Privacy Policy
Onward Korean is a Korean-learning app with short lessons, device-generated audio, spaced review and exam practice (TOPIK, EPS-TOPIK). It is built so that learning works without an account. This page explains exactly what leaves your device and what does not.
1. What stays on your device
All learning state is stored locally on your phone or in your browser: onboarding answers, chosen course and mode, daily goal, lesson and exam progress, review cards, mistakes, streaks, XP, display name, and app settings. It is not uploaded to us, even when you sign in. Deleting the app, clearing its storage, or using Profile → Account and reset → Clear device progress removes it.
Optional progress backups are files you create and keep yourself. They contain learning state only — never your email, sign-in tokens or display name.
2. Optional account (sign-in)
You may sign in with Google, or on iOS with Apple (email one-time codes may be added later). Signing in is optional and does not sync learning progress. When you sign in we process:
- the email address of the account you sign in with and a random account ID;
- with Google sign-in, the profile fields Google shares for sign-in (email, name, avatar URL) as returned by Google;
- with Apple sign-in, the email Apple shares (which may be a private relay address you control) and, on first sign-in only, the name you approve;
- session tokens stored on your device so you stay signed in, and standard sign-in metadata such as timestamps and IP address kept by our authentication provider for security.
Authentication is provided by Supabase (Supabase Inc.) on infrastructure in the Asia-Pacific region. Google sign-in is provided by Google LLC under Google's own privacy policy, and Apple sign-in by Apple Inc. under Apple's. We do not use your account for advertising and do not sell or share it with third parties for their own purposes.
3. Speech features
Lesson text is passed to your operating system's Korean text-to-speech service. Optional pronunciation practice records audio only when you tap the microphone; the recording is processed on your device for playback and self-comparison, is not scored by a server, and is not sent to us. On the web, your browser may ask for microphone permission; declining it leaves every lesson fully usable.
4. What we do not collect
- No advertising SDK, no advertising ID, no third-party analytics SDK.
- No crash-reporting SDK.
- No payment processing in this version. If a paid plan is introduced, purchases are handled by the App Store or Google Play and this policy will be updated before release.
- No contacts, location, camera or photo access.
5. Retention and deletion
Account data is kept until you delete your account. You can delete it inside the app at Profile → Account and reset → Delete account, or by following the account deletion page. Deletion removes your account record and email from our authentication provider; it is permanent and takes effect immediately. Device-local learning data is separate and is under your control as described in section 1.
6. Children
The app is intended for learners aged 13 and older. We do not knowingly create accounts for children under 13; if you believe one exists, contact us and it will be removed.
7. Your rights
Depending on where you live (including the EU/UK GDPR and Korea's PIPA), you may have rights to access, correct, export or erase personal data and to object to processing. Because we hold only your sign-in identity, the fastest route is the in-app deletion above; for anything else, email us and we will respond within 30 days.
8. Changes
If a later version adds cloud sync, analytics, purchases or any other data practice, this policy and the store privacy disclosures will be updated before that version ships. The effective date at the top changes with each revision.
9. Contact
Onward Korean (operator: Hazel Jeong) · support@myonward.cc