Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 2, 2026

The short version. HSK Loop has no accounts and no servers of our own. Your study history never leaves your device, and we do not collect it. The only third parties involved are Apple, for in-app purchases, Google AdMob, for the optional rewarded ads that free users can choose to watch, and Meta, which tells us which of our own ads led to an install.

What stays on your device

Everything the app creates as you use it is written to a single file inside the app's private storage on your iPhone or iPad:

Which words you have studied, and their spaced-repetition schedule
Streaks, daily goals, and study statistics
Favorites and recent dictionary lookups
Settings such as interface language, HSK level, and reminder times

We have no way to read this file. It is not uploaded anywhere, and deleting the app deletes it. If you have iCloud Backup turned on, iOS may include it in your device backup — that backup is between you and Apple, and is governed by Apple's privacy policy.

Because everything is local, your progress does not sync between devices.

What we collect

We run no server and no account system, so nothing you do while studying reaches us. There is no analytics SDK and no crash-reporting SDK in HSK Loop: we cannot see which words you study, how far along you are, or anything else about your learning.

The vocabulary, definitions, example sentences, and pronunciation audio are all bundled into the download, so studying itself works fully offline. The app uses the network for three things only, each described below: loading the consent form and rewarded ads from Google, checking your purchase with Apple, and reporting installs, app opens, and purchases to Meta for advertising measurement.

Advertising (free users only)

Free users have a daily limit on study cards. When you reach it, you can choose to watch a short rewarded video ad to keep going. Ads never appear on their own — one plays only after you tap the button that asks for it. Buying the premium unlock removes ads entirely.

Ads are served by Google AdMob. To deliver and measure them, Google may collect device and advertising identifiers, approximate location derived from your IP address, and data about how you interacted with the ad. This happens inside Google's SDK; we receive only a yes-or-no signal that the ad was watched to completion. See Google's Privacy Policy and how Google uses data from partner sites and apps.

Before any ad is shown, the app asks for your choices:

In the EEA, the UK, and Switzerland, a consent form (Google's User Messaging Platform) appears when you first open the app.
On iOS, Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt appears once, shortly after you first open the app. If you decline, every feature keeps working; ads are simply not personalized and no advertising identifier is shared.

Advertising measurement

We advertise HSK Loop on Meta's platforms (Facebook and Instagram). So that we can tell which of those ads brought people here and which led to a purchase, the app includes Meta's SDK. It reports app installs, app opens, and completed in-app purchases — including the amount and currency. It receives none of your study data: no words, no progress, no statistics.

If you allowed tracking, this report may include your device's advertising identifier. If you declined, it does not. Apple's SKAdNetwork, which attributes installs without identifying you, is used either way. See Meta's Privacy Policy.

Purchases

The premium unlock is a one-time, non-consumable in-app purchase handled entirely by Apple. We never see your name, payment details, or Apple Account. The app asks the App Store whether your account owns the product and stores that yes-or-no answer on your device. Purchases can be restored at any time from the app's settings.

Notifications

Study reminders are scheduled locally by iOS on your device. Nothing passes through a server, and we do not use push notifications. You can turn reminders off in the app or in iOS Settings.

Children

HSK Loop is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them.

Your choices

Delete everything: deleting the app removes all study data from your device.
Limit ad tracking: iOS Settings › Privacy & Security › Tracking.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes in a way that affects you, we will post the new version here and update the date at the top.

Contact

Questions about this policy: cs.topika@gmail.com