Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 14, 2026

This policy explains what data PatYap collects, why, and what happens to it — with special attention to your voice, since PatYap is a speaking app. PatYap is made by Andres Canella (“we,” “us”). If anything here is unclear, email me+patyap@andrescanella.com.

The short version: Your voice is processed to understand and grade what you said, then discarded — we don't keep your audio recordings and we never sell your data. We store the text of your conversations and your learning progress so the app can track how your words improve over time.

Your voice

PatYap needs microphone access because speaking is the whole point. When you talk:

Your speech is streamed to a speech-processing service to be transcribed and understood in real time.
The transcribed text is used to generate the conversation partner's reply and to grade your pronunciation and word usage.
We do not retain your voice audio. The audio is processed to produce the transcript and grading, and is not stored by us as a lasting recording. What we keep afterward is text (the transcript) and the grades derived from it.
Voice processing only happens while you're actively in a conversation. PatYap does not listen in the background.

Information we collect

Account information

When you sign in with Apple, we receive an account identifier and, if you choose to share it, your name and a relay email address. We use an authentication provider (Clerk) to manage sign-in. We use this to create your account and keep your data associated with you.

Your learning content

We store the text of your conversations, the words you've encountered, your mastery progress for each word, your notes, and your in-app settings. This is what powers the live feed, the Words list, and the app's ability to steer conversations to your level. Each language you practice keeps its own separate set of words, history, and settings.

Usage analytics

We collect basic, privacy-respecting product analytics (via PostHog) — for example, which screens you reach during onboarding and whether the app is working — so we can understand how far people get and fix problems. We do not use this to build advertising profiles, and we don't run third-party ad trackers.

Technical data

Like most apps, we may receive standard technical information such as app version, device model, and crash diagnostics to keep the app stable.

How we use your data

To run the conversation loop: transcribe your speech, generate replies, and grade your words.
To track your vocabulary and steer future conversations to your edge.
To operate, secure, debug, and improve the Service.
To communicate with you about the Service if you contact us.

We do not sell your personal data, and we do not share it for advertising.

Service providers we rely on

PatYap uses a small number of trusted third parties to function. They process data only to provide their service to us:

Apple — Sign in with Apple, app distribution, and (optionally) device features.
OpenAI — real-time speech understanding and the AI conversation partner. Your speech and conversation text are processed by OpenAI to power the voice loop.
Clerk — authentication and account management.
Amazon Web Services — hosting for our backend and stored learning data.
PostHog — product usage analytics.

Data retention

We keep your account and learning data for as long as your account exists, so your progress persists between sessions. Voice audio is not retained as described above. If you delete your account, we delete or de-identify your associated learning data within a reasonable period, except where we must keep certain records to comply with the law.

Your choices and rights

Microphone: You can revoke microphone access in iOS Settings at any time, though the app can't function as intended without it.
Access & deletion: You can request a copy of your data or ask us to delete your account and data by emailing me+patyap@andrescanella.com.
Regional rights: Depending on where you live (for example, the EEA/UK under GDPR, or California under the CCPA/CPRA), you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or restrict processing of your data, and to lodge a complaint with a data-protection authority. We honor these requests.

Children

PatYap is not directed to children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect personal data from them. If you believe a child has provided us data, contact us and we'll delete it.

International transfers

Our providers may process data in the United States and other countries. Where required, we rely on appropriate safeguards for these transfers.

Security

We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your data, including encryption in transit and access controls. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to keep your information safe.

Changes to this policy

We'll update this policy as the app evolves. Material changes will be reflected in the “Last updated” date above and, where appropriate, noted in the app.

Contact

Questions or requests? Email me+patyap@andrescanella.com.