Effective date: October 28, 2026
This Privacy Policy describes how Yomabi ("the App", "we", "us") collects, uses, and protects information when you use our mobile applications for Android and iOS. Yomabi is a Japanese dictionary and learning app that provides dictionary lookups, OCR-based text recognition, flashcard-based spaced repetition, and other language learning tools.
In short: Yomabi is designed with privacy in mind. Your search history, flashcards, decks and study progress are stored only on your device. Usage analytics are optional: if your device seems to be in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom (see Section 1.2), they stay off unless you opt in; elsewhere they are on by default, and you can turn them off in Settings at any time. When they are on, they can include the words you search for and study (Section 1.2). No user accounts or server-side storage exist.
The following data is stored entirely on your device and is never transmitted to any server:
If you have usage analytics turned on, individual searches and some flashcard details are also sent to Firebase Analytics as described in Section 1.2. Your stored history, decks and progress themselves are never uploaded.
This data is stored in on-device databases and local preference storage (Room / DataStore on Android, equivalent local storage on iOS). You have full control over this data and can delete it at any time from within the app, by clearing the app's data in your device settings (Android), or by uninstalling the app.
Yomabi integrates Firebase Analytics to help us understand how the app is used and to improve the experience. If your device seems to be in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, analytics collection is disabled by default: on first launch, a consent dialog asks whether you would like to enable usage analytics. When you first open the app, it goes by your device's region setting. On Android, it also goes by your SIM card's country, the country of the mobile network you are connected to, and your time zone, and it counts EU regions such as the Canary Islands, the Azores or Réunion as part of the EU. If any one of these points to a country in the European Economic Area or to the United Kingdom, you are asked first. In other regions, analytics collection is on by default. Wherever you are, you can turn it on or off at any time with Usage Analytics in the app's Settings.
When enabled, Firebase Analytics collects:
This data is linked to a random identifier for your installation of the app, not to your name or your Google account, and we look at it in aggregate. It does not include flashcard images or recordings, example sentences, or the pictures that the camera or Popup Dictionary capture; of the text they read, only what you then search for is included, as above.
Yomabi uses Firebase Crashlytics to collect crash reports and stability data so we can identify and fix bugs. Crashlytics runs under our legitimate interest (GDPR Art. 6(1)(f)) in maintaining the app's stability and is not gated by the usage analytics toggle.
Crashlytics collects:
If you have usage analytics turned off, crash data does not include your search queries, flashcard content, or other personal study content. If you have usage analytics turned on, a crash report also includes your most recent search text and the details of those recent app events (the same data as in Section 1.2), so that we can reproduce the crash. To object to this processing under Art. 21 GDPR, please contact us using the address in Section 10; you can also clear the app's data to reset the FID or uninstall the app to stop all future crash reports.
Yomabi uses Firebase Remote Config to adjust certain non-personal app parameters without requiring a new app release — for example, the daily free OCR lookup limit, the number of rewarded ads available per day, whether the Plus upgrade prompt is shown, and the minimum supported app version.
Remote Config fetches run at app start on the legal basis of our legitimate interest (GDPR Art. 6(1)(f)) in being able to operate and tune the app's configuration without shipping a new release for every change. Each fetch transmits a Firebase Installation ID (see Section 1.5) and basic app / SDK metadata (package name, app version, locale) to Google. No behavioural analytics, no search queries, and no personal study content are involved. To object under Art. 21 GDPR, please contact us using the address in Section 10; you can also clear the app's data to reset the FID or uninstall the app to stop all future requests.
Any Firebase service that makes a network request — Crashlytics and Remote Config (always on under legitimate interest) and Analytics (only while usage analytics is on) — transmits a Firebase Installation ID (FID). The FID is a randomly generated identifier that represents your installation of Yomabi. Google uses it to associate requests from the same installation across the Firebase services that are active.
The FID is reset if you clear the app's data or reinstall Yomabi. It is not linked to your Google account and is not shared with any third party other than Google.
Yomabi displays rewarded video ads (via Google AdMob) that provide bonus OCR lookups. The AdMob SDK may collect certain data in accordance with Google's advertising policies, including:
Consent (EEA / UK / Switzerland). In the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, and Switzerland, Google's User Messaging Platform (UMP) shows a consent dialog on first launch that lets you choose whether Google and its ad partners may process your data for personalized advertising and related purposes. If you decline, non-personalized ads are shown instead. You can re-open this consent form at any time via Settings → Ad Privacy Settings.
App Tracking Transparency (iOS). On iOS 14.5 and later, before any ad-tracking identifier (IDFA) is read, the operating system shows a system-level “Allow Tracking?” prompt (App Tracking Transparency). If you choose “Ask App Not to Track”, the IDFA is not shared and non-personalized ads are shown.
US state privacy laws (CCPA / CPRA and similar). Residents of California and other US states with comparable privacy laws may use the same UMP consent form to opt out of the sale or sharing of personal information for targeted advertising. Selecting the “Do not sell or share my personal information” option in that form instructs Google and its ad partners to apply the Global Privacy Control / US opt-out signal. Yomabi itself does not sell personal information.
Data collected by AdMob is processed by Google, which may do so on servers outside your country, including in the United States (see Section 3). Please refer to Google's Privacy Policy for details on how Google handles this information.
Yomabi offers in-app purchases (Pro upgrade and optional tips) through the platform's billing system — Google Play Billing on Android and Apple In-App Purchase (StoreKit) on iOS. Purchase transactions are handled by Google or Apple respectively. Purchase tokens or transaction identifiers are stored locally on your device only. We do not operate any server that processes or stores payment information.
If you tap Send Feedback in Settings and choose to submit a bug report, the following is transmitted to a Google Apps Script endpoint we control:
Bug reports are only sent when you explicitly tap the submit button. The payload is signed with HMAC-SHA256 before transmission so we can reject forged submissions. The random per-install identifier resets when you clear app data or reinstall Yomabi.
Voice search is off by default. When you turn on Voice Input in Settings and tap the microphone button, the audio from your microphone is captured while voice search is listening and passed to a speech recognition service, which turns it into text. Yomabi uses the recognized text as your search. Normally the speech recognition service records the audio itself. On Android 13 and later, if Android silences the speech recognition service's own recording, Yomabi records the audio itself and passes it straight to the speech recognition service while you speak. Either way, Yomabi does not store the audio and does not send it to its own servers.
Android, online. When your device is connected to the internet, voice search normally uses Google's speech recognition service on your device (for example, Speech Recognition & Synthesis from Google), which sends the audio to Google's servers to turn it into text. This is the same when Yomabi records the audio and passes it on. Google processes the audio under Google's Privacy Policy and may do so on servers outside your country, including in the United States (see Section 3). The first time voice search sends your voice to Google from within Yomabi, Yomabi shows a short notice that says so. If your device uses a speech recognition service from another company, that company's privacy policy applies instead.
Android, Google's voice input window. On some phones, Android doesn't let Google's speech recognition service use the microphone while Yomabi is on screen. Voice search then opens Google's own voice input window instead. That window is part of Google's app: it records your voice itself, under Google's Privacy Policy, and gives Yomabi only the recognized text. When your device is offline, or when Offline only is on, Yomabi asks the window to recognize your speech on your device.
Android, offline. When your device is offline, or when you turn on Offline only under Voice Input in Settings, voice search uses the Japanese voice pack on your device. The audio stays on your device and is not sent to Google or anyone else.
iOS. On iOS, voice search uses Apple's speech recognition (SFSpeechRecognizer). Yomabi does not require on-device recognition, so iOS may send the audio to Apple's servers to turn it into text, under Apple's Privacy Policy. Yomabi uses the recognized text as your search and does not store the audio.
Microphone indicator (Android). In two cases the microphone indicator may light up briefly while no voice is being recognized:
Popup Dictionary lets you look up Japanese words shown in other apps, for example in a video or a manga reader. It is off by default. You turn it on in Yomabi's Settings and start it from its Quick Settings tile, from a button on Yomabi's home screen, or from the Yomabi app icon's shortcut. You can stop it at any time with the Stop button in its notification, with the tile, or in Yomabi.
| Permission | Purpose | Data Handling |
|---|---|---|
| Camera | OCR text recognition from camera or photos | All images are processed entirely on-device using local OCR models (PaddleOCR on Android, Apple Vision / ML Kit on iOS). No images are sent to any server. |
| Microphone / Speech Recognition | Voice search (speech-to-text), which is off until you turn on Voice Input; recording audio for your flashcards | On Android, online voice search sends your audio to Google's speech recognition service to turn it into text, under Google's Privacy Policy. Offline voice searches, and all voice searches with “Offline only” turned on, stay on your device. On iOS, Apple's speech recognition (SFSpeechRecognizer) may send the audio to Apple's servers. On Android 13 and later, when Android silences the speech recognition service's own recording, Yomabi records the audio and passes it straight to that service. Yomabi doesn't store the audio and doesn't send it to its own servers. Flashcard recordings stay on your device. See Section 1.9. |
| Network state (Android) | Voice search checks whether your device has a working internet connection, to choose between online and offline speech recognition | Yomabi only reads whether a connection is available. Nothing is sent. |
| Screen capture (Android) | Popup Dictionary: reading Japanese text shown in other apps, only while you have started it | Android asks for your consent at every start. Screen pictures are kept in memory and read on your device; they are never uploaded and not saved to your gallery. A picture is stored on your device only if you add a word to a flashcard deck with Plus. See Section 1.10. |
| Display over other apps (Android) | Popup Dictionary's floating button and lookup card on top of the app you are using | Used only to draw Yomabi's own button and card. No data is collected through it. See Section 1.10. |
| Notifications (Android) | Study reminders, if you turn them on; the “Popup Dictionary is running” notification with its Scan and Stop buttons | Notifications are created on your device. Nothing is sent. |
| Photo Library | Attaching images to flashcards; importing saved screenshots for OCR | Images remain on-device. Nothing is uploaded. |
| App Tracking Transparency (iOS) | Permission to read the IDFA for personalized ads | See Section 1.6. Declining keeps ads fully functional (non-personalized). |
Yomabi uses the following third-party services. Each service has its own privacy policy governing data it collects:
Transfers outside your country. Google may process the data handled by Firebase Analytics, Firebase Crashlytics, Firebase Remote Config, Google AdMob and the User Messaging Platform on servers outside your country, including in the United States, just as for Google speech recognition above. For transfers from the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, Google relies on the EU-U.S. Data Privacy Framework (with its UK Extension), the Swiss-U.S. Data Privacy Framework and, where needed, Standard Contractual Clauses; see Google's data transfer frameworks.
Beyond these services, Yomabi does not share data with any other third-party services, advertisers, or data brokers.
All user study data (search history, favorites, flashcards, SRS progress) is stored locally on your device and is retained until you choose to delete it. You can delete your data at any time by:
For data collected by Firebase Analytics and Crashlytics, Google's standard data retention policies apply. Firebase Analytics data is retained for up to 14 months by default. Crashlytics data is retained for 90 days; minidumps from native crashes are discarded once the crash has been processed.
Bug report submissions are retained in a private Google Sheet for as long as we consider them useful for diagnosing the reported issue, and may be deleted on request using the address in Section 10.
If you are located in the European Economic Area (EEA), the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, you have the following rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) / UK GDPR:
Data controller for GDPR purposes: Boris Tokic. Contact details in Section 10.
Legal bases (summary):
If you are a resident of California, Colorado, Connecticut, Virginia, Utah, or another US state with a comparable consumer privacy law, you have the following rights:
How to exercise opt-out. In the AdMob consent form (Settings → Ad Privacy Settings) select the “Do not sell or share my personal information” option. We also honor the Global Privacy Control (GPC) signal where it is available.
Do Not Sell My Personal Information. Yomabi itself does not sell personal information. AdMob may share device identifiers with ad partners for personalized advertising; opting out via the UMP form stops this sharing.
To exercise any of the above rights, contact us using the address in Section 10.
Yomabi is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided data through the app, please contact us and we will take steps to address the situation.
Because Yomabi stores all user data locally on your device, the security of your data depends on your device's own security measures (screen lock, encryption, etc.). We recommend keeping your device's operating system up to date and using a secure lock screen.
Data transmitted to Firebase, AdMob, and our bug-report endpoint is encrypted in transit using industry-standard protocols (TLS/SSL). Bug-report submissions are additionally signed with HMAC-SHA256.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Effective date" at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically to stay informed about how we protect your information. Continued use of the app after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or Yomabi's data practices, or to exercise any of the rights described above, please contact us at: