Overview
Thank you for using Voice Board. Voice Board is an augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) app for iPhone and iPad. This Privacy Policy explains what data the app handles, where it is stored and how it is protected.
Voice Board is built to work offline. Its core communication features (profiles, cards, the sentence builder, speech, favorites, phrases and history) never need an internet connection, and the things you communicate are never sent to our servers.
Data stored in the app
Profiles: the profile name, the profile type (child or adult), an optional profile photo, and your language, voice and display preferences. Creating a profile never requires a diagnosis, medical information, a date of birth or contact details.
Cards and phrases: the words, sentences, colors, categories, favorites and saved phrases you create, and the photos you add to cards.
Communication history: the sentences you speak are saved so that you can repeat them quickly. Up to the last 100 entries are kept per profile, and history can be turned off for each profile.
All of the above stays on your device, and in your own iCloud account if iCloud sync is active (see iCloud sync below). We, the developer, have no access to it.
Data sent to our service providers
App usage data: anonymous technical and usage information is sent to our analytics service so that we can understand how the app performs. The exact fields are listed under Third-party services below.
Crash diagnostics: if the app crashes, an anonymous crash report is sent to our crash reporting service so that we can fix the problem. It contains technical information about the failure and the device.
Neither service ever receives your profile names, cards, photos, spoken sentences or communication history.
Speech
Voice Board speaks using the voices built into iOS, and speech is generated on your device. The text being spoken is not sent to any server.
The app does not use the microphone and does not record audio.
iCloud sync
If you are signed in to iCloud and sync is active, Voice Board stores your profiles, cards, photos, phrases and history in the private iCloud database of your own Apple account (CloudKit), so that they appear on your other devices signed in with the same Apple ID.
This data is stored and protected by Apple under Apple's privacy policy. It is private to your Apple account; we cannot see or access it.
If you are not signed in to iCloud, everything stays on the device. You can stop syncing at any time with Sync on this device in Voice Board Settings → Backup, or by turning off iCloud for Voice Board in iOS Settings → [your name] → iCloud.
Profile export and import
You can export a profile as a .voiceboard file, for example to move it to another device or share it with a therapist or family member. The file contains that profile's cards, phrases, settings and photos.
A file is only created when you choose to export, and you decide where it goes. We never receive it. Importing a file only reads the file you select.
How we use data
Data is used solely for the following purposes:
To show your cards, build sentences and speak them.
To keep your profiles, favorites, phrases and history, and to sync them through your iCloud account when sync is active.
To understand which features and screens are used, so that we can improve the app.
To detect and diagnose crashes, so that we can fix stability problems.
To deliver and manage Voice Board subscriptions.
Third-party services
Voice Board uses the following third-party services to improve app reliability, measurement and communication:
HeceSDK / ASOPRO (heceapp.com): our analytics and subscription management service. It receives an anonymous installation identifier (a random ID generated on first launch and kept in the device keychain), your device model, iOS version, language, time zone and app version, together with usage events such as first install, app open, screen and subscription offer views, notification permission answers and purchase results. Purchase events include the App Store transaction identifier so that a subscription can be recognized across devices. This service never receives your profile names, cards, photos, spoken sentences or communication history.
Firebase Crashlytics (Google): used to detect and diagnose crashes. When the app crashes or reports a handled error, it sends a crash report containing the stack trace, device model, iOS version, app version, available memory and storage, an installation identifier and anonymous technical context about the app state (such as which screen or subscription offer was last shown). Crash reports never contain your profile names, cards, photos, spoken sentences or communication history.
OneSignal: used to send push notifications. OneSignal assigns an anonymous device token to deliver notifications. No personal data such as your name, e-mail or location is shared with OneSignal. You can turn notifications off at any time in iOS Settings → Notifications.
Voice Board does not share, sell or rent your personal data to any third party. The app contains no advertising SDKs and displays no advertising. Purchases are processed through Apple's App Store infrastructure, and all payment information is managed exclusively by Apple.
Refund requests
If you request a refund for an in-app purchase or subscription from Apple, we may share information about your in-app purchase activity with Apple to help assess the refund request. This information may include: the time elapsed since you installed the app, your total app usage time, an anonymized account identifier, whether the purchased content was accessed or consumed, whether your purchase included a free trial period, the total amount you have spent in the app and the total amount previously refunded to you.
This data is shared only in response to a refund request initiated by you, and only with Apple. If you do not want this information to be shared, you may opt out at any time by contacting us at support@heceapp.com.
Tracking permission (App Tracking Transparency)
On first launch, iOS asks whether Voice Board may track you across apps and websites. Your answer is recorded as an anonymous statistic (allowed or not allowed) by our analytics service, so that we can see how many people consent.
Voice Board does not read your advertising identifier (IDFA), does not use any advertising network and does not combine your data with data from other companies' apps or websites, whichever answer you give. You can change your choice at any time in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking.
Permissions
Camera and photo library: used only when you take or choose a photo for a card or a profile. Photos are resized to at most 1024 pixels on the longest side before they are saved; the original image is not kept.
Notifications: used only if you allow them.
Every permission is optional. You can change them at any time in iOS Settings → Voice Board, and the app keeps working without them.
Data security and retention
Your profiles, cards, photos, phrases and history are stored on your device (SwiftData) and, when sync is active, in your private iCloud database. They are never sent to our servers.
The anonymous usage data described above is retained by our analytics service for as long as the app is in use. Crash reports are retained by Firebase Crashlytics for up to 90 days and are then deleted automatically.
When you delete the app, all data stored on the device is permanently removed. Data synced to iCloud stays in your iCloud account until you delete it in iOS Settings → [your name] → iCloud → Manage Account Storage.
Children's privacy
Voice Board can be used by children, including through child profiles. The app is meant to be set up and managed by a parent, caregiver or therapist.
A child profile needs no personal information. A child's cards, photos and history stay on the device and in the family's own iCloud account; we never receive them. The anonymous usage data and crash reports described above do not identify anyone. The app shows no advertising and never reads the advertising identifier.
We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe that a child's personal information has reached us, write to info@bilalakkoc.com and we will delete it.
Your rights (GDPR)
The data controller is Bilal Akkoç, an independent developer based in France.
You can delete profiles, cards, phrases and history at any time in the app. Under the GDPR you also have the right to access, correct, delete and port your data, to object to or restrict its processing and to withdraw your consent for analytics collection.
To exercise these rights, or for any question about this policy, write to info@bilalakkoc.com.
You can also lodge a complaint with the French data protection authority, CNIL (www.cnil.fr).
Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When significant changes occur, the updated policy is published on this page and the “Last updated” date above is changed. Continued use of the app after a change means that you accept the updated policy.
Contact
For privacy questions, write to info@bilalakkoc.com.