Privacy Policy

How Do I Spell? is provided by SanBytes Pte. Ltd. (“SanBytes”, “we”, “us” or “our”).

We designed How Do I Spell? to be a calm, ad-free learning tool for children and families. We aim to collect only the information needed to provide and improve the app.

This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, when it is shared with service providers, how long it is kept, and the choices available to parents and caregivers.

1. Information we collect

Child profile and preferences

During setup, a parent or caregiver may provide information such as:

• the child’s first name or chosen name
• age
• British or American spelling preference
• reading-comfort preferences
• read-aloud speed preferences

The child’s age is stored on the device and is used to help tailor the learning experience.

Some basic learner profile settings, such as the child’s chosen name and spelling or reading preferences, may also be stored securely in our database.

We do not require a child’s full legal name, email address or password.

2. Voice searches

How Do I Spell? allows a child to say a word they want help spelling.

When the microphone is used, a short voice recording is sent securely for speech recognition so we can identify the word being spoken.

How Do I Spell? does not keep the voice recording.

We do not store full speech transcripts against the child’s account or learner profile.

We may keep limited, de-identified diagnostic information, such as whether a search succeeded and the word that was resolved, to help us improve reliability. This diagnostic information is not linked to a child profile or user account.

Voice recordings are not used to identify a child, create a voice profile, serve advertising or track behaviour across apps or services.

3. Saved words and learning activity

How Do I Spell? may store learning information needed to provide features such as:

• saved words
• word history
• spelling lists
• recall practice
• learning preferences

Much of this learning information is stored locally on the device.

Words a child or parent chooses to save remain available as part of the child’s word history until they are removed or the app’s local data is cleared.

4. Spelling-list photos

Parents may choose to photograph or select an image of a spelling list.

Photos of spelling lists are used only to suggest words for that list.

The image is processed for text extraction and is not stored on How Do I Spell? servers after processing. We do not keep the original image in the child’s HDS profile or account.

A photo selected from the device photo library remains in the device photo library.

Only the words that the parent confirms or edits are saved to the spelling list.

Parents can also enter spelling words manually without using a photo.

5. Technical and diagnostic information

We may process limited technical information needed to operate and secure the app, such as:

• app version
• device or platform type
• request timestamps
• search success or failure
• network or service errors

We use this information to maintain reliability, diagnose technical problems and protect the service from abuse.

How Do I Spell? does not currently use third-party analytics or crash-reporting tools.

6. How we use information

We use information only as reasonably necessary to:

• identify words spoken by the child
• provide spelling help
• provide simple meanings and example sentences
• distinguish words that sound alike
• provide saved words and spelling lists
• provide recall and practice activities
• personalise spelling, reading and audio preferences
• maintain app security and reliability
• diagnose technical problems
• improve word results and learning content
• respond to support and privacy requests

We do not sell personal information.

We do not use children’s information for targeted advertising.

How Do I Spell? does not contain third-party advertising.

7. Service providers

We use trusted service providers to operate parts of How Do I Spell?.

These currently include providers for speech processing, cloud infrastructure, database services and AI-assisted learning features.

OpenAI

OpenAI helps us process short spoken-word requests, produce spoken audio, generate or simplify word-learning content, and extract words from spelling-list photos.

We do not send a child’s name, learner profile ID or account identifier with these requests.

Our OpenAI data-sharing settings are configured so that our API inputs and outputs are not shared with OpenAI for model training or service-improvement purposes.

Supabase

Supabase provides authentication and database services used by How Do I Spell?.

HDS uses an anonymous identifier rather than requiring a child or parent to create an email-and-password account.

Fly.io

Fly.io hosts parts of the backend infrastructure used to securely process app requests.

Apple

Apple provides App Store distribution and processes purchases and subscriptions made through the App Store.

SanBytes may receive limited transaction information needed to confirm purchase and entitlement status, such as the product purchased and subscription status.

SanBytes does not receive your full payment-card details.

8. Advertising and tracking

How Do I Spell? is designed to be ad-free.

We do not use third-party advertising networks.

We do not sell personal information to advertisers.

We do not use children’s information for cross-app behavioural advertising.

9. Children’s privacy

How Do I Spell? is designed for children to use with the involvement of a parent or caregiver.

Parents or caregivers should complete setup and make decisions relating to permissions, purchases and privacy.

We aim to minimise the information collected from children and use it only to provide the learning service.

Parents and caregivers may contact us to:

• ask what information we hold relating to their child
• request correction of information
• request deletion of information
• withdraw consent where applicable
• ask us to stop further collection or use where required by law

Contact us at: hello@sanbytes.com

10. Data retention

We retain information only for as long as it is reasonably needed to provide the service, maintain security, comply with legal obligations or resolve disputes.

Voice recordings are not kept by How Do I Spell? after they are used to process a spoken-word request.

Full speech transcripts are not stored against a child’s learner profile.

Limited de-identified diagnostic information may be retained for operational and reliability purposes.

Profile information may be retained while the app is in use and until it is deleted or a deletion request is completed.

Information stored locally on the device remains there until it is removed, the app’s data is cleared, or the app is uninstalled.

11. Data deletion

Parents and caregivers may request deletion of information associated with their child by contacting: hello@sanbytes.com

We may ask for limited information needed to verify the request and locate the relevant learner profile.

We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law.

Some limited information may be retained where required for legal, security, fraud-prevention or record-keeping purposes.

12. Security

We use reasonable technical and organisational measures designed to protect information.

These include measures such as:

• encrypted network connections
• authenticated access to backend services
• database access controls
• restricted administrative access
• rate limiting and abuse protection

No system can be guaranteed to be completely secure, but we aim to minimise unnecessary collection, storage and access.

13. International processing

SanBytes Pte. Ltd. is based in Singapore.

Some service providers may process information in other countries where their infrastructure is located.

Where information is processed internationally, we aim to use service providers and safeguards appropriate to the information being handled and the requirements of applicable law.

14. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights relating to personal information, including the right to:

• request access
• request correction
• request deletion
• withdraw consent
• object to or restrict certain processing
• make a complaint to an applicable privacy authority

Parents and caregivers may exercise applicable rights on behalf of their child.

We may need to verify the identity or authority of the person making the request before releasing or deleting information relating to a child.

15. Changes to this Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as How Do I Spell? develops or when legal requirements change.

If we make a significant change to how children’s personal information is collected, used or shared, we will provide appropriate notice and obtain consent where required.

The latest version of this policy will always be available on this page.

16. Contact us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or How Do I Spell?’s privacy practices, contact: