Privacy Policy
This policy explains what personal data the Vowly app and this website collect, why, who we share it with, and the choices and rights you have. We don't sell your personal data, we don't show ads, and we don't use your conversations to train AI models.
1. Who we are
Vowly is provided by Samet Çiftçi, an individual developer based in Hungary (“Vowly”, “we”, “us”). We are the controller of the personal data described here under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). You can reach us at support@tryvowly.app.
2. The data we collect
Account data
When you sign up with Apple, Google or your email address we receive your email address, an account identifier from the sign-in provider and, if you share it, your name. If you use “Hide My Email” with Apple, we only see the relay address Apple gives us.
Profile and learning settings
The name you choose, your native language, the language you're learning, your level, your daily goal and your app preferences.
What you create in the app
- The messages you write in conversations with AI characters, and the replies, corrections and suggestions generated for them.
- Voice messages you record in conversations. We transcribe each one and delete the recording straight away; the transcript is kept as your message.
- What you say during voice calls with an AI character, and the transcript of the call.
- Short recordings of you pronouncing words in exercises. These are sent for scoring and are not stored by us.
Learning activity
Your progress through units and exercises, scores, words learned, XP, streaks, listening progress, and how many AI messages you've used under the free plan.
Purchases
If you subscribe, Apple processes the payment. We receive the status of your subscription (for example plan, start and renewal dates) through Apple and RevenueCat — never your card details.
Usage and device data
Only if you allow it: the first time you reach the app we ask whether we may collect usage data, and nothing is collected until you agree. If you do, we use Google Firebase Analytics to understand how the app is used: events such as signing in or starting a session, together with technical data like your device model, operating system, app version, an app instance identifier and an approximate country derived from your IP address. These events are linked to your account identifier. You can turn this off at any time in the app's Settings (“Share usage data”), which also deletes the analytics data stored on your device. We also use Firebase Remote Config to turn features on or off. We don't use advertising identifiers and we don't track you across other companies' apps or websites.
Messages to us
If you email us, we receive your email address and whatever you choose to include.
3. How we use it, and why
| Purpose | Legal basis (GDPR) |
|---|---|
| Creating and running your account, signing you in, syncing your progress | Performance of our contract with you (Art. 6(1)(b)) |
| Providing the learning features: AI conversations and calls, corrections, suggestions, translations, speech and pronunciation scoring | Performance of our contract with you (Art. 6(1)(b)) |
| Managing subscriptions and the limits of the free plan | Performance of our contract with you (Art. 6(1)(b)) |
| Usage analytics: understanding how the app is used, finding problems and improving Vowly | Your consent (Art. 6(1)(a)), asked in the app; you can withdraw it at any time in Settings |
| Keeping the service secure and preventing abuse | Our legitimate interest in protecting the service and its users (Art. 6(1)(f)) |
| Sending reminders and notifications | Your consent, given through your device's notification permission (Art. 6(1)(a)); you can withdraw it at any time in your device settings |
| Answering your messages and requests | Our contract with you, or our legitimate interest in helping you (Art. 6(1)(b), (f)) |
| Meeting legal obligations, for example tax and accounting rules | Legal obligation (Art. 6(1)(c)) |
4. AI features
To have a conversation with you, correct your messages, suggest replies, translate, speak and listen, Vowlysends the relevant content — your messages, recordings or the words you tap, along with your languages and level — to the AI providers listed below. They process it to produce a response for us and return it; we don't use your conversations to train AI models. Replies are generated automatically and can be wrong, so please don't share sensitive personal information (such as health details or financial data) in your conversations.
5. Service providers
We share personal data only with the providers that help us run Vowly, each for the purposes described here and under a contract that requires them to protect it:
| Provider | What they do for us | Data involved |
|---|---|---|
| Supabase, Inc. | Hosting, database, sign-in and file storage | All the data described in section 2 |
| OpenAI | AI conversations and voice calls, corrections, suggestions and translations | Messages, call audio and transcripts, languages and level |
| ElevenLabs | Speech for AI replies and stories; transcription of your voice messages | Message text; voice recordings, deleted once transcribed |
| Microsoft (Azure AI Speech) | Pronunciation scoring | Pronunciation recordings and the word or sentence practised |
| DeepL SE | Translating words you tap in stories | The word and its language |
| Apple | Sign in with Apple; App Store payments | Account identifier, email, purchase status |
| Google (Google Sign-In, Firebase) | Sign in with Google; app analytics (only with your consent) and remote configuration | Account identifier, email, usage and device data |
| RevenueCat, Inc. | Managing subscriptions | Account identifier, purchase status |
We may also disclose data if the law requires it, to protect our rights or the safety of others, or as part of a transfer of the Vowly business, in which case this policy continues to apply.
6. International transfers
Several of these providers are based in the United States or process data there. Where personal data leaves the European Economic Area, we rely on the EU–US Data Privacy Framework where the provider is certified, or on the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses, together with the provider's security measures.
7. How long we keep data
- Account, profile, learning data and conversations, including the transcripts of your voice messages: for as long as you have an account.
- Voice messages: deleted as soon as they have been transcribed, usually within seconds.
- Pronunciation recordings: not stored after scoring.
- When you delete your account, we delete this data immediately, together with your files and your subscription record at RevenueCat. Copies in our backups are overwritten within 30 days.
- Analytics data: kept by Firebase for up to 14 months.
- Purchase records: kept as long as tax and accounting law requires.
- Emails to us: for as long as needed to handle your request, and no longer than two years.
8. Your rights
Under the GDPR you have the right to:
- access the personal data we hold about you and get a copy of it;
- have inaccurate data corrected;
- have your data deleted;
- restrict or object to our use of your data, including use based on our legitimate interests;
- receive the data you gave us in a portable format;
- withdraw your consent at any time, where we rely on it.
To use any of these rights, email support@tryvowly.app from the address linked to your account. We'll reply within one month. You can also complain to a data protection authority — in Hungary, the Nemzeti Adatvédelmi és Információszabadság Hatóság (NAIH, naih.hu) — or to the authority where you live or work. Wherever you live, you can contact us with any privacy question or request.
9. Deleting your account
You can delete your account at any time in the app — see how to delete your account. Your account and its data are deleted immediately and can't be recovered. Deleting your account doesn't cancel an App Store subscription; please cancel it in your Apple ID settings.
10. Children
Vowly is not meant for children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect their personal data. If you are under 16 (or the age of digital consent where you live), please use Vowlyonly with the permission of a parent or guardian. If you believe a child under 13 has given us personal data, contact us and we'll delete it.
11. Security
Data is encrypted in transit and stored with providers that apply industry-standard security. Access to your data in our database is restricted to your own account. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your data and will tell you and the authorities about a breach where the law requires it.
12. This website
This website (tryvowly.app) uses no cookies, analytics or trackers. Our hosting provider, Railway, keeps standard server logs (such as IP address and request time) for security and operations.
13. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as Vowly changes. We'll post the new version here with a new effective date, and tell you in the app or by email before significant changes take effect.
14. Contact
Samet Çiftçi, Hungary — support@tryvowly.app