Privacy policy

BetterWords: Speaking Coach is operated by Daniel Aneke in New Zealand. This policy explains information handled by the app, betterwithwords.com and our support services. Daniel is the privacy contact: support@betterwithwords.com.

Your choices for ordinary AI feedback, recording backup and optional live talk are separate. Live talk uses CrowdPlay, records your voice and may involve licensing audio to AI companies. Read the live-talk section before deciding whether to use it. Agreeing to this policy alone does not give the separate permission required for live talk.

1. Account, progress and purchase information

We collect the account identifier, practice goals, progress, practice history, settings and preferences needed to provide your account and speaking practice. Apple, Google or email sign-in supplies the identity information relevant to that method, such as an identifier, name and email address. Google sign-in can also supply a profile-picture URL. This is an existing account image; BetterWords does not capture a camera photo to create it.

When you buy or restore a subscription, Apple and RevenueCat process purchase, product, entitlement and renewal information. RevenueCat uses the BetterWords account identifier to connect access to the correct account. We do not receive your full payment-card details. We use these records to provide paid features, restore purchases, resolve billing issues and prevent misuse.

2. Practice recordings and AI feedback

The microphone records practices you start. Recordings are saved on your phone. If you enable “AI feedback from voice” and ask for a tip, the recording and practice context go to our Convex backend. Audio goes through OpenRouter to OpenAI for transcription; the transcript and relevant context go through OpenRouter to OpenAI for feedback. We store transcripts, tips, practice receipts and related progress with your account. Demo feedback is labelled as an authored example when real coaching is unavailable.

AI feedback is optional. Declining it limits automated feedback but does not prevent local recording playback. Turning it off stops future requests that require this permission; it does not recall information already processed. Live-call coach notes are also subject to this choice: requesting notes sends the call transcript through OpenRouter to OpenAI.

We do not use your ordinary practice recordings to train our own AI models. This is separate from the CrowdPlay licensing described below. OpenAI API data is not used to train its models by default; provider safety logs and other permitted retention can still apply. OpenRouter and provider privacy notices explain their processing. Do not treat an AI response as a private conversation with a human professional or submit unnecessary sensitive or confidential information.

3. Optional live talk: CrowdPlay recording and licensing

Where available, live talk connects you to Pip, an AI voice agent, through CrowdPlay. This feature is configured for audio only. CrowdPlay handles the live call, voice recording and upload; BetterWords does not use the feature to capture video. Your microphone audio can include anything you say and background voices or sounds.

Before your first live call, the app displays CrowdPlay’s consent wording and a link to its Terms of Use and Privacy Notice. You must separately accept that wording to use live talk. You can choose “Not now” and continue using other available practice features. Microphone permission, signing in, buying a subscription or completing a website form does not replace this consent.

Under this optional arrangement, CrowdPlay receives and processes recorded live-call audio and may license it to AI companies for AI development. Daniel Aneke may receive a share of licensing revenue. The app offers live minutes associated with this participation; it does not promise you cash, royalties or ownership of a trained model. This commercial audio contribution is different from sending a normal practice recording for a coaching tip.

The integration sends a call room code, a generic “Learner” display name, consent information, and the agent instructions and context needed for the call. CrowdPlay also processes the technical information needed to connect and record the session. BetterWords stores your live-session details, consent state and timing, usage, and any transcript or notes associated with your account. We do not deliberately send your account name or email as the call display name, but your voice and anything you say can still identify you. We do not promise that recorded audio is anonymous.

You can turn off “Live talk recording” in Settings → Recordings and privacy to stop future live calls under that permission. If a call is active, end it as well. Previously recorded or uploaded audio, interrupted uploads, licensed copies and any resulting AI use are subject to CrowdPlay’s terms and applicable law. Turning the setting off or deleting BetterWords cannot by itself retrieve copies already supplied to CrowdPlay or its licensees. Contact us for help with a provider-held recording request, and review CrowdPlay’s notice for its direct request process. We do not promise deletion of third-party copies or reversal of completed AI training.

Only include your own voice and material you are entitled to contribute. Do not record someone else without the permissions needed for recording and this additional licensing purpose. Keep private workplace, client, health, payment and identity information out of live calls. If you do not want audio licensed, do not accept the live-talk consent or use that feature.

4. Product analytics, diagnostics, support and operational records

When configured in a production release, PostHog provides product analytics to help us understand feature use and improve the app. It receives a pseudonymous account or app-generated identifier, app lifecycle and screen events, and selected feature-use, plan, purchase-outcome and failure events, together with technical app and device information. The app is configured to send these analytics to PostHog’s United States service. We do not deliberately include audio recordings or raw transcripts in these analytics events.

When configured in a production release, Sentry receives crash reports, errors and related technical diagnostics, such as app and operating-system versions, device context and information about the steps surrounding an error. We use this information to investigate faults and improve reliability. The app disables Sentry’s default personal-information collection, but associates diagnostics with a pseudonymous account identifier when you are signed in. This does not mean every error message or diagnostic item is guaranteed to contain no personal information.

Our backend also keeps operational records associated with your account, including processing states, request and session references, usage, failure reasons, consent records and provider-cost records. We use them to run the service, apply feature limits, diagnose failures, secure accounts and reconcile provider charges. These records can be linked to your account and are separate from Sentry diagnostics.

If you contact support or send an in-app issue report, we use the category, message and information you provide to investigate and reply. An in-app report references a recording only when you choose to attach it. Do not email passwords, sign-in codes or private audio. TestFlight may separately share tester feedback, crash and usage information under Apple’s testing terms.

5. Providers, disclosures and processing overseas

Convex provides backend hosting, authentication and stored app data. OpenRouter and OpenAI process enabled transcription and coaching requests. CrowdPlay provides optional live calls, recordings and the licensing arrangement described above. Apple and Google provide their sign-in services; Apple and RevenueCat process purchases and access entitlements. Sentry provides configured error diagnostics. PostHog provides configured product analytics as described in section 4. Email delivery services may process sign-in or support emails. Sites and Cloudflare provide website hosting, request security and private form storage.

Providers and their authorised service providers may process information outside New Zealand and your home country, including in the United States. Overseas privacy laws may differ. Processing solely on our behalf is distinct from CrowdPlay’s own-purpose licensing and downstream AI use. We remain responsible for obligations that apply to us under New Zealand’s Privacy Act 2020. Where an overseas disclosure requires safeguards or informed authorisation, those requirements still apply; this policy is not a blanket waiver of them.

We may disclose information when legally required, to address fraud or a genuine security threat, to respond to your request, or as part of a genuine business transfer subject to applicable privacy obligations. We do not sell ordinary account details or website questionnaire answers to advertisers. Optional CrowdPlay audio licensing is the commercial sharing described in section 3. Provider terms do not remove your legal rights against us.

6. Retention, deletion and account closure

Practice audio uploaded for coaching is removed from our backend after processing when backup is off. Pending or failed processing can leave temporary copies until cleanup completes. If you enable “Back up new analysed recordings”, future analysed recordings can remain on our servers for your chosen retention period: 30, 90 or 365 days, with 90 days as the default. Retention cleanup runs daily and removes stored audio, rather than all transcript or progress information. Turning backup on does not upload existing phone-only audio.

“Delete recordings” in Settings → Recordings and privacy removes the app’s local recordings and server audio, transcripts and feedback, including BetterWords copies of live-call transcripts and notes. Progress, pins, practice-day history and operational records can remain. The selected server-audio retention period does not control CrowdPlay’s recordings or other providers’ records.

Settings → Account → Delete account removes the associated account, profile, practice data, live-session records and stored recording data from our active app database. Provider-expense records are retained without their BetterWords user and take identifiers for billing reconciliation. Limited security, legal, accounting, provider-held or recovery records can have separate retention requirements. Deletion from an active database does not guarantee immediate erasure from every provider backup or a previously licensed dataset. We retain personal information only for purposes that remain lawful and necessary.

Deleting the app does not itself delete server data. Deleting an account does not cancel an Apple subscription; cancel it in your Apple Account subscription settings. Contact us if you need help with access, correction, deletion or a provider-held copy.

Website feedback

The support form collects your topic and message, plus an optional email address if you would like a reply. Daniel Aneke uses this information to review feedback, troubleshoot and respond to your request. Feedback is stored privately in Cloudflare D1 through Sites and is accessible only through authorised site-management tools. It is not published on the website, sent to app AI services or used to sign you up for marketing.

Sending feedback does not require an account or email address. If you provide an email, it remains unverified; we may need to confirm your identity before helping with account or privacy requests. Do not include passwords, sign-in codes, payment details, private recordings or sensitive personal information. The form keeps unsent text only in the current page; it does not save feedback drafts in browser storage. Security uses short-lived, hashed connection identifiers to limit abuse, without storing your raw IP address with feedback. Contact support@betterwithwords.com to request access, correction or deletion.

7. Device permissions and privacy choices

You can withdraw microphone and notification permissions in iPhone Settings. Without the microphone, new voice recordings and live calls cannot work. AI-feedback consent, live-talk consent and recording backup can be managed separately in the app. A notification permission is used for reminders, not permission to record you. Permission withdrawal affects future use and cannot undo processing already completed.

This website and beta-interest questionnaire

The beta questionnaire asks about communication situations, speaking challenges and habits, preferred support and practice goals. You may add a short optional explanation. It also asks for your name, email address and device to register beta interest, and a required phone number with country code. The final step asks for your agreement for Daniel, the founder, to contact you personally by email and phone for one-to-one waitlist onboarding. The phone number is used only for this onboarding, not general app use. Entering a number alone does not grant permission; you must actively select the contact agreement and submit. Choose “Prefer not to say” where offered. Do not include medical details, other sensitive information, or private information about other people.

Daniel Aneke uses these answers to understand speaking-practice needs and plan BetterWords beta support. Responses are stored privately in Cloudflare D1 through Sites and are accessible to the authorised site owner; they are not published on this website. Questionnaire answers are not sent to app AI services or CrowdPlay.

For new submissions under consent version beta-phone-2026-10-16-v4, the required agreement permits Daniel to contact you personally by email and phone to onboard you from the waitlist, one person at a time. Permission to contact you by email with related research questions remains a separate, optional choice. Neither choice authorises texts, marketing, automated outreach, call recording or audio-data contribution. We record the consent wording version and submission time with your response. Earlier submissions retain their original permissions: an earlier phone number does not authorise a call. Re-submitting an existing email does not replace its saved response or permissions; contact us to update your request. Contact details are unverified when submitted. We confirm that they belong to you before discussing your answers, and confirm email ownership before any beta invitation or research contact. A submission is not proof of someone else’s identity or permission.

Our retention limit for beta responses is 12 months after submission, with earlier deletion on request. Contact support@betterwithwords.com to request access, correction, deletion or withdrawal of contact permission. The operator is Daniel Aneke, contactable at support@betterwithwords.com and through betterwithwords.com. Provider-held backups may have their own recovery and deletion timelines.

Unfinished answers are saved temporarily in this browser tab’s session storage. They are cleared when you submit or choose “Clear my answers”; drafts older than 24 hours of inactivity are not restored. The website does not send a partial questionnaire. Submission security uses short-lived, hashed connection identifiers to limit abuse; the application does not store your raw IP address with your response. Hosting services may separately process ordinary request and security logs. This website has no advertising tracker or public app-account login.

8. Security and privacy incidents

We use authenticated access, account ownership checks and limited administrative access to protect information. Website forms use the security controls explained above. No network, device or service can be guaranteed completely secure. Keep your device and sign-in methods secure and contact us promptly if you suspect unauthorised access.

If we become aware of a privacy breach that has caused or is likely to cause serious harm, we will notify the New Zealand Privacy Commissioner and affected people as soon as practicable, unless an applicable legal exception permits otherwise. We will investigate and take appropriate steps to contain the incident.

9. Young people and sensitive information

BetterWords is a general speaking-practice service and is not directed at young children. An App Store age rating describes content; it does not establish capacity to consent to recording, audio licensing or a purchase. If applicable law or a provider’s feature terms require a parent or guardian’s involvement, that involvement is required. Do not use optional audio licensing unless you can validly give the required consent. Contact us if you believe a child’s information has been collected without appropriate permission.

10. Access, correction, complaints and changes

You can ask Daniel Aneke at support@betterwithwords.com for access to or correction of your personal information, help deleting data, or an explanation of a privacy practice. We may ask for proportionate identity verification. Under New Zealand law, access and correction decisions are generally due within 20 working days; a lawful extension or refusal must be explained. If we do not make a requested correction, you may ask for a statement of correction to be attached where the law provides.

Please contact us with a concern so we can investigate. You can also complain to the New Zealand Privacy Commissioner or a regulator available under the law where you live. This policy does not limit mandatory privacy rights.

We will publish a new revision date when this policy changes and give appropriate notice of material changes. If a new processing purpose needs fresh permission, we will seek it before using information for that purpose. A revised policy does not itself grant new audio-licensing rights.