Privacy Policy

Overview

This Privacy Policy explains what information the iAbidan English–Myanmar dictionary app for iOS and Android (the “app”) and this website handle, why, and the choices you have. The app is provided by Sei Thu Htun (“I”, “me”, “my”).

In short:

iAbidan works without an account. I don’t collect your name, email address or the words you look up.
The dictionary, pronunciation, camera text recognition, voice search and AI features run on your device.
Your recents, favourites and settings stay on your device unless you choose to back them up to your own iCloud Drive or Google Drive.
The free version shows ads from Google AdMob, which collects some device information. You control whether ads are personalised, and Premium removes ads.
I don’t sell your personal information.

Information kept on your device

The app stores your recent searches, favourites and settings (such as app language, theme, text size and voice) in the app’s own storage on your device. They are used only to run the app and are not sent to me. You can clear recents and favourites in the app at any time, and deleting the app removes them.

When you use Look Up from another app, the text you select is passed to iAbidan on your device so the entry can be shown. It is not stored or sent anywhere.

Camera

If you use Camera Lookup, the app reads the words on a photographed page. The photos are used only while you are looking words up; they are not saved to your photo library and not sent to me or anyone else. The two versions of the app recognise text differently:

On iOS, the app asks for permission to use the camera and recognises the text on your device with Apple’s built-in Vision framework. The images are kept only in memory while you are scanning. You can turn camera access off at any time in your device settings.
On Android, your device’s own camera app takes the photo, so iAbidan itself does not ask for camera permission. The photo is stored in the app’s private cache until your next scan, and its text is recognised on your device by Google’s ML Kit text recognition, whose model is bundled in the app and works offline. ML Kit does not send your photos or the recognised text to Google, but it does send Google technical metrics about how the recognition performs, under the ML Kit Terms of Service.

Microphone

If you use voice search, the app asks for permission to use the microphone so it can hear the Burmese word or short phrase you say. Speech is recognised on your device by a Burmese recognition model that you download once from within the app. The recording is kept only in memory while it is being recognised, stops on its own when you pause, and is never saved or sent to me or anyone else. You can turn microphone access off at any time in your device settings.

On-device AI and pronunciation

Meaning in Context, Fix My Text and Word practice run entirely on your device, on an on-device model: on iOS, Apple Intelligence or the downloadable iAbidan Model; on Android, Gemini Nano or the iAbidan Model. The sentences and text you enter are processed on your device and are not sent to me or to any server by the app.

If you choose the iAbidan Model, the app downloads the model files once from iAbidan’s update server, like the Burmese voice and recogniser. That download fetches the model itself; none of your text is ever uploaded.

Word illustrations are drawn on your device with Apple’s Image Playground from the entry’s headword and definition. The pictures are kept in the app’s cache on your device so they do not have to be drawn again, and are not sent to me or to any server by the app.

Pronunciation uses the text-to-speech voices built into your device.

If you choose to use Apple’s own features, such as Writing Tools or the ChatGPT extension, while using iAbidan, what you send through them is handled by Apple (and OpenAI, for ChatGPT) under their privacy policies, not by the app.

Backup and restore

Backup & Restore is optional and only runs when you use it. A backup contains your recents, favourites and settings. It is saved to your own cloud storage, and I never receive a copy.

iCloud Drive (iOS): the backup is stored in your iCloud account and handled under Apple’s Privacy Policy.
Google Drive: you sign in with your Google account. The app asks only for access to the files it creates itself, not to the rest of your Drive. Your Google account’s email address is used on your device to encrypt the backup before it is uploaded, so it can be restored with the same account. The backup is handled under Google’s Privacy Policy, and you can remove iAbidan’s access at any time in your Google account settings.
On Android, the app may ask for permission to read and write files on your device’s storage to save or restore a backup file.

You can delete a backup at any time from your iCloud Drive or Google Drive.

Advertising

The free version of the app shows ads provided by Google AdMob. To show ads, measure them and prevent fraud, Google may collect information from your device, such as the device’s advertising identifier, IP address, approximate location derived from the IP address, device and app information, and how you interact with ads. This is handled under Google’s Privacy Policy; see also how Google uses information from apps that use its services.

On iOS, the app asks your permission through App Tracking Transparency before the advertising identifier can be used for personalised ads. If you don’t allow it, the identifier is not shared and the app asks Google for non-personalised ads only.
If you are in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom or Switzerland, the app asks for your consent through Google’s consent form before showing ads, and you can change your choice at any time in Settings › Ad privacy options.
On Android, you can reset or delete your advertising ID in your device settings.
Premium removes ads, so AdMob is not used while your subscription is active.

Purchases

Premium is bought through the Apple App Store or Google Play, which process your payment under their own privacy policies. I never receive your payment details. The app only checks with the store whether your Premium subscription is active.

Feedback and email

Send Feedback opens your own email app. If you email me, I receive your email address and whatever you choose to write. I use it only to reply to you and to improve the app, I don’t share it, and I’ll delete it if you ask.

This website

This website has no accounts, analytics or advertising, and sets no cookies. Your theme and language choices are saved in your own browser’s local storage so the site remembers them. The site loads its Burmese font from Google Fonts, so Google receives your IP address when you visit, and the web host may keep standard server logs, such as IP address and browser type, for security.

I don’t sell or rent your personal information. Information is shared only:

with Google, for advertising in the free version, as described above;
with Apple or Google, when you choose to back up, restore or buy Premium;
when required by law, or to protect the rights, safety or property of users, the public or me.

These providers may process information in countries other than yours, under their own safeguards.

Keeping and deleting information

Information on your device stays until you clear it in the app or delete the app. Backups stay in your iCloud Drive or Google Drive until you delete them. Emails are kept only as long as needed to deal with your message. Information collected by Google for advertising is kept under Google’s own retention policies.

Your choices and rights

Turn camera access, microphone access and tracking permission on or off at any time in your device settings.
Change your ad consent in Settings › Ad privacy options, or remove ads with Premium.
Clear your recents and favourites in the app, delete your backups, or delete the app.

Depending on where you live, you may also have the right to ask what personal information I hold about you, and to have it corrected or deleted. Because the app doesn’t send your searches or lists to me, I usually hold nothing beyond emails you have sent. To make a request, contact me at [email protected]. For information collected by Google, use Google’s privacy tools.

Security

Most of what the app handles never leaves your device. Google Drive backups are compressed and encrypted before upload, and iCloud backups are protected by your Apple account. No method of storage or transmission is completely secure, but I take reasonable steps to protect your information.

Children’s privacy

iAbidan is a dictionary suitable for learners of all ages, but it is not directed at children under 13, and I don’t knowingly collect personal information from them. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has sent me personal information, please contact me at [email protected] and I will delete it.

Links to other websites

The app and this website may contain links to other websites that are not operated by me. If you follow such a link, you will be directed to that third party’s site. I strongly advise you to review the privacy policy of every site you visit. I have no control over, and assume no responsibility for, the content, privacy policies or practices of any third-party sites or services.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

I may update this Privacy Policy from time to time, for example when the app gains new features. The date at the top of this page shows when it last changed. For significant changes, I will also let you know through a notice in the app or on this website.

Translations

This Privacy Policy is available in English and Burmese. If the two versions differ, the English version applies.

Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, you can contact me by email at [email protected].