Privacy Policy

Last updated: November 5, 2026

Overview

Learn Swahili ("the App") is built and operated by Africa Digital Media Studios Ltd, based in Birmingham, United Kingdom ("we", "us"). Africa Digital Media Studios Ltd is the data controller. We take your privacy seriously. This policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your rights.

Data We Collect

Data stored on your device only

  • Your dialect preference
  • Lesson progress and quiz scores
  • Chat conversation history with Mwalimu
  • Voice and style preferences

This data is stored locally on your device using AsyncStorage. We do not upload, sync, or back up this data to any server. If you uninstall the app, this data is deleted.

Data sent to third-party services

When you use certain features, data is sent through our servers to third-party APIs:

  • Text-to-speech: The Swahili text you tap to hear is sent to Google Cloud Text-to-Speech to generate audio. Google's privacy policy applies to this processing.
  • Mwalimu tutor: Your chat messages and conversation history are sent to Google Gemini to generate tutor responses. Google's privacy policy applies to this processing.

All requests go through our backend servers. Your messages are not stored on our servers and are only forwarded to generate a response.

Account Data

You may create an account using Google Sign-In, Apple Sign-In, or email and password. Your account is managed by Firebase Authentication. We store your Firebase user ID to enforce usage limits and, in the future, to sync progress across devices. We do not access or store your Google or Apple passwords.

You can delete your account at any time from Settings > Delete account inside the app, or from our account deletion page. Deleting your account removes your authentication record permanently.

Data We Do NOT Collect

  • We do not collect location data
  • We do not use analytics or tracking SDKs
  • We do not show advertisements
  • We do not sell or share personal data with third parties

Third-Party Services

The App uses the following third-party services:

Children's Privacy

The App is designed for adult learners. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has created an account, contact us and we will delete it.

Data Retention

Learning progress and chat history are stored locally on your device. You can delete this data through Settings > Reset all progress & chat, or by uninstalling the app.

Your account (authentication record) is retained until you delete it. You can delete your account from the app or from our account deletion page.

Chat messages sent to our API servers are processed in real time and not stored after the response is returned.

Security

API requests are transmitted over HTTPS. API keys for third-party services are stored server-side and never included in the app. We apply rate limiting to prevent abuse.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated date. Continued use of the App constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy, contact us at: support@vumistudio.com

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