Privacy Policy
The short version: ToneRunner does not collect, store, or transmit your personal data. There is no account and no sign-in. Your voice is processed entirely on your iPhone to detect Mandarin tones. It is never recorded, uploaded, or shared. We use no analytics, advertising, or tracking.
This policy explains how ToneRunner ("the app", "we", "us") handles information. It applies to the ToneRunner iOS app. By using the app you agree to this policy.
1. Your voice stays on your device
ToneRunner is a voice game: you speak, and the app scores your Mandarin pronunciation and tones in real time. All of this happens on your device:
- Speech recognition uses Apple's on-device speech recognizer. We require on-device processing and do not use any server-based recognition.
- Pitch and tone analysis runs in an on-device model bundled inside the app.
- Your audio is not recorded to a file, not saved, and not transmitted off the device. No audio, and no features derived from your audio, ever leave your iPhone.
The microphone and speech-recognition permissions are used solely for live gameplay scoring.
2. Information we do not collect
- No account, email, name, phone number, or other personal identifiers.
- No advertising identifiers and no tracking across other apps or websites. We do not display the App Tracking Transparency prompt because we do not track you.
- No analytics or third-party tracking SDKs are included in the app.
3. Information stored on your device
Your learning progress, scores, and settings, for example Soft Voiced Mode, are stored locally on your device only. This information is not sent to us and is not synced to our servers. We have no access to it.
4. Subscriptions and payments
ToneRunner Pro is sold as an auto-renewing subscription or a one-time purchase through Apple's App Store. Apple processes all payments. We never receive or see your name, card, or payment details. The app receives only Apple's signed confirmation of whether your subscription is currently active, which is used to unlock paid content.
You can manage or cancel a subscription in your device's Settings > Apple Account > Subscriptions. Purchases are subject to Apple's Privacy Policy.
5. Sharing with third parties
We do not collect your data, so there is nothing to sell or share. No third party receives personal information from the app. Apple handles purchases under Apple's own terms, as described above.
6. Children's privacy
ToneRunner does not collect personal information from anyone, including children. Because no data is collected, the app does not knowingly gather information from children under 13, or the equivalent minimum age in your region.
7. Data retention and deletion
Because all data stays on your device, there is nothing for you to request from us and nothing for us to delete. Deleting the app from your device removes all of its local data.
8. Changes to this policy
If we change how the app handles information, we will update this page and the effective date above. If a future version of the app ever collects or transmits data, we will update this policy and the App Store privacy details before that version is released.
9. Contact
Questions about privacy? Email hello@mandarinrise.com.