Privacy Policy
Talvo for iPhone and Mac · Last updated: 1 October 2026
Talvo is a language-learning app for iPhone and Mac. This policy explains what the app collects, what leaves your device, and who processes it.
The short version: Talvo has no accounts and no login. Your lessons, vocabulary and progress live on your device. The text you type and short voice clips you record are sent to our server and on to OpenAI to produce lessons, grading, translations and transcriptions, and are not stored by us afterwards. We do not track you, show ads, or sell anything about you.
Who we are
Talvo is developed by Muhammad Abdullah, an independent developer. For any question about this policy or your data, email hello@talvoapp.com and we will reply.
No account, no sign-in
Talvo does not ask for your name, email address, phone number or any login. When the app is first installed it generates a random identifier (a UUID) that is stored in your device's Keychain. That identifier is sent with requests to our server so the free plan's limits can be applied. It is not linked to you, to your Apple Account, or to any other app, and it cannot be used to identify you.
What stays on your device
- Your courses, lessons, vocabulary deck, review history, streaks and statistics (stored with Apple's SwiftData on the device).
- Your settings, interests, daily goal and reminder time.
- Cached audio for phrases you have listened to, so they play without a connection.
Deleting the app deletes all of this. The deck export feature creates a file only when you ask for it, and you choose where it goes.
What leaves your device, and why
| Data | When | Why | Processed by |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text you type (answers, chat messages, text to translate, questions to the tutor) | When you use lessons, conversations, Live, Translate, grading or the placement test | To write your lessons, reply to you, grade and translate | Our server (Google Cloud / Firebase, US), then OpenAI |
| Short audio clips of your voice | Only while you are using a speaking exercise, a voice conversation, the pronunciation coach or the live interpreter, and only when on-device recognition is not available or you ask for a more accurate transcript | To transcribe what you said | Our server, then OpenAI. Not stored after the response. |
| Course context (target language, your level, your interests, a few of the words you already know) | With lesson and conversation requests | So the content fits you | Our server, then OpenAI |
| Your random device identifier and plan status (free or Pro) | With every request | Free-plan limits and abuse prevention | Our server |
| Apple App Attest / App Check token | With every request | Proves the request comes from the genuine app | Apple and Firebase App Check |
We do not keep the text or audio you send once a response has been returned. Our server logs contain timestamps, the request type and the random identifier for debugging, and are retained for 30 days.
Speech recognition and the microphone
The microphone is used only during speaking exercises, voice conversations, the pronunciation coach and the live interpreter, and only after you grant permission. Where your device supports it, speech is recognised on the device using Apple's speech framework. Apple may also process speech on its servers for languages that need it; see Apple's privacy policy for speech recognition. Hands-free listening stops as soon as you leave the conversation.
Purchases
Subscriptions are handled entirely by Apple through the App Store. We receive confirmation that a subscription is active; we never see your payment details, your name or your Apple Account email. Manage or cancel subscriptions in your Apple Account settings.
Notifications
If you turn on the daily reminder, Talvo schedules a local notification on your device. Nothing is sent to a server for this.
What we never do
- No advertising, no ad identifiers, no third-party analytics or tracking SDKs.
- No selling, renting or sharing of your data with anyone except the processors above, and only to deliver the feature you used.
- No training of AI models on your content by us. Content sent to OpenAI through the API is subject to OpenAI's API data policy, under which it is not used to train their models.
Third parties
- OpenAI — generates lessons, replies, grading, translations, neural voices and transcriptions from the text and audio described above. OpenAI privacy policy.
- Google Firebase — hosts our server functions and verifies the app with App Check. Firebase privacy.
- Apple — App Store purchases, App Attest, and on-device speech recognition. Apple privacy.
Children
Talvo is not directed at children under 13 and does not knowingly collect information from them. As there are no accounts, no personal information is requested from anyone.
Your rights
Because we hold no personal data about you beyond a random identifier and short-lived logs, there is nothing for us to export or correct. To erase everything, delete the app; the identifier in your Keychain is removed when you reset the device or on request. If you are in the EU/EEA, UK, California or elsewhere with data-protection rights and want to exercise them, email us and we will help.
Changes
If this policy changes in a way that matters, the app will show a notice and this page will carry the new date.
Contact: hello@talvoapp.com