WordVale Privacy Policy

Effective 17 October 2026

WordVale is built so that your data stays yours.

What we store, and where

Every word you save, your review history, and your statistics live on your device. WordVale has no accounts, no sign-in, and no database of users.

iCloud sync

If you are signed in to iCloud, your vault also syncs to your own private iCloud database so it appears on your other Apple devices. That data is held in your personal iCloud account, governed by Apple's privacy policy — we have no access to it and no ability to read it. Turning off iCloud for WordVale in iOS Settings stops the sync; your words stay on the device.

What leaves your device

When WordVale looks up a word, it sends only that word or expression (and, when you captured one, the sentence it appeared in) to the free Dictionary API (dictionaryapi.dev) for standard definitions, and to our definition server, which uses a third-party AI language model to generate learner-friendly definitions, pronunciations, and examples. When you save from the share sheet, WordVale starts this lookup as soon as you choose the word, so it is ready when you tap Save; if you cancel, the lookup has still been made.

These requests include a random per-install identifier used solely to apply a fair-use monthly limit. It is not linked to your name, Apple ID, or device hardware. It is linked to an email address only if you join our email list (below).

Anonymous usage statistics

From version 1.2.1, WordVale sends us simple daily counts of how the app is used — for example how many times it was opened, how many words were saved and how many reviews or quizzes were finished that day, whether the paywall was shown, the day of the free trial, whether the app has been purchased, how many words are in the vault, and the app version. These counts are tied only to the same random per-install identifier described above.

They never include the words or sentences you save, your name, email, Apple ID, location, contacts, or any other personal information, and we do not use them for advertising or share them with anyone. We use them only to understand which parts of the app help people learn, so we can improve it. You can turn this off at any time in Settings › Privacy › Share anonymous usage statistics.

Feedback you send us

If you answer the in-app feedback questions, we receive what you type together with the app version, whether the app has been purchased, the day of the free trial and how many words are in your vault, tied to the same random per-install identifier. We do not ask for your name or email; please don't include personal details in your answers. We use feedback only to improve WordVale. If you would like a reply, email us instead.

Email list (optional)

You can choose to give us your email address in the app (on the Today screen or in Settings › Email) to receive occasional WordVale emails: words, tips, and news about the app, at most about once a week. We store the address with the random per-install identifier and the date you signed up, so that we can stop emails from Settings and avoid emailing people who no longer use the app. Emails are sent through our email provider, Resend, which processes the address only to deliver them. We never sell or share your address with anyone else. Every email has an unsubscribe link, and Settings › Email › Stop emails works too; once you unsubscribe we keep only a record that the address must not be emailed. To have your address deleted completely, email support@wordvale.com.

Speaking exercises

The pronunciation exercise listens through the microphone only while you hold the record button, and only to score how close you were. WordVale asks iOS to recognise your speech on the device wherever the device supports it; where it does not, iOS sends the audio to Apple for recognition under Apple's privacy policy. We never receive, store, or transmit your recordings.

What we never collect

No advertising identifiers, no tracking across apps or websites, no third-party analytics or ad SDKs, no reading history, and no personal information other than an email address you choose to give us.

Purchases

Purchases are processed entirely by Apple. We never see your payment details.

Your control

You can export all your data as a CSV file from Settings at any time, and deleting the app deletes your data from the device.

Contact

Questions: see the support page.