Privacy Policy

Effective date: August 3, 2026

Version: 2026-08-03

ShadowLib is a language-shadowing application for importing audio or video, working with subtitles, practicing sentence by sentence, recording practice takes, and creating text-to-speech materials. This Privacy Policy explains how ShadowLib (“we,” “us,” or “our”) handles personal information when you use the ShadowLib application and related services (the “Service”).

1. Information we handle

1.1 Account and profile information

When you create or use an account, we may receive and store your account identifier, email address, phone number if supported, username, nickname, profile photo, language preferences, account role, and subscription status.

If you sign in with Google or Apple, we receive the provider account identifier, authentication information, and profile information you authorize the provider to share, such as your email address, name, or profile photo. Apple may provide a relay email address when you use Hide My Email. Google and Apple handle information under their own privacy policies.

1.2 Local library and practice data

ShadowLib stores the following information locally on your device:

• audio or video files you choose to import and copies adopted into app storage;
• subtitle files and parsed subtitle content, including any translation track you provide;
• material titles, folders, ordering, pin state, playback position, practice history, and subtitle or timing edits;
• text you enter to create a sentence-based or text-to-speech material; and
• recordings of your shadowing practice and waveform metadata used to display them.

Imported media, subtitles, library organization, progress, and practice recordings are not uploaded to us by the current app unless a feature clearly tells you otherwise before the transfer. They are not automatically synchronized between devices. Files you export are saved to a location you select and are then controlled by you and the selected storage provider.

1.3 Text-to-speech requests

When server-based text-to-speech is available and you use it, we process the text you submit, the selected language, voice, speech rate, formatting options, and related request information to generate audio and, where offered, timing or subtitle information. The generated audio may be downloaded to and stored in the app’s local library.

Text submitted for text-to-speech may contain personal or sensitive information if you choose to include it. Do not submit information you do not have the right to use or information that is not needed for your practice.

1.4 Photos, files, and microphone access

When you select a profile photo, the app processes the selected image and may upload the resulting avatar to our server. When you choose a video from your photo library or audio, video, or subtitle content through a system file picker, the app accesses only the item you select and copies or parses it for the requested import.

When you record a practice take, the app requests microphone access and stores the finished recording in local app storage so you can replay it and compare it with the source material. The current app does not upload practice recordings to us. Denying microphone permission disables recording but does not prevent other practice features.

1.5 Purchases and subscriptions

Apple App Store or Google Play processes store payments. We do not receive your full payment-card or bank-account details. We may receive and store product and transaction identifiers, purchase date and status, subscription period, platform, and receipt or verification information to validate purchases, provide paid access, restore purchases, prevent fraud, and maintain required billing records.

1.6 Device, network, and support information

When the app communicates with our servers, we and our infrastructure providers may process standard request and security information such as IP address, request time, requested endpoint, response status, app version, and diagnostic or security logs. The app stores a session cookie and preferences such as interface language and theme on your device.

If you contact support, we process your contact details, message, and any screenshots, recordings, logs, or other information you choose to provide.

The Service does not include third-party advertising or behavioral-tracking SDKs in the version covered by this policy. We do not use personal information from the Service for cross-context behavioral advertising.

2. How we use information

We use information to:

• create, authenticate, secure, and administer accounts and profiles;
• provide local library, playback, subtitle editing, recording, export, and text-to-speech features;
• generate and deliver requested text-to-speech audio and related timing data;
• process and verify subscriptions and restore purchases;
• respond to support, privacy, and account requests;
• diagnose errors, prevent abuse and fraud, and maintain the safety, reliability, and performance of the Service;
• comply with law, enforce our Terms of Service, and establish or defend legal claims; and
• notify you of material changes to the Service, this policy, or your account.

Where applicable law requires a legal basis, we process information as needed to perform our contract with you, comply with legal obligations, protect our legitimate interests in operating and securing the Service, and, where required, based on your consent. You may withdraw consent at any time without affecting earlier lawful processing.

3. How we disclose information

We may disclose information only as described below:

• Service providers. Providers that support account authentication, backend and database hosting, file or audio delivery, text-to-speech generation, purchase verification, security, communications, or customer support. They may process information only to provide their contracted services and subject to appropriate obligations.
• Authentication and app-store providers. Google and Apple receive information when you use their sign-in or purchasing services. Purchase verification may require us to exchange receipt and subscription information with the applicable store.
• Operating-system and storage providers. Your device platform and any file, photo, backup, or storage service you select process information according to your choices and their own terms.
• Legal and safety reasons. We may disclose information to authorities, advisers, or other parties when reasonably necessary to comply with law, respond to valid legal process, investigate fraud or abuse, or protect rights, safety, security, and the integrity of the Service.
• Business transfers. Information may be disclosed to a prospective or actual buyer, successor, or adviser in connection with a merger, financing, reorganization, or sale of assets, subject to appropriate confidentiality and legal protections.
• At your direction. We may disclose information to a party you direct us to use or when you otherwise give valid consent.

We do not sell personal information for money or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.

4. International processing

We and our service providers may process information in countries other than the one where you live. Those countries may have different data-protection laws. Where required, we use recognized transfer mechanisms and supplementary safeguards. Contact us for information about safeguards relevant to your information.

5. Retention and deletion

Local library information remains on your device until you delete the relevant item, clear the app’s data, or uninstall the app. Deleting a material or folder removes the associated app-managed media, subtitles, and practice recordings from active local storage. Copies you exported, device backups, or files retained by another app or storage provider must be managed separately.

Account and profile information is generally retained while your account is active. Text-to-speech inputs and outputs, transaction records, server and security logs, support correspondence, and backups may be retained for different periods based on operational, security, fraud-prevention, dispute, tax, accounting, and legal requirements. We keep each category only as long as reasonably necessary for those purposes.

When you delete server-stored content or your account, we delete or de-identify associated information within a reasonable period unless retention is required or permitted by law. Residual copies may remain in protected backups until their normal expiry and are not returned to active use except for recovery or security purposes. We may retain de-identified information that cannot reasonably be linked to you.

6. Security

We use reasonable administrative, technical, and organizational safeguards designed to protect information. Production communications use encrypted transport, and access to production systems is restricted according to business need. No system is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for protecting your device and sign-in method and should notify us if you suspect unauthorized use.

7. Your choices and rights

You decide whether to grant microphone and photo-library permissions and can change them in your device settings. You can delete materials or folders in the app, which also removes their associated app-managed practice recordings, and manage exported copies where you saved them.

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict, or object to processing of personal information; receive a portable copy; withdraw consent; or appeal a decision about a request. You may also have the right to complain to a local data-protection authority. We will not discriminate against you for exercising applicable privacy rights.

You can change available profile and language settings in the app. To delete your account, use Profile > Delete account. We may need to verify your identity before completing a request. Deleting a ShadowLib account does not cancel a subscription billed by Apple or Google; cancel it separately in the applicable store’s subscription settings.

For a privacy request, email hkadeveloper@gmail.com. Authorized agents may submit requests where local law allows. We may retain limited information needed to document and comply with a request.

8. Children’s privacy

The Service is not directed to children who are below the minimum age required to consent to personal-information processing in their location. If you believe a child has provided personal information without the required permission, contact us so we can investigate and take appropriate action.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy to reflect changes in the Service, our practices, or law. We will post the updated policy with a new effective date and provide additional notice when required. If a change requires consent, we will request it before applying the change to the relevant processing.

10. Contact us

The controller or responsible business for information covered by this policy is:

Kunhui Lin

Privacy and support: hkadeveloper@gmail.com