Privacy Policy

Japanese Vocab is a Japanese vocabulary practice app. This page explains what data the site handles, who it's shared with, and what control you have over it. Plain language, short as we can make it.

The short version: accounts are optional, we only store data on our servers if you opt into cloud sync, and we do not sell your information to anyone.

What data we collect

Analytics

The site uses Google Analytics 4 (GA4). If you accept analytics cookies on the consent banner, it collects:

• Pages you visit and how long you stay on them.
• Approximate location (country / region level) derived from IP.
• Device and browser information (type, version, screen size, language).
• Referring URL (the page that linked you here, if any) and search terms if you arrived via a search engine.
• Specific interactions we measure — such as when you reach your daily practice goal, sign in for cloud sync, or use the donation and contact options. We use these to understand engagement and whether the app's features are useful, not to profile individuals.

GA4 assigns each visitor a pseudonymous identifier stored in a cookie. This identifier is not tied to your name or email and is not used to contact you. We ask for analytics consent only: signals for advertising and personalisation are always switched off, and the app shows no ads.

If you decline cookies — or until you choose — Google's Consent Mode v2 sends cookieless pings that contribute to aggregate statistics without identifying you. No cookies are set and no persistent identifier is stored in your browser. If you accept and later decline, the cookies set in the meantime are removed.

Local storage

Your practice settings (word lists, script, daily goal, review preferences, theme, voice and sound options), your stats (answers, accuracy and streaks), the list of words you got wrong, your place in the word lists, and your cookie choice are stored in your browser's local storage. By default this data stays entirely on your device. The app and the word lists you use are also cached on your device so that it works offline.

Contact form

The contact form on the contact page does not submit data to this site. It opens your email app with a pre-filled message; the message only leaves your device if you press send in your email client. The site itself never sees the contents.

Cloud sync (optional)

You can optionally sign in with Google or Apple to back up your practice data (settings, stats, and the list of words to review) to the cloud. This is entirely opt-in — the app works fully offline without signing in.

• Your practice data is stored in Cloudflare KV, a key-value store operated by Cloudflare, Inc. Device-specific preferences (theme, voice, reading aloud) are not synced.
• Your data is keyed to your provider account identifier (a pseudonymous ID from Google or Apple). We do not store your name, email address, or profile picture on our servers. Your email address is kept only in your browser, to show which account you are signed in with.
• The sign-in tokens issued by Google or Apple are verified on our server and not stored. Signing in stores a session token in your browser that lasts up to 30 days and is renewed while you keep using the app.
• You can delete your cloud data at any time with “Delete synced data” in Settings. This removes it from our servers and signs you out on all your devices; progress stored on each device stays there. To keep your other devices signed out, a marker containing no practice data is kept against your account identifier for up to a year. You can also sign out at any time to stop syncing.

Cloudflare may transfer data to servers in multiple regions. Their privacy policy: cloudflare.com/privacypolicy. See our terms of service for the full usage terms.

Who we share data with

Analytics data is processed by Google LLC as the provider of Google Analytics. Google acts as a data processor on our behalf and may transfer data to servers in the United States. Google's handling of this data is governed by their own privacy policy: policies.google.com/privacy.

The app is hosted by Cloudflare, Inc., which processes technical data such as your IP address to deliver it to you, and stores your practice data if you use cloud sync. Cloudflare's handling of this data is governed by their own privacy policy (linked above).

We do not sell data to anyone. We do not share data with any third party other than those listed above for the purposes described.

Why we collect this

One reason, a practical one: to understand what people use. Aggregate usage data tells us which parts of the app are popular and which aren't worth the maintenance. Without it we're guessing.

Your choices

On your first visit, a banner asks whether you accept or decline analytics cookies. Your choice is stored in your browser's local storage and applies to future visits on the same device and browser. You can change it at any time under Settings → Privacy.

You can also clear your browser's cookies and site data for this domain to reset everything, which will bring the banner back on your next visit.

Global Privacy Control and Do Not Track: if your browser sends either signal, the site treats you as having declined: cookies stay off and the banner is not shown.

Data retention

Google Analytics retains visitor-level data for a period configured in our GA4 property (currently the default of 2 months). Aggregated reports may be retained longer. You can read Google's documentation on data retention here. Synced practice data is kept until you delete it.

Affiliate links

This site contains affiliate links. If you click a link to a third-party service and sign up, we may earn a commission at no extra cost to you.

Children's privacy

The app is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them.

Contact

Questions about this policy, or requests to access or delete your data, can be sent to contact [at] japanesevocab.app.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes materially, the “Last updated” date at the top of the page will change.