Privacy Policy

Voices of the Horn ("we," "us," or "our") is a language-learning app for the Saho language and other languages of the Horn of Africa. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. We keep data collection minimal by design.

1. Who This Policy Applies To

Voices of the Horn is intended for users aged 13 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has created an account, please contact us at [email protected] and we will delete that information promptly.

2. Information We Collect

Information you provide through Sign in with Apple

When you create an account using Sign in with Apple, Apple provides us with: a unique Apple User ID (a random identifier — not your Apple ID email); your first name, if you choose to share it; your email address, if you choose to share it (Apple may provide a private relay address instead of your real one). Your Apple User ID is stored securely in the iOS Keychain on your device. Your name and email (if shared) are stored locally on your device and are never sold or shared with advertisers.

Learning progress

We store your lesson completions, vocabulary review progress, XP, streaks, and daily study records. This data lives on your device and is also synced to your private iCloud account via CloudKit so you can restore it on a new device. Only you can access your progress — we cannot read it.

Family group data

If you create or join a Family Group, your display name, weekly XP, and word count are stored in a shared CloudKit database so family members can see each other's progress. This information is only visible to members of your group. Family Groups also support optional encouragement messages and teach challenges between members, which are likewise stored in that shared database and visible only to the sender and recipient.

Reporting and blocking

You can report an encouragement message or teach challenge you receive, and you can block another family member at any time. Reports include the reporter's and reported member's identifiers, the content being reported, an optional reason you provide, and a timestamp; we use this only to review and act on the report. Blocking hides that member's messages and challenges from your view — it does not remove them from the group. Group admins can also remove a member from a Family Group, which immediately revokes that member's access to the group's shared content. To report a concern outside the app, email [email protected].

Waitlist

If you join our early-access waitlist, we store the information you enter in that form — your name, email address, whether you're interested in learning or teaching, the languages you selected, and, if you indicate you'd like to teach, an optional description of your background — along with the date you submitted it. This is stored in our own CloudKit public database, not shared with any third-party form service. We use it only to contact you when new languages or features launch, and never for marketing.

Audio content

When you tap a pronunciation button, the audio file is downloaded from our servers and cached on your device. We do not collect your IP address or listening history for this purpose beyond what is inherent in a standard HTTPS request.

What we do not collect

We do not use analytics SDKs (no Mixpanel, Amplitude, Firebase Analytics, etc.). We do not run advertising networks. We do not track your location. We do not access your contacts, camera, or microphone.

3. How We Use Your Information

To provide the service — authenticating your account, saving and restoring your progress, and enabling family features. To improve the app — understanding which lessons users complete helps us prioritise content development; we do this with anonymised, aggregated data only. To contact you — only if you joined the waitlist and only about the app itself. We will never sell your personal information to third parties.

4. iCloud and Apple Services

Your progress and family data are stored in Apple's CloudKit service, governed by Apple's Privacy Policy. Your private CloudKit data is end-to-end encrypted and inaccessible to us.

5. Data Retention

Your data is retained as long as your account exists. The Profile tab inside the app offers two distinct options: Sign Out — removes your data from this device only; your account and progress remain in CloudKit so signing back in restores everything. Delete Account — removes your local data immediately and queues deletion of your CloudKit records, including leaving any Family Group you belong to; this cannot be undone. If you wish to confirm deletion of your email from the waitlist, contact us directly.

6. Your Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to: access the personal information we hold about you; request correction of inaccurate data; request deletion of your data; object to or restrict certain processing; data portability. To exercise any of these rights, email us at [email protected]. We will respond within 30 days.

7. Security

We use industry-standard security measures: your Apple User ID is stored in the iOS Keychain, all data in transit uses HTTPS/TLS, and CloudKit data is encrypted at rest by Apple. No system is 100% secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect your information.

8. Third-Party Services

The app uses the following third-party services: Apple CloudKit (progress sync, family groups, and waitlist signups) and Sign in with Apple (account authentication) — both governed by Apple's Privacy Policy. No other third-party services are used. No analytics, advertising, or crash-reporting SDKs.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when the app's features or applicable laws change. We will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, for material changes, notify you within the app. Continued use of the app after a change takes effect means you accept the updated policy.

10. Contact

Voices of the Horn
Washington, United States
[email protected]