Privacy Policy
1. No Analytics or External Telemetry
- No analytics frameworks (e.g., Google Analytics, Firebase, Mixpanel, AppsFlyer) are embedded.
- No advertising SDKs, ad identifiers, or user profiling tools.
- No crash reporting telemetry that transmits device identifiers, usage patterns, or crash dumps to remote servers.
- We never track what words you search, which kanji you view, or how you use the app.
2. Local-Only Data Storage
- All core dictionary databases (JMdict, KANJIDIC2, KanjiVG, Tatoeba) as well as the optional Japanese Names dictionary (JMnedict) reside locally on your device.
- User data — including bookmarked words, study lists, and settings preferences — is stored exclusively inside your device's private app storage (
user.db). - None of your personal data or study history is synced to any remote server.
- If your device has Android backup enabled, Google may back up your settings and bookmark lists (not the dictionary database) according to your device backup settings.
- You can export or import settings and lists manually at any time via Settings → Backup & Restore.
- If you enable “Search in Yaku from other apps”, selected text is passed to Yaku only when you explicitly choose Yaku from the system text selection menu. Yaku does not monitor the clipboard.
- Handwriting recognition runs on-device using an embedded local model (DaKanji). No drawn strokes, coordinates, or recognition candidates are ever recorded, saved to disk, or transmitted over any network.
3. Network Connections & Scope
Yaku functions offline. The only network connections the app may ever make are strictly limited to:
- Payment Processing: Optional one-time Yaku Supporter purchases (themes, supporter badge) are processed directly through the official Google Play Billing API. To maintain your unlocked status offline, an encrypted token is cached locally. The dictionary, Anki export (including custom templates), study lists, and backup features remain permanently free.
- Main dictionary download: On Google Play installs, the main dictionary file is downloaded from Google Play via Play Asset Delivery under Google's Privacy Policy. Google Play handles this download; Yaku collects and transmits no personal identifiers, search queries, or telemetry during or after this download. After the file is on the device, lookups do not need another network connection.
- On-Demand Feature Delivery (Japanese Names Dictionary): If you choose to install the optional Japanese Names dictionary (covering ~740,000 entries from JMnedict), the data package is downloaded directly from Google Play via Play Asset Delivery under Google's Privacy Policy. Google Play handles this download; Yaku collects and transmits no personal identifiers, search queries, or telemetry during or after this download. Once downloaded, names searches do not need another network connection.
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User-Initiated Feedback / Contact: If you tap “Send feedback” or “Report a mismatch” in the About screen, Yaku opens a CryptPad form in your web browser. Tapping “Email” opens your device's email client with
contact.yaku.jiten@proton.me. Once you initiate feedback or contact, data handling and privacy are governed by your email provider and CryptPad's privacy policy. Yaku does not attach or upload any diagnostic app data.
4. No Data Sharing or Sale
- We do not collect, buy, sell, rent, or trade your personal information.
- No third-party data brokers have access to any application state or user preferences.
- No account creation or login credentials are required to use any feature of Yaku.
5. User Rights & Complete Control
- You retain full ownership and control of all your study data.
- You can edit, export (to Anki
.apkgor a standard zip backup), or permanently delete your bookmarks and custom lists at any time from Lists or Settings. - Uninstalling the app permanently purges all local data, preferences, and database files from your device.
6. Upstream Data Sources & Licenses
Yaku is powered by open linguistic datasets and models maintained by dedicated communities and organizations: EDRDG (JMdict, KANJIDIC2, JMnedict), KanjiVG Project, NICT (Japanese WordNet), Kaikki.org / Wiktionary, Tatoeba, Wadoku/Kanjium, and DaKanji. Complete license terms and maintainer attributions are documented directly within the app's About Yaku screen.
7. Contact
For any questions or concerns regarding this privacy policy, please contact:
contact.yaku.jiten@proton.me