Privacy Policy

Introduction

Hane (“we”, “our”, or “us”) is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use the Hane mobile application.

Data Stored on Your Device

Hane does not require an account, and we do not collect your name, email address, or any other contact information through the app.

• Learning Progress: Your kanji study progress, quiz scores, game results, vocabulary mastery levels, and streak data are stored locally on your device to personalize your learning experience.
• App Preferences: Settings such as theme preference, notification preferences, and display options are stored locally on your device.

This data never leaves your device unless you export it yourself using the manual backup feature. Deleting the app removes it.

iCloud (Custom Texts)

Reading texts you add yourself are stored in your private iCloud database using Apple's CloudKit framework so they are available across your devices. This applies only to your custom texts — your learning progress and preferences are not synced to iCloud. iCloud data is tied to your Apple ID and accessible only by you; we cannot read it.

Text Recognition & Handwriting (Google ML Kit)

Hane uses Google ML Kit to recognize Japanese text in photos you choose and to recognize your handwritten kanji strokes. Your images and handwriting are processed on your device and are not uploaded for recognition.

The ML Kit software itself sends performance and utilization metrics to Google — for example device identifiers, diagnostic and performance data about the recognition engine. According to Google, this data is not linked to your identity and is not used to track you. See the ML Kit terms and Google's privacy policy for details.

In-App Purchases

Subscription and purchase data is handled entirely by Apple through the App Store. We receive confirmation of your subscription status but do not process or store payment information such as credit card numbers.

Third-Party Services

• Google ML Kit: On-device text and handwriting recognition, as described above. Google receives performance and utilization metrics from the SDK.
• Apple App Store: Subscription billing and management is handled by Apple.
• Apple iCloud/CloudKit: Stores your custom texts in your private iCloud database. See Apple's privacy policy at apple.com/privacy.

Website Analytics

On this website (hane-app.com), we use PostHog to measure page views and clicks on download links. Analytics data is processed exclusively in PostHog's EU cloud (Frankfurt, Germany). The analytics run in cookieless “memory mode”: no cookies are set and nothing is stored on or read from your device, so visitors are not recognized across visits and no consent banner is required. Processed data includes the page visited, referrer, browser and device type, and your IP address for approximate geographic attribution. The legal basis is our legitimate interest in improving the website (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). For details, see our cookie statement.

Launch Notification Emails

You can leave your email address on this website to be notified when Hane launches on the App Store. Signup uses double opt-in: we send a confirmation email first, and only confirmed addresses are added to the list. The legal basis for this processing is your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR), which you can withdraw at any time via the unsubscribe link in any email or by contacting us. We use this address only to send launch news and delete it after the launch notification or when you unsubscribe.

We use Brevo (Sendinblue SAS, 7 rue de Madrid, 75008 Paris, France) as our processor to store the list and send these emails. Your address is processed on servers in the EU. See Brevo’s privacy policy for details.

Data Storage & Security

Your learning data is stored locally on your device in the app's private storage, which is protected by iOS's built-in device security (sandboxing and device encryption when a passcode is set). Custom texts you add are additionally stored in your private iCloud container. We do not operate our own servers and never receive your learning data.

Data Retention & Deletion

• You can reset your learning progress at any time from Settings.
• If you delete the app, all locally stored data is removed. Custom texts stored in iCloud can be managed through your device's iCloud settings.
• There is no account to delete — the app does not create one.
• If you have questions about data deletion, contact us at hello@hane-app.com.

Children's Privacy

Hane is suitable for users of all ages. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13 beyond what is necessary for the app's educational functionality. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided personal information, please contact us at hello@hane-app.com.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by updating the “Last updated” date at the top of this policy. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at hello@hane-app.com.