Privacy Policy
Bamboo Island is built to work offline and to keep your family's content on your own device. This page explains, in plain language, what the app stores, what can leave the device, and the choices you have.
- The app does not have an account system. There is no login, email, or password.
- The app does not use ads, analytics, or trackers. We do not collect data about you or your family.
- Everything you and your family create β stories, conversations, flashcards, settings β is stored only on the device, in a private database the app owns.
- A few features can send small amounts of data elsewhere, but only when you turn them on, and only with a tool you provide (your own AI key, or Android's voice typing). These are explained below.
What we collect
We do not collect personal data. Specifically:
- No accounts: the app never asks for a name, email, phone number, or password.
- No identifiers: no advertising ID, no device fingerprinting, no install tracking.
- No usage analytics: the app contains no analytics SDK and sends no usage or crash reports to us.
- No location: the app never requests or uses your location.
What is stored on the device
The content you and your family create is saved in a private on-device SQLite database and the app's local storage. This includes:
- Stories, conversations, and flashcards you create (in Chinese and English), and any pictures you add to them.
- Read-aloud recordings you make in stories and talks (the π€ My recordings feature). These audio files are stored only on the device and are never uploaded anywhere. Only the most recent few takes are kept (you choose how many, 1β5, in Settings β Recording), and you can delete any take at any time.
- Learning preferences β such as the chosen display language, review reminder time, text size, and the selected text-to-speech voice.
- The sample content shipped with the app, so it is ready to use on first launch.
This data stays on the device. It is never sent to us or to any server we operate. Uninstalling the app removes all of it.
Features that can send data off the device
The app is offline-first, but the following optional features involve another service. Each one is off by default or requires an action from you.
1. AI translation & drafting (optional, off by default)
The app can use AI to translate sentences or draft conversations. This feature is hidden until you configure it. To enable it, you enter an API key for a third-party AI provider of your choice β such as Google Gemini, OpenAI, Groq, OpenRouter, or any OpenAI-compatible service.
- What is sent: when AI is used, only the small piece of text being translated or drafted (for example, one sentence or a short dialogue description) is sent to the chosen provider, along with a system prompt that keeps responses appropriate for all ages.
- The API key you enter is stored only on the device and is sent directly to the chosen provider. It is never sent to us.
- Who processes it: the provider you selected (for example, Google or OpenAI), under their privacy policy β not us. We have no access to the request, the key, or the response.
- AI output is never saved automatically. It always appears in an editable field for review before it is kept.
2. Voice typing and read-aloud recordings (the π€ microphone)
The microphone is used in two different ways, and they behave very differently:
- Voice typing lets you speak a story instead of typing it. It uses Android's built-in
speech recognition β the same system behind keyboard voice typing.
- Permission: the app asks for microphone permission only when a microphone feature is first used, not at launch.
- Where the audio goes: depending on the device and its settings, Android may process speech on the device or send it to a cloud speech service (typically operated by the device manufacturer or Google) to improve accuracy. We do not receive this audio. Its handling is governed by the device's own speech service, not by us.
- The audio is used only to produce text in the app; it is not stored or transmitted by us.
- Read-aloud recordings (recording yourself reading a story or conversation) use the device's sound recorder directly. These recordings are fully local: they are saved in the app's private storage on the device, are never uploaded or sent to anyone β not to us, not to a cloud service β and stay until you delete them or they are replaced by newer takes.
3. Text-to-speech voices
The app reads Chinese aloud using your device's text-to-speech engine. On most devices this is fully on-device. If no local Chinese voice is installed, the system may stream a voice over the internet. Only the text being read aloud is involved, and it is processed by the device's speech service β not by us.
4. Backup & restore
You can create a backup of all app data as a single file and save it wherever you choose (for example, your Downloads folder or cloud drive). This is something you initiate β the app never backs up or uploads data on its own. The backup file contains your stories, conversations, flashcards, and settings, and you decide where it goes and who, if anyone, sees it.
Permissions the app requests
| Permission | Why it is needed |
|---|---|
| Microphone | For voice typing when you tap the π€ button, and for recording yourself reading a story or conversation. Recordings stay on the device. Off until used. |
| Notifications | For the optional daily review reminder, which you can turn on and schedule. |
| Alarms | To deliver the review reminder at the time you chose. |
| Run at startup | To re-arm the reminder after the device restarts. |
| Vibrate | So the reminder can buzz when the daily streak is at risk. |
| Network access | Only for the optional features above (AI, cloud voice typing, and cloud text-to-speech voices). The core app works without any internet connection. |
Children's privacy
Bamboo Island is designed for learners of all ages, including families. The app collects no personal data from anyone β child or adult. There is no account, no profile, and no way for the app to identify you or your family. The optional AI feature is gated behind adult configuration and never activates on its own. Voice typing uses the device's own speech service and asks for permission before listening.
Because there is no account and no data collection, there is no data about you for us to use, share, or sell. You can remove everything at any time by uninstalling the app.
Your choices
- Turn off any optional feature: AI features are hidden unless you configure a provider; voice typing only activates when the π€ button is tapped; the review reminder can be turned off in Settings.
- Back up or delete your data: use Settings β Data to export a backup file, or simply uninstall the app to remove all on-device data.
- Revoke permissions: Android's Settings β Apps β Bamboo Island lets you revoke the microphone and notification permissions at any time β and the app itself shows the microphone status (with a shortcut to that screen) in Settings β Recording.
Third-party services
If you choose to use them, the following third parties may process data under their own privacy policies. We are not responsible for their practices:
- Your chosen AI provider (e.g., Google, OpenAI, Groq, OpenRouter).
- Your device's speech recognition and text-to-speech services (governed by the device manufacturer's policy).
We do not share data with any third party, because we do not collect any.
Changes to this policy
If the app's data practices change, we will update this page and revise the "last updated" date below. Since the app collects no personal data and has no account system, we have no way to notify you directly β please check this page periodically.
Contact
If you have questions about this policy, please contact the developer at bambooisland.app@gmail.com.