Saymo

Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 7, 2026

Saymo is a dialogue-based language learning app designed to help users build fluency through immersive, story-driven speaking practice. This Privacy Policy explains what information Saymo may collect, how that information is used, and the choices available to users.

1. Scope

This Privacy Policy applies to Saymo on Android, iOS and the web at app.getsaymo.com, and related features, websites, APIs, and services offered to users worldwide. Features and service providers can differ between platforms and app versions.

The new analytics controls described below are available in the web release and mobile versions that display the adult confirmation in the consent dialog. Older mobile releases may use Firebase usage analytics without these controls. Update when the new mobile release is available, or contact us about data collected by an older version.

2. Information We Collect

We collect only the information needed to operate, maintain, and improve the app.

A. Microphone and Speech Recognition Data

  • Saymo requests access to your device's microphone and, where applicable, speech-recognition permissions so that speaking features can work.
  • We do not store voice recordings ourselves.
  • Speech input may be processed by your device operating system or its speech-recognition services in order to convert speech to text.
  • If you deny microphone or speech-recognition permissions, speaking features may be unavailable, but other parts of the app may remain usable.

B. Learning Progress and On-Device Data

Saymo stores certain information locally on your device, including:

  • lesson progress
  • vocabulary and phrase statistics
  • difficulty and language preferences
  • locally cached lesson assets, audio, and other downloaded content
  • a random installation key stored on your device or browser and used to obtain a short-lived access token
  • locally generated session identifiers used for app function and analytics

C. Account and Installation Data

  • We do not require a conventional login account, name, email address, or password to use the app.
  • To protect backend services, the app creates a random installation key. The key stays on your device or browser. Our API receives it when issuing a short-lived access token and stores or uses a one-way SHA-256 digest rather than the original key for authentication, rate limiting, and analytics.

D. Analytics and Diagnostics Data

Basic usage totals. Versions with the Basic usage totals setting count feature opens, learning starts and completions, practice actions, hints, failures, English reveals, backward replays, pauses, returns home, screen exits, backgrounding, coarse progress and measured practice or playback seconds. These counters are enabled by default and are separate from optional detailed analytics. Reports contain a feature category, learning language, counter category and count, and may include the selected difficulty, an identifier for a published story or audiobook chapter, and a coarse quarter-of-chapter progress band. Supported German beginner story chapters also report fixed identifiers for published lines, their catalog revision, and counts of playback or controls used on those lines, such as translation, replay and sentence review. Our service immediately combines reports into daily totals and separate content, difficulty, progress and published-line summaries; it does not store linked session histories or cross-tabulate difficulty with chapter positions or lines. It does not retain individual event records, installation or session identifiers, interaction or playback timestamps, answers, recordings, lesson text, campaign tags or device profiles in these counters. The line identifiers refer to Saymo's authored material; they do not contain anything the learner says or types. We use the totals to understand which content is used and where the app needs improvement, not for advertising or to follow individual learners. A background or exit count does not prove that someone abandoned a lesson, and basic totals cannot show an individual learner's journey.

The app keeps unsent basic counts only in memory and stores your on/off preference locally. It sends these reports without an authentication token, cookies or a referring page URL. Microsoft Azure necessarily receives network connection information to deliver requests; anonymous stored totals do not mean that the network handles no personal data. The usage-count route is excluded from application request logs, and connection metadata is not added to the counter table. We do not combine these totals with installation-linked analytics.

You can stop future basic counts in Options → Basic usage totals; switching this off also clears unsent counts. Existing explicit refusals from the earlier analytics controls remain off for basic counts until you enable them separately. Supported browser Global Privacy Control and Do Not Track signals also keep basic counters off. Internal development and testing are excluded. These are counts of actions, not unique people; repeats, offline use, older versions and blocked reports affect the totals. Because no installation identifier is retained, a person's contribution cannot be located, exported or deleted separately.

Optional detailed analytics. Detailed usage analytics is off by default. It can be enabled only after you choose to share analytics and confirm that you are 18 or older. We store this confirmation and your consent choice locally, together with the notice version and time; we do not ask for a birth date. Older opt-ins without this confirmation are not carried over. Learning features and local progress work with both analytics settings off. Detailed usage events may include:

  • app version
  • platform and OS version
  • session information
  • feature usage, screen events, task-result counts and active practice time grouped by activity and time period (excluding background and idle time; audiobook time counts during foreground playback)
  • first-touch advertising campaign tags (such as source, medium, and campaign) and the referring site's domain on web, when available; Saymo does not retain the full referring URL in product analytics
  • a pseudonymous one-way installation digest
  • crash and error information

Our first-party product analytics records events such as opening the app, viewing a screen, starting a learning mode, and reaching a task or round result. It does not include lesson text, spoken phrases, dictionary lookup words, names, email addresses, or payment details. These events support aggregated measures such as onboarding steps, mode usage, recorded round endings and return rates. Installation-linked events are pseudonymous, not anonymous; participating installations are not necessarily distinct people. The next mobile release removes Firebase Analytics; enabled usage events go only to Saymo's analytics service hosted on Microsoft Azure. Older mobile versions may still send events to Firebase Analytics. The web app does not use Firebase Analytics.

Turning off Detailed usage analytics (called Private usage analytics in earlier versions) stops future installation-linked usage events and clears unsent detailed events on that device. It does not automatically delete events already received. Options → Your analytics data lets you export or delete retained detailed records for this installation. Deleting these records also turns detailed collection off; local learning progress and the separate basic usage setting are unchanged. Use these controls before resetting app data, which removes the installation key. Supported browser Global Privacy Control and Do Not Track signals keep detailed usage analytics off.

Error diagnostics are separate from optional product analytics. The web app sends Sentry error types, code locations and the app release identifier, with free-form error messages, learner content, console breadcrumbs, request details and attachments removed. Session replay, performance tracing and automatic session reports are disabled. The project prevents stored IP addresses and scrubs geographic fields. Like any network provider, Sentry receives connection information when accepting requests. Diagnostics run only on the production web host, not local development.

The next mobile release applies the same content restrictions to JavaScript error reports, retaining only error types, code locations and the app version. Automatic native crash reports, diagnostic breadcrumbs, screenshots, session reports and performance tracing are disabled; development builds do not send diagnostics. Older mobile releases may still send crash details, app/device information and diagnostic breadcrumbs. The project scrubs IP and geographic fields, but the stricter content restrictions should not be assumed to apply to those older versions.

E. Advertising Data

Saymo uses Google Mobile Ads to show ads in some mobile versions or flows. The web app does not use this advertising SDK. Advertising is separate from the Private usage analytics setting.

  • The app requests non-personalized ads only.
  • Even for non-personalized ads, Google and its partners may process certain device, app, and advertising-related information as described in their own policies.

F. Subscription and Purchase Data

If you purchase a subscription:

  • Apple or Google processes the transaction
  • we may receive subscription status and product information needed to enable premium access
  • we do not receive or store your payment details

Web subscriptions are not currently offered. If this changes, the purchase terms and payment provider will be shown before purchase.

G. Feedback and Support Data

If you choose to send feedback or contact support through the app, we may collect:

  • the feedback message you submit
  • an email address if you choose to provide one, or if you contact us by email
  • limited contextual information about where in the app the feedback was submitted
  • a random pseudonymous feedback identifier used to group submissions

In-app feedback and content-issue reports are sent through our Azure backend to a private Discord channel used for support. A content-issue report may include the word or task you report and technical details needed to investigate it. Email support is handled through Gmail. Avoid including sensitive personal information in feedback.

H. Server and Network Data

When the app downloads lesson content, audio, images, or other assets from our backend, our systems and hosting providers may receive standard technical request data such as:

  • IP address
  • request timestamps
  • device or app metadata needed to serve the request

We do not use this technical request data to identify you personally. It is used only as needed to deliver content, maintain service security and reliability, and troubleshoot technical issues.

Saymo's web application, APIs, downloadable dictionaries, audio, and other service data are hosted using Microsoft Azure services. Requested translation or dialogue features may send the text needed to fulfil that request to OpenAI. Audio playback uses prepared recordings; missing recordings are not generated on demand through OpenAI. We do not intentionally include your name or email address in those requests, and we do not send microphone recordings to OpenAI through these features.

3. How We Use Information

We use the information above to:

  • provide speaking and learning features
  • save and restore progress
  • deliver subscriptions and premium entitlements
  • diagnose crashes and bugs
  • measure feature usage and improve app performance
  • deliver ads where applicable
  • respond to support and feedback submissions
  • protect the app against abuse or misuse
  • understand onboarding drop-off, learning-mode usage, recorded task and round results, and return rates in aggregate

4. Legal Bases and Consent

Depending on your location, we process information on one or more of the following bases:

  • your consent for optional detailed product analytics (GDPR Article 6(1)(a)), which you can withdraw at any time without affecting earlier lawful processing
  • our legitimate interest in understanding and improving feature usage for the limited connection-data processing needed to receive basic counters (GDPR Article 6(1)(f)); the retained daily totals contain no individual records, and you can object by turning off Basic usage totals
  • performance of a contract (Article 6(1)(b)) for requested learning features and purchase entitlements
  • our legitimate interests (Article 6(1)(f)) in securing the service, diagnosing failures and responding to support requests, subject to your rights and interests
  • compliance with legal obligations (Article 6(1)(c)), including applicable financial recordkeeping and data-protection requests

Microphone permission gives you control over access to your microphone; it is separate from analytics consent. Any consent required for advertising or other non-essential device access is also separate. We do not use learning scores or analytics to make automated decisions with legal or similarly significant effects on you.

5. Third-Party Services

Saymo uses third-party services that may process data under their own privacy policies:

Our public website is hosted on GitHub Pages, whose delivery infrastructure receives technical request information: https://docs.github.com/en/site-policy/privacy-policies/github-general-privacy-statement. The learning web app and API are hosted on Azure. Linked stores, community pages and externally hosted documents operate under their own provider policies when you open them.

The public website's legal pages load fonts from Google Fonts. Your browser sends technical connection information to Google when fetching them; see the Google Fonts privacy information.

If speech recognition is handled by your device platform or provider, that provider's terms and privacy policy may also apply.

6. Data Retention

We retain data for different periods depending on the type of data:

  • local progress and settings remain on your device until you clear the app data, use the in-app deletion flow, or uninstall the app
  • basic usage daily totals have a 400-day retention window; scheduled maintenance and bounded cleanup remove older totals
  • opt-in first-party product analytics events have a 180-day retention window, with older records removed by a daily scheduled process
  • long-term daily and monthly statistical snapshots may be retained after detailed events expire. These snapshots exclude installation and session identifiers and suppress small groups. They describe participating installations rather than all users. Historical snapshots are not individual activity histories and are reviewed before external sharing.
  • new Sentry error events on the current Developer plan are retained for 30 days
  • Azure Monitor diagnostic tables inspected for this service use up to 90 days of retention; this is separate from product analytics and Sentry
  • Azure SQL point-in-time backups use a seven-day window. Independent minimal deletion receipts are replayed before a restored database is reconnected, so deleted analytics are not restored to service
  • deletion receipts contain an installation digest and deletion generation, not activity history. They remain necessary while the installation credential can be reused; the current installation credential has no expiry. Receipt expiry must not allow old uploads to restore deleted data
  • subscription records, where applicable, follow the relevant app-store provider retention
  • support and feedback submissions may be retained as long as needed to respond to and review the submission

7. Your Choices and Rights

Depending on applicable law, you may have rights to access, correct or delete your personal data, restrict processing, receive a portable copy, and object to processing based on legitimate interests. You may withdraw consent at any time. Contact us using the details below; we may ask for information reasonably needed to locate your records and verify the request. We do not require a new login account to make a request.

You may complain to a data-protection authority, including the Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information, or the authority where you live or work. Where GDPR applies, we normally respond to rights requests within one month; if a permitted extension is needed, we explain it within that period.

You can also:

  • deny microphone or speech-recognition permissions in your device settings
  • stop using speaking features
  • use the app's data-reset or account-deletion flow, where available
  • turn off Basic usage totals and/or Detailed usage analytics in the app's Data & Privacy settings; supported web browsers' Global Privacy Control or Do Not Track signal is also respected
  • uninstall the app to remove locally stored app data from your device

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or about your privacy choices in Saymo, contact us at the email below.

8. App Data and Deletion

Saymo includes a data-reset flow intended to remove local progress and settings and reset app data on your device or browser. Mobile versions may label this as account deletion for compatibility, even where no conventional login account exists.

Please note:

  • uninstalling the mobile app, clearing site data, or using Reset app data removes local Saymo data stored on that device or browser
  • uninstalling alone may not delete all server-side records associated with diagnostics, analytics, purchases, or feedback submissions
  • first-party analytics records can be located with the original installation credential. If it has been lost, we may be unable to identify its records. Provider records and support messages require separate handling; contact us for help
  • for privacy questions, contact us at the email below

9. Children's Privacy

Saymo is intended for learners aged 13 and above on web, Android and iOS. It is not directed to children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us personal information, contact us and we will review the request.

The intended minimum age does not override local requirements for parental involvement. Optional detailed usage analytics is restricted to users who confirm that they are 18 or older. Users aged 13–17 can use learning features with detailed analytics off; basic usage totals have their own setting and contain no individual activity history. We do not offer a parental-consent route for enabling detailed analytics for under-18s. This confirmation is a self-declaration, not identity verification.

10. International Data Transfers

Third-party service providers used by Saymo may process data in countries other than your own. We remain responsible for assessing the services we use and the safeguards required for international transfers. Azure SQL is hosted in Germany West Central and the API in West Europe. Sentry uses its EU region; that does not mean every support or subprocessor activity stays in the EU. Contact us for information about the applicable safeguards.

For transfers covered by the relevant provider agreements, safeguards include European Commission standard contractual clauses and applicable adequacy decisions. Sentry's data-processing agreement describes its transfer terms; Microsoft publishes its Products and Services Data Protection Addendum. Google's privacy and transfer information describes its applicable mechanisms. You may request information about, or a copy of, the safeguards relevant to your data by contacting us.

11. Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures intended to protect information processed through Saymo. However, no method of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we may update the date above and, where appropriate, provide additional notice in the app or through the store listing.

13. Contact

Controller: Nicolas Daniel Exner Baumann (Daniel Baumann), operating Saymo as an individual freelancer.

Public postal contact address: Voltastr. 2B, 13355 Berlin, Germany.

For privacy requests: ndebaumann@gmail.com