Privacy Policy
In short: Bear Phonics collects no personal information from anyone, including children. There are no accounts, no ads, no analytics, no tracking and no third-party SDKs. Your child's progress and the app's settings are stored only on your device and are never sent anywhere. Microphone recordings never leave the device and are deleted right after they play. The only network connection the app makes is to Apple's App Store, for the optional purchase.
Who we are
Bear Phonics ("the app") is made by HOME BERRY (Home Berry Shop). It is a bedtime phonics app for children aged 1 to 5. This policy explains, in plain language, what the app does and does not do with information.
Information we collect
None. The app does not collect, store on our behalf or share any personal information from children or adults. That includes:
- names, email addresses or other contact details;
- voice recordings (see "The microphone" below);
- photos, camera, location, contacts or calendars;
- device or advertising identifiers;
- usage analytics or behavioural data.
We, HOME BERRY, have no servers that receive data from the app, and we never see how your child uses the app.
The microphone
On a sound card, your child can tap the microphone button to hear themselves say the sound. The first time, iOS asks for permission. The short recording is kept only in the app's temporary storage on the device, played back once, and deleted straight away. It is never uploaded, shared or kept. If you prefer, you can turn the microphone off at any time in Settings → Bear Phonics → Microphone; the rest of the app works the same.
No accounts, ads, tracking or third-party SDKs
- There is no account and no sign-up.
- There are no ads.
- There are no third-party analytics, advertising or tracking tools, and no third-party SDKs of any kind.
- The app makes no network requests of its own. The only exception is Apple's App Store (StoreKit), used for the optional purchase described below.
The optional in-app purchase
Bear Phonics offers one optional, one-time in-app purchase, Unlock everything. Buying it, restoring it and Ask to Buy requests are handled entirely by Apple through the App Store, under Apple's Privacy Policy. We never see your payment details or your Apple ID. The app only learns whether the purchase has been made, so it can unlock the sounds and books.
What is stored on the device
The app stores only the following, in its local settings on your device (iOS UserDefaults):
- the child's age group and your class's sound order, chosen by a grown-up;
- progress: the sounds learnt, stars, books read and this week's practice, shown on the Parents page;
- settings such as Bear's voice on or off, and whether Unlock everything has been purchased.
This information is never sent to us or anyone else. Deleting the app deletes all of it. You can also clear the progress at any time from the Parents page.
Links and the parent gate
There are no links out of the app. The Parents page, Restore purchases and the purchase itself open only after pressing and holding the lock for 3 seconds and then answering a times-table question that young children can't solve.
Children's privacy
Bear Phonics is designed for children under 13, in line with the principles of the US Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and the GDPR's protections for children. Because the app collects no personal information, there is nothing for us to review, export or delete on your child's behalf. Parents and guardians are welcome to contact us at any time with questions.
Apple crash reports
If you have chosen in iOS Settings to share analytics with app developers, Apple may provide us with anonymous crash reports. Apple handles this; the reports do not identify you or your child, and you can turn it off in Settings → Privacy & Security → Analytics & Improvements.
Changes to this policy
If a future version of the app changes how it handles data, we will post the updated policy on this page, with a new effective date, before that version is released.
Questions?