sync, and the Cloudflare Workers relay did not require any new permission beyond the existing INTERNET permission:

• 🎤 RECORD_AUDIO — Required for voice-to-text input. Audio is processed on-device — raw audio is never uploaded to our servers.
• 🔍 Speech Recognition Query — SpeakMate declares a <queries> intent for android.speech.RecognitionService so Android 11+ can discover the Google Speech Recognition service. No data is collected by this declaration.
• 🌐 INTERNET — Required to communicate with our Cloudflare Workers relay (which in turn communicates with OpenAI and Google Cloud TTS), Google AdMob, Cloud Firestore (profile sync, Lessons content, and app-update config), and other Firebase services.
• 📡 ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE — Allows the app to check connectivity before API calls and before fetching the update-config document or lesson content.
• 🔔 POST_NOTIFICATIONS — Required on Android 13+ to send daily practice and mission reminders. You explicitly opt in via the Settings screen.
• 📳 VIBRATE — Used for haptic feedback when the microphone starts recording.
• 🔄 RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED — Required to reschedule reminder notifications after device restarts. The app also listens for QUICKBOOT_POWERON for the same purpose.
• 📢 AD_ID — Automatically added by the Google AdMob SDK (play-services-ads) via manifest merging. Used to access your device's Advertising ID (GAID) to serve relevant personalised or contextual ads. You can opt out via Google Settings → Ads.

🔗 4. Third-Party Services

SpeakMate integrates with the following third-party services. Each processes data under their own privacy policies:

📚 5. Lessons, Firestore & Your Progress

Version 1.2.3 introduced structured Lessons and moved part of your profile and progress from purely on-device storage into Google Cloud Firestore. This section explains exactly what changed.

How your anonymous account is created: The first time you complete onboarding, SpeakMate silently signs you in to Firebase Authentication using anonymous sign-in — no email, phone number, or password is ever asked for or collected. This creates a random ID (e.g. a1B2c3D4...) that lives in the app's private storage on your device.

What's saved under your anonymous account (users/{"{"}your-anonymous-id{"}"}) in Firestore:

• The first name you entered during onboarding.
• Your selected learning level and goal (e.g. "Beginner" / "Travel English").
• Your streak count, total XP, total completed sessions, total minutes practiced, and lesson-completed counter.
• The date you completed onboarding.

What is not sent to Firestore: your raw voice recordings, full chat transcripts, per-message AI feedback/scores, or device advertising identifier — as before. In addition, the detailed record of exactly which lessons and units you've completed and which one you're currently on is tracked entirely on-device in Room, not in Firestore; only the summary counters above (e.g. your total lesson-completed count) are synced. Note that your OpenAI/TTS API credentials are not something you hold or transmit at all — those are held solely server-side in our Cloudflare Workers relay (see Section 4 and Section 7).

Lesson content itself (the units, prompts, and exercises you complete) lives in a separate, shared part of Firestore that is the same for every user — it is general educational content, not your personal data, and is simply downloaded to your device so lessons load quickly.

💾 6. Data Storage & Retention

On-Device Storage: Your full conversation history, session records, per-message scores, mission completion status, and the detailed record of exactly which lessons/units you've completed are stored in an encrypted SQLite database (Room). Your app settings, onboarding draft, and cached lesson position are stored via Android SharedPreferences, and your avatar selection via Android DataStore. None of this local-only data is synced to Firestore.

Cloud Firestore Storage: Your name, selected level/goal, streak, XP, session totals, minute totals, and lesson-completed counter are stored on Google Cloud Firestore servers, keyed to your random anonymous account ID (see Section 5). This lets your summary stats be restored reliably even if local app data is cleared while your anonymous session is still active. The detailed, lesson-by-lesson completion record stays in Room only (see above) and is not part of this Firestore sync.

Audio Cache: TTS-generated audio files are cached on your device's internal storage. Clearable at any time via Settings → Clear Voice Cache or via Android's app storage management.

Retention Period — On-Device Data: Session records, XP, streaks, and lesson-by-lesson progress are retained until you use Delete Account & Data in Settings, or until you uninstall the app. Cached conversation transcripts are managed separately — each new Practice or Lesson session automatically clears the previous one — and, along with cached TTS audio, are fully removed by uninstalling the app or clearing its storage via Android's App Info settings.

Retention Period — Firestore Data: Retained on our servers for as long as your anonymous account is active, and afterward for backup/operational purposes, or until you delete your account (Section 9). Because sign-in is anonymous, note the following:

• Using Delete Account & Data in Settings (see Section 9) deletes your name, streak, XP, sessions, minutes, lesson-completed counter, and every other Firestore field tied to your account, then deletes the underlying anonymous Firebase account itself — plus wipes your on-device Room database (so the detailed lesson-by-lesson record goes too) — this is the complete, self-service way to remove your data everywhere.
• Uninstalling the app without first deleting your account removes your local anonymous session and your Room database (including detailed lesson progress) only. A fresh install creates a brand-new anonymous ID and a new, empty profile — your previous Firestore record is not automatically deleted and may persist on our servers unless you delete your account first (Section 9) or it is removed under our retention schedule.

OpenAI API & Google Cloud TTS (Transient, via Cloudflare Relay): Messages and reply text passed through our Cloudflare Workers relay to OpenAI and Google Cloud TTS are subject to those providers' own data retention policies. The relay itself does not log, store, or retain the content of these requests — it exists solely to attach our API credentials server-side and forward the request. We do not store copies of this content on our own servers.

App Update Config (Transient): No personal data is retained — the config document is a single shared value (minimum version number), not tied to any user or device.

AdMob Data: Data collected by Google AdMob is retained and managed by Google in accordance with Google's Privacy Policy.

Firebase Crash/Analytics Data: Anonymous crash and analytics data is retained by Google Firebase for up to 90 days.

🛡️ 7. Security

• Encrypted Local Storage: All on-device data is stored in an encrypted Room database protected by Android's built-in encryption.
• Firestore Access Control: Cloud Firestore security rules restrict every user document so that only the matching authenticated anonymous account can read or write it — your data is never readable by another user's session.
• HTTPS Only: All network communications, including Firestore and our Cloudflare Workers relay, use TLS/HTTPS. Cleartext traffic is explicitly disabled in the app manifest.
• API Key Security: Our OpenAI and Google Cloud TTS credentials are held exclusively server-side, in our Cloudflare Workers relay, and are never included in, downloaded to, or stored by the app itself. The app only ever communicates with our relay endpoints, which alone hold the credentials needed to call these third-party AI services.
• Signed APK: The app is signed with v1, v2, and v3 APK signing schemes to ensure integrity.
• Forced Updates: A shared Cloud Firestore config document enforces a minimum app version, always read fresh from the server (never from a stale local cache) so an outdated cached value can't be used to dodge a mandatory update.
• Minimal Data Collection: We follow the principle of data minimisation — collecting only what is strictly necessary, and keeping the most sensitive data (raw audio, full transcripts) on-device only.
• Ad Placement Policy: AdMob banner and interstitial ads comply with Google Play Ad Policy. In Lessons, the rewarded ad gate offers a visible "Not Now" option that exits the lesson without watching. In Practice mode, the gate is time-based (roughly every 2 minutes of live conversation) and only ever appears between AI turns, never interrupting your own recording; the mic stays gated until an ad is shown, and "End Session" remains available as an exit at any time.

While we take reasonable precautions, no method of transmission or storage is 100% secure. We encourage you to keep your device updated and secured with a screen lock.

👶 8. Children's Privacy

SpeakMate is designed for users aged 13 years and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. The name field during onboarding must be filled in to continue, but is unverified — you may enter any name or nickname, real or not.

Regarding Ads and Children: SpeakMate is not directed at children under 13. Google AdMob is configured to serve general audience ads in compliance with applicable laws including COPPA.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child under 13 has used the app, please contact us using the details in Section 13. We will take prompt steps to address any concerns, including deleting any associated Firestore record.

Users between 13–17 should have a parent or guardian review this Privacy Policy before use.

⚖️ 9. Your Rights

• Access: All your data is visible directly inside the app in the Home, Sessions, Progress, and Lessons screens.
• Local Data Removal: Uninstalling the app removes all locally stored data — conversation history, session records, per-message scores, and detailed lesson/unit progress. Your account and summary stats (name, streak, XP, sessions) remain in Cloud Firestore until you use Delete Account & Data or the record is removed under our retention schedule.
• Delete Account & Data (in-app, self-service): Go to Settings → Delete Account & Data to permanently delete your account. This removes your name, level/goal, streak, XP, sessions, minutes, and lesson-completed counter from Cloud Firestore, then deletes your anonymous Firebase Authentication account entirely — after confirming twice, since it cannot be undone. Your on-device Room database (full conversation history, session records, and the detailed lesson-by-lesson progress record) is wiped as part of the same action. It does not remove already-cached voice audio or the Google AdMob/Analytics identifiers tied to your device, which are cleared separately via Google Settings → Ads or by clearing the app's storage in Android Settings.
• Delete Account & Data (by email, if you can't use the app): If you're unable to complete deletion in-app, see Section 13 for how to request deletion by email, including which details we'll ask you for to locate your record.
• Opt-Out of Ad Personalisation: Go to Google Settings → Ads on your device to reset your Advertising ID or opt out of personalised ads. Non-personalised contextual ads will still be shown.
• Opt-Out of Analytics: You can disable Firebase Analytics via Google's device-level settings.
• Notification Control: Disable reminders at any time via Settings → Notifications or your device's notification settings.
• Microphone Access: Revoke microphone permission at any time in Android Settings → Apps → SpeakMate → Permissions. The app will still function in text-only mode.
• GDPR / CCPA: If you are in the European Economic Area or California, you have additional rights including data portability, correction, and the right to lodge a complaint with your local supervisory authority.

💰 10. Pricing & Ads

SpeakMate is free to download and use, supported by Google AdMob advertisements.

• The app is completely free — all coaching, Lessons, missions, progress tracking, and features are available at no cost.
• Ad revenue helps cover API and cloud costs (OpenAI, Google Cloud TTS, Firestore, Cloudflare) and supports continued development.
• You can opt out of personalised ads at any time via Google Settings → Ads on your device. Non-personalised contextual ads will still be shown if you opt out.
• There are no in-app purchases or subscriptions in this version.

🔄 11. Forced / Mandatory App Updates

SpeakMate uses a shared Cloud Firestore config document combined with the Google Play In-App Updates API to deliver a version-gated update mechanism, protecting users from running outdated or insecure app versions.

• Step 1 — Version check via Cloud Firestore: Each time you open SpeakMate (and each time the app resumes from the background while an update is pending), it reads a single shared document (appConfig/android, field minVersionCode) — always fetched fresh from the server, never from a local cache, so an old cached value can't be used to dodge a mandatory update — and compares it to your installed version number on-device. This document is not tied to your account or identity in any way.
• Step 2 — Google Play In-App Updates (primary): If your version is below the minimum, SpeakMate attempts an IMMEDIATE update flow using the official Google Play In-App Updates API, shown directly inside the app.
• Step 3 — Fallback dialog: If the Play Core update flow isn't available, a non-cancelable dialog tells you an update is required and offers a single "Update" button that opens the Play Store listing (or your browser, if the Play Store app isn't available). The dialog cannot be dismissed by tapping outside it or pressing back — you can only proceed by tapping "Update."
• If the update flow is cancelled or fails and an update is still required, the prompt reappears rather than letting you continue on an outdated version.
• Fail-open on connectivity issues: If the version-check itself can't complete — you're offline, or there's a temporary Firestore error — SpeakMate does not block app usage. The check silently gives up for that launch rather than locking you out over a network hiccup.

We aim to minimise the frequency of forced updates and only trigger them when strictly necessary for security, stability, or compatibility reasons.

📝 12. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, app features, or legal requirements. When we make significant changes, we will:

• Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.
• Display an in-app notice the next time you open SpeakMate after a material change.

Your continued use of SpeakMate after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the revised policy.

✉️ 13. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or how we handle your data, please reach out: