Privacy Policy

Last updated: 29 April 2026 · Effective from App Store launch

Boba Talk is built and operated by Payments Culture Limited, a company registered in England and Wales. This policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have.

We've tried to write this in plain English. If anything is unclear, contact us at hello@bobatalk.app and we'll explain.

Summary in one paragraph

Boba Talk runs basic translations on your device using Apple's Translation framework — that text never leaves your device. Advanced features ("Teach me", "Show colloquial", regional comparisons) send the text you're translating to our server, which forwards it to Anthropic's Claude API to produce the breakdown. We don't store the text after the translation completes. We don't have user accounts, so we don't know who you are. Subscription status is verified via Apple StoreKit, not via any account system we run.

Data we collect

Anonymous client identifier

When you first launch the app, we generate a random UUID and store it locally. This ID accompanies free-tier requests so our server can count usage against the monthly quota (20 advanced breakdowns/month on the free tier). The ID is not linked to your name, email, Apple ID, IP address, or any device fingerprint. Deleting the app deletes the ID.

Subscription status

If you subscribe to Pro, your purchase is processed by Apple. Apple gives our app a signed receipt (a JSON Web Signature) confirming your subscription tier. We send that receipt to our server with each advanced request so the server knows you're entitled to use the feature. The receipt does not contain your Apple ID, name, or any contact information.

Request metadata for quota and billing

For each advanced request our server records:

• The current month bucket (e.g. "2026-04")
• The tier the request is billed against (free / pro)
• A counter incrementing the month's usage

We do not record the text you type, your IP address, or any device identifier beyond the anonymous client ID.

Improving translation quality

Separately from the above, we record which Mandarin characters and words appeared in the translated result, along with their pronunciation, meaning, and which characters appeared together — so we can work out which characters learners meet most often and build better learning material.

We do not store the text you type, or the finished translation as a sentence. This information is not linked to you, your device, your IP address, or your anonymous client ID, and we keep no date more precise than the month. It is aggregate language data that cannot be traced back to any individual.

You can turn this off at any time: "Help improve Boba Talk" in the app's Settings, or the matching checkbox at the bottom of bobatalk.app. Our lawful basis is our legitimate interest in improving the service.

Crash and error reports

We do not collect crash reports or telemetry in v1. If we add this in a future version we'll update this policy and the App Store privacy label first.

Data we send to third parties

Anthropic, PBC (United States)

When you use an advanced feature ("Teach me", "Show colloquial", "Find similar phrases"), the text you're translating is forwarded to Anthropic's Claude API to generate the breakdown. Anthropic's processing is governed by their privacy policy.

We send only the text, the source/target languages, and your tier. We do not send the anonymous client ID, your subscription receipt, or any other identifier to Anthropic.

Apple

StoreKit purchases, subscription management, and Apple Translate processing are handled by Apple under their standard terms.

No advertising networks

We do not use advertising SDKs. We do not sell or share data with advertisers.

Data we do not collect

• Your name or email address
• Your Apple ID
• Your IP address (beyond what's logged transiently by our hosting provider for abuse prevention — see below)
• The content of basic Apple Translate translations
• Translation history (stored only locally on your device)
• Saved phrases / favourites (stored only locally on your device)
• Microphone input (we don't have one)
• Location

Local storage on your device

The following stays on your device and is never sent anywhere:

• Your translation history
• Your saved / favourite translations
• Your settings and preferences
• The anonymous client ID

You can delete all of this by deleting the app from your device.

Server-side hosting

Our server runs on Cloudflare Workers in their global edge network. Cloudflare may transiently log IP addresses for DDoS / abuse prevention as part of their standard service. This is governed by Cloudflare's privacy policy.

We do not associate Cloudflare's IP logs with your anonymous client ID or your subscription.

Children

Boba Talk is suitable for ages 12+. We do not knowingly collect data from anyone — including children — beyond the anonymous quota counter described above. There are no accounts to register, no profiles to create, no contact methods.

How long we keep things

We hold no account, no name, and no email address, so there is nothing that persists about you as a person.

Your rights under UK GDPR

Because we don't hold personal data linkable to you (the anonymous client ID isn't a personal identifier), the standard data subject rights (access, rectification, erasure, portability) don't have data to act on. If you believe we hold data that does identify you, contact hello@bobatalk.app and we'll respond within 30 days.

Changes to this policy

If we change how we handle your data, we'll update this page and the App Store privacy label, and bump the "Last updated" date. Material changes affecting subscribers will be flagged in-app on next launch.

Contact

Payments Culture Limited
hello@bobatalk.app
320 Firecrest Court Centre Park, Warrington, WA1 1RG
Companies House: 14490224