Privacy Policy

👋 Overview

SpellStar ("we", "our", or "the app") is a spelling practice app designed for primary school children. We are committed to protecting the privacy of our users, especially children. This policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and your rights.

By using SpellStar, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please discontinue use of the app.

🧒 Children's privacy

SpellStar is designed to be set up and managed by a parent or guardian on behalf of a child. The app is not directed at children to use independently, and we do not knowingly collect personal information directly from children.

The child using the app does not need to create an account, sign in, or provide any personal information. All spelling lists and practice history are stored locally on the device.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided personal information without your consent, please contact us at spellstarapp@gmail.com and we will promptly delete it.

We comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and, where applicable, the UK and EU GDPR provisions relating to children's data.

📦 Information we collect

SpellStar collects the minimum information necessary to provide its service:

• Guest users: No personal information is collected. Spelling lists and practice history are stored locally on your device only.
• Signed-in users: If you sign in with Google, we receive your Google account email address and a unique user ID. This is used solely to save and restore your premium status.
• Premium status: If you unlock premium features, we store your premium status and the method of unlock (one-time purchase, subscription, or unlock code) in our secure database.

We do not collect any information about the child using the app. No names, ages, photos, location data, or usage behaviour are transmitted to our servers.

⚖️ Legal basis for processing (GDPR)

For users in the European Union, United Kingdom, or other regions where GDPR or equivalent legislation applies, we process personal data on the following legal bases:

• Contract performance: Processing your email address and premium status is necessary to deliver the premium features you have purchased.
• Legitimate interests: We have a legitimate interest in maintaining the security and integrity of our service.
• Consent: Where you choose to sign in with Google, you do so voluntarily and may withdraw at any time by contacting us to delete your account data.

💾 Local storage

Spelling lists, quiz history, and app preferences are stored locally on your device using standard device storage. This data never leaves your device unless you are signed in and have cloud sync enabled (a premium feature).

🔐 Google Sign-in

Google Sign-in is optional. If you choose to sign in, Google's authentication service handles your credentials — SpellStar never sees or stores your Google password. We only receive your email address and a unique identifier to link your account to your premium status.

Google's privacy policy governs the sign-in process: policies.google.com/privacy

💳 Purchases

In-app purchases are processed by Google Play. SpellStar does not collect or store any payment information. Purchase validation is handled by RevenueCat, our payment infrastructure provider. RevenueCat's privacy policy can be found at revenuecat.com/privacy.

🔈 Text-to-speech

SpellStar uses your device's built-in text-to-speech engine to read spelling words aloud. This processing happens entirely on your device. No audio is recorded or transmitted.

📷 Camera and text recognition

Premium users can use the camera to scan printed word lists. Photos are processed entirely on-device using on-device text recognition (ML Kit). No images are uploaded to our servers.

📊 Analytics and crash reporting

SpellStar does not use any third-party analytics services to track user behaviour. We do not collect usage statistics, session data, or behavioural analytics.

Firebase, which we use for authentication and data storage, may collect limited technical information such as crash reports. This data is used solely for maintaining app stability and is governed by Google's privacy policy.

🔗 Third-party services

SpellStar integrates the following third-party services. Each operates under its own privacy policy:

🔒 Data security

Any data stored on our servers (email, premium status) is held in Google Firebase, which provides industry-standard encryption and security controls. Access is restricted so that only your authenticated account can read or modify your data.

🌍 Data retention and deletion

We retain your account data for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the service.

• Local data (spelling lists, history) can be deleted at any time from within the app.
• Account data (email, premium status) is retained until you request deletion. To delete your account data, contact us at spellstarapp@gmail.com. We will action your request within 30 days.
• Inactive accounts: If your account has been inactive for more than 3 years, we may delete your data after providing reasonable notice.

🚫 Advertising

SpellStar contains no advertising of any kind. We do not share data with advertisers or ad networks.

✅ Your rights

Depending on your location, you may have the following rights regarding your personal data:

• The right to access the data we hold about you
• The right to correct inaccurate data
• The right to request deletion of your data
• The right to withdraw consent at any time
• The right to data portability (EU/UK users)
• The right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority (EU/UK users)

To exercise any of these rights, contact us at spellstarapp@gmail.com.

📬 Contact us

If you have any questions about this privacy policy or how we handle your data, please contact us at:

spellstarapp@gmail.com

🔄 Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. When we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this policy periodically. For significant changes, we will endeavour to notify signed-in users via the app.