Hangul Checker (SugarSpeller)

1. Summary

The app does not collect your name, email address, phone number, location, contacts or photos. Some data does leave your device so that spell checking and certain features can work, as listed below.

2. Spell checking

• Text you type, share from another app, or send through the Spell check item in the text selection menu is sent to the Naver spell checker or the Daum (Kakao) spell checker to perform the check. Which checker is used depends on the app's configuration and service availability; if one fails, the app may retry once with the other.
• Like any web request, each checker service may receive your IP address and request details. Cookies needed to use the checker are kept in memory only while the app is running. Text sent to these services is handled under Naver's and Kakao's privacy policies.
  • Naver Privacy Policy
  • Kakao Privacy Policy
• We never send the text you check to our server or store it. The text you check is never included in usage stats or ad requests.
• We recommend not checking text that contains sensitive personal information such as ID numbers, account numbers or passwords.

3. “Why is it wrong?” AI explanation

• When you tap a correction and choose Why is it wrong?, the following is sent to our server (Google Firebase Cloud Functions, Seoul region): the original and corrected words (up to 60 characters each), the error type, the checker used (Naver or Daum), your subscription status, the app version, your anonymous account ID (as an authentication token) and an app integrity token.
• To generate the explanation, the server sends only the words and the error type to Google Vertex AI (Gemini). Under Google Cloud terms this data is not used to train Google's models. Vertex AI data governance
• The sentences around the correction and the full text are not sent.
• So that the same correction gets the same explanation quickly, generated explanations are kept on the server (Google Cloud Firestore, Seoul region). The storage key is a one-way hash of the word pair, and we do not record who asked. The explanation text itself may contain the words.
• This feature runs only when you tap the button. If you do not use it, none of the items above are sent.

4. Anonymous identifier and app integrity check

• To count daily use of AI explanations, the app creates an anonymous Firebase account (a random ID with no name, email or phone number) when it starts. There is no sign-up or sign-in screen.
• The server records the number of requests per ID per day, and these records are set to be deleted automatically after 30 days. Server logs keep only a one-way hash of the ID together with request results (error type, checker, app version, subscription status, response time, etc.).
• Clearing the app's data or reinstalling the app creates a new ID that is not linked to the old one.
• We use Firebase App Check (Google Play Integrity) to verify that requests come from a genuine installation of the app. Google Play may process device and app integrity information in the process.

5. Ads

While you use the app for free, it shows banner, interstitial, native and app open ads through Google AdMob (Google Mobile Ads SDK). Ads from Liftoff (Vungle) may also be shown through AdMob mediation. To serve ads and prevent abuse, the ad SDKs may collect and process the following under their own policies:

• Device identifiers and the advertising ID
• IP address (which may be used to estimate the device's approximate location)
• Interactions with ads (impressions, clicks) and app usage information
• Diagnostic information (ad SDK performance and errors)
• Other items listed in the Google Mobile Ads SDK data disclosure

This data is collected and processed by Google and its ad partners; we do not access it directly. The text you check is never included in ad requests.

• Google Privacy Policy
• How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services
• Google Mobile Ads SDK data disclosure
• Liftoff Privacy Policy

Changing your choice

• You can reset or delete your advertising ID in Android Settings under Google > Ads (or Privacy > Ads). Once deleted, it is not used for personalized ads.
• With the Premium subscription the app shows no ads; with Basic it shows banner ads only.

6. Usage stats, remote configuration and notifications

Usage stats (Firebase / Google Analytics)

To improve the app, we send app usage events (number of checks, screens opened, ad display results, subscription screen visits, quiz answer results, etc.) together with device information (model, OS version, app version, app instance ID, advertising ID, etc.). The text you check and your history are never included. The app currently has no in-app setting to turn usage stats off. If you would like your data deleted, please contact us below.

Remote configuration (Firebase Remote Config)

The app downloads configuration values such as notices, spelling quiz questions and which checker to use. In the process, a Firebase installation ID and device and app information may be sent to Google.

Push notifications (Firebase Cloud Messaging)

A Firebase Cloud Messaging token is registered with Google so that we can send notice notifications. We do not store this token on any server of our own.

Morning quiz reminder

The spelling quiz's morning reminder is an on-device alarm and does not go through any server. You can turn it off with the switch on the quiz result screen or in Android notification settings.

• Privacy and Security in Firebase
• Firebase SDK data disclosure

7. Subscriptions and reviews

• Subscriptions are recurring payments made through Google Play Billing. Payment details such as your payment method, name and billing address are handled by Google Play and are not shared with us.
• The app only checks the purchase state provided by Google Play to remove ads and apply the AI explanation limit. AI explanation requests include only whether you are subscribed (yes or no).
• Cancellation, refunds and purchase history follow Google Play's policies and procedures. Google Play Terms of Service
• The app may show the Google Play in-app review dialog. Reviews are handled by Google Play.

8. Permissions

The app does not request location, contacts, camera, microphone, or photo and storage permissions. The app never reads your clipboard; it only puts the corrected result on the clipboard when you tap the copy button.

9. Data stored on your device

• Check history (original text, corrected text, error details, time of check) is stored only in the app's private storage on your device. You can delete it from the history screen, and the oldest entries are removed once a set number is exceeded.
• The app also stores your screen mode, quiz progress, reminder setting, counters used to space out ads, and downloaded notices and quiz questions on your device.
• If you have Android device backup (Google account backup) turned on, this data may be included in your Google account backup according to Android's backup feature. We cannot access these backups.

10. Processors and international transfers

We do not run server hardware of our own; we entrust data processing to the services below. These services may process and store data outside the Republic of Korea (for example in the United States and other countries where Google operates data centers).

If you do not use AI explanations, AI explanation request items are not transferred. The anonymous account and usage stats are processed automatically when the app runs; if you do not want this transfer, please stop using and uninstall the app. The ad SDKs (Google, Liftoff) and the spell checkers (Naver, Kakao) process data under their own policies.

11. Retention and deletion

Data whose retention period has ended or whose purpose has been fulfilled is destroyed without delay in a way that cannot be recovered.

12. Your rights

You can do the following yourself or by request:

• Delete your check history from the history screen
• Not use AI explanations (if you do not tap the button, no request items are sent)
• Reset or delete your advertising ID in Android Settings
• Turn off the morning quiz reminder
• Ask us to access, correct, delete or stop processing data we handle, using the contact details below. Because the anonymous account ID is hard to see in the app, please tell us your app version and what you are requesting, and we will handle what we can verify. For data that Google, Naver, Kakao or Liftoff processes, we will point you to their procedures.

13. Third-party services used

14. Security measures

• Communication with our server is encrypted with HTTPS.
• The server database cannot be read or written directly from the app or from outside; only server functions can access it.
• Server logs keep only a one-way hash instead of the anonymous account ID.

15. Children's privacy

The app is not directed primarily at children under 14 and does not collect age information. If you learn that data of a child under 14 has been processed, or if you are a parent or legal guardian requesting deletion, please contact us below. We will delete what we can verify without delay.

16. Changes to this policy

If the way the app handles data changes, we update this page and its effective date. If we add a feature that sends new data off your device, we will update this policy before releasing that version.

17. Contact and privacy officer

For questions about data handling, or to request access, correction, deletion or suspension of processing, please email us.

• Developer: simpest (SugarMount)
• Privacy officer: Stephen, Jeong (simpest)
• Email: sugarmount21@gmail.com
• Google Play: Hangul Checker (SugarSpeller)

Users in Korea can also report or seek advice on privacy violations to the Personal Information Infringement Report Center (privacy.kisa.or.kr, 118 in Korea) or the Personal Information Dispute Mediation Committee (www.kopico.go.kr).

Effective date: October 4, 2026