Introduction
Welcome to A Word a Day (“we,” “our,” or “us”), operated by A Word a Day. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and protect your information when you use our mobile application and related services.
By using A Word a Day, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this Privacy Policy.
Information We Collect
Guest use (no account)
You can use much of the App without signing in. In that case, favorites, word history, streak, themes, audio preferences, and similar settings may be stored only on your device until you create an account or clear local data in Settings → Support, Privacy & Legal.
Guest learning data is not copied to a new phone unless you create an account and sign in, or a device backup (for example iCloud or Android backup) restores the App’s local storage. Deleting the App without an account typically deletes that on-device data.
Even without an account, limited usage and crash-reporting data may still be sent (see below). You can turn off product analytics in Settings → Support, Privacy & Legal. Crash reports stay enabled so we can fix failures.
Account information
If you choose to create an account, we may collect:
- Email address
- Password (stored and handled by our authentication provider; we do not store plain-text passwords)
- Account identifier (a unique user ID)
You may also sign in with Apple or Google. In that case, the provider you choose handles authentication; we receive an account identifier and, if the provider shares it, your email address or name according to that provider’s policies.
App usage information
When you use the App, we may collect information related to how you use it. What is stored in our database versus only on your device depends on whether you are signed in:
- Stored in our database when signed in: favorite words, word history, streak, selected categories, word difficulty preference, notification preferences and preferred reminder time, timezone, light/dark theme, widget display preference, and a subscription status summary
- Stored on your device only: text size, haptics, accent color, in-app visual palette, audio voice and autoplay preferences, downloaded pronunciation clips, and home-screen widget cache
- General app interaction and analytics events (for example, views of a daily word)
Learning data you save while signed in is stored in our database (Supabase). The same data may exist only on your device until you sign in or sync. When you are signed in, we retain your full word history in our database even if the free version of the App only shows the most recent 7 days in the history screen. Premium unlocks the full history view.
Subscriptions and premium access
Purchases and subscriptions are processed by the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. We do not receive your payment card number.
Superwall helps manage paywalls and subscription status inside the App. If you use the App without signing in, premium status may be associated with an anonymous identifier on your device and with the store account you used to purchase. If you later sign in, we may link that purchase to your account so Premium can sync across devices.
When you are signed in, we may also store a summary of subscription status in our database (for example, active entitlement and platform). We update that summary from Superwall when you sign in, restore, or purchase, and from store events Superwall sends us, so Premium vocabulary in the catalog can match your purchase.
Analytics and diagnostics
We use third-party tools to understand how the App is used and to fix crashes. Crash reporting applies to all users, including guests. Product analytics also defaults on, but you may turn it off in Settings → Support, Privacy & Legal.
- PostHog — product analytics (for example, app opens, word views, favorites, paywall events), unless you disable “Share product analytics.” When signed in, events may be associated with your account ID (not your email). When not signed in, events use an anonymous identifier. If you later sign in, we may link prior anonymous analytics from that device to your account ID.
- Sentry — crash reports and error diagnostics, which may include device and OS information. When signed in, crashes may be associated with your account ID. Crash reporting is not turned off by the product-analytics toggle.
Analytics events may include non-personal identifiers such as word IDs or product IDs, not the text of words you type elsewhere.
Notifications
If you enable notifications, the App schedules local reminders on your device (for example, your daily word time or streak reminders). Those schedules use your notification preferences; for guests, those preferences are stored on the device.
If you are signed in and grant notification permission, we may also store a push notification token, your platform (iOS or Android), and a general device model name in our database so we can support push-based notifications in the future or improve delivery. Registering that token may involve Expo’s push notification service as infrastructure.
We do not upload your guest notification schedule to our servers.
Pronunciation
Word pronunciation uses professionally recorded audio files that the App downloads from our storage (hosted with Supabase) and caches on your device. We do not record or upload your voice. Your chosen voice and autoplay preference are stored on the device.
Home-screen widgets
If you add a home-screen widget, the App may cache the current daily word and related display settings in shared on-device storage (for example, an app group on iOS) so the widget can show content without opening the App. The widget reads that local cache; it does not call our servers directly.
Sharing
When you share content from the App, you use your device’s native share sheet. You choose what to share and where it goes. We do not receive or store the content you share outside the App.
Data we do not collect
We do not collect the following through the App:
- Payment card numbers (handled by Apple or Google)
- Precise location
- Contacts, photos, or microphone recordings
- Health information or financial account numbers
- Voice audio from your microphone (pronunciation uses pre-recorded clips we host, not your voice)
Third-Party Services
We use third-party services to help operate and improve the app. These services may process limited data necessary to provide their functionality.
Third-party providers we use include:
- Supabase (authentication, database, backend infrastructure)
- Superwall (subscription management and paywall)
- Apple App Store and Google Play (in-app purchases and subscriptions)
- PostHog (product analytics)
- Sentry (crash reporting and diagnostics)
- Expo (push token infrastructure when signed-in push registration is used)
These providers may collect and process information in accordance with their own privacy policies.
Subscription payments
Subscriptions and purchases are processed by Apple App Store and Google Play Store.
We do not directly collect, process, or store your payment card information.
Please refer to Apple and Google’s privacy policies for information regarding payment processing.
Signing in, signing out, and new devices
Signing in uploads guest favorites, history, streak, word difficulty, and eligible preferences from that device into your account, then keeps using the cloud copy while you stay signed in.
Signing out does not delete your cloud account. On the device you sign out from, we remove local favorites, history, and streak so the App returns to a blank guest. That learning data remains in your cloud account and is restored when you sign in again on this or another device.
To use the same account on a new phone, sign in with the same email, Apple, or Google method. That restores cloud favorites, history, streak, categories, word difficulty, notification preferences, and light/dark theme. Device-only settings (such as text size, haptics, accent, and audio voice) are not restored. Home-screen widgets are available without Premium; they read a local cache, not our servers. Premium is restored with the App Store or Google Play account via Restore purchases, which is separate from app sign-in.
How we use information
We use collected information to:
- Provide and maintain the app
- Deliver personalized content and preferences
- Improve app performance and stability
- Provide subscription functionality
- Analyze app usage and engagement
- Send or schedule notifications you request
- Respond to support requests
Data retention
We retain user data only as long as necessary to provide the app and related services.
Examples include:
- Guests: favorites and history stay on the device until you clear local data, delete the App, or sign in and sync them to an account
- Signed-in users: favorites remain until you unfavorite them or delete your account. Word history remains until you delete your account (the App does not offer deleting individual history days). Clearing local data on a signed-in device does not delete cloud account data
- Analytics and crash data may be retained by PostHog and Sentry according to their retention settings
- Crash and diagnostic logs may be retained for troubleshooting and stability monitoring
Account deletion and local data
Signed-in users may delete their account from Settings → Premium & Account or Settings → Support, Privacy & Legal, or on the web at https://awordaday.app/delete-account.
When an account is deleted from our systems:
- Your authentication account is removed
- Associated profile data, favorites, preferences, push tokens, subscription summary rows, and related cloud data are deleted
- On the device where you confirm deletion, we also clear local guest data, downloaded pronunciation audio, and on-device preferences
- Other devices that were signed in may keep a local cache (for example a home-screen widget) until the session expires or you uninstall the App
Guests who never create an account can remove on-device learning data with Clear local data in Settings → Support, Privacy & Legal. That does not delete analytics already sent from that device.
When you delete your account, we attempt to delete the PostHog person record associated with your account ID. We do not automatically delete Sentry crash reports or Superwall records. If you signed in with Apple, deletion removes our authentication records; you can also stop sharing your Apple ID with the App in iOS Settings → Apple ID → Sign in with Apple. Deleting your account does not cancel an active App Store or Google Play subscription. Cancel billing in your store account settings. You may contact us if you need help with provider-related deletion requests.
Your requests
The App does not currently offer an in-app data export. If you want a copy of the personal data we hold, or help deleting data held by a provider listed above, email awordadayapp@protonmail.com.
Data security
We take reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational measures to protect your information.
However, no method of electronic storage or transmission over the internet is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
Children’s privacy
A Word a Day is a general-audience vocabulary app. It is not directed toward children under 13, is not enrolled in Google Play’s Families policy or Apple’s Kids category, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
If we become aware that a child has provided personal information, we will take steps to delete such information.
International users
Your information may be processed and stored in countries outside your place of residence where our service providers operate.
By using the app, you consent to such transfers where permitted by law.
Changes to this Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time.
If changes are made, we will update the “Last Updated” date above. Continued use of the app after updates constitutes acceptance of the revised Privacy Policy.
Terms of Service
Your use of the app is also governed by our Terms of Service.
Contact us
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, you may contact us at: