Introduction

Welcome to TranslateZM. We respect your privacy and are committed to protecting your personal data. This privacy policy explains how we handle your information when you use our translation app.

Information We Collect

Usage Data: We collect anonymous usage statistics to improve our translation accuracy and app performance.
Translation Data: We collect information about translations you perform, including source text, result text, and language pairs.
Session Information: We may collect information about your app sessions, including time of day and frequency of use.
Ad-related Data: For Free and Silver plan users, we collect minimal data necessary for showing relevant ads.
Translation History: We store your translation history to provide the history feature, which you can clear at any time.
Device Information: We may collect information about your device type to optimize the app experience.
Camera & Images: When you use our image translation feature, we process the images locally on your device to extract text. These images are not sent to or stored on our servers.
OCR Data: Text extracted from images is processed locally on your device to provide translation and is not uploaded to our servers unless you explicitly save the translation.
Voice Data: When you use speech-to-text features, your device processes your voice to convert it to text. Our app does not store or transmit the audio itself; only the resulting transcribed text is kept in your translation history if you complete the translation. We collect metrics on speech recognition success rates to improve the feature. Please note that your device's speech recognition system (Android or iOS) may process audio according to your device manufacturer's privacy policies, which is outside our control.

Analytics and Data Collection

Search Analytics: We collect data about your translation searches only if you allow us to, to improve our service. This may include:
- What phrases you translate
- Which language pairs you use
- When you perform translations
- Device information
- Session information
Aggregated Statistics: If allowed, we create anonymized, aggregated statistics about app usage to understand trends. Users can choose to allow or deny this data collection in the app settings at any time.
Data Categories: If enabled, we may categorize translation queries to better understand user needs.
User Identification: Your data may be associated with your user ID if you are logged in, or marked as anonymous if you are not.
Data Retention: We may retain your search data for up to 90 days in its raw form, and longer in aggregated form.

How We Use Collected Data

Service Improvement: We use search data to improve translation accuracy and coverage.
Product Development: We analyze usage patterns to develop new features and improve existing ones.
Content Prioritization: We focus on improving translations for the most frequently used phrases.
Quality Control: We identify potentially problematic translations through usage patterns.
Performance Monitoring: We track app performance and usage to ensure optimal service.
Trend Analysis: We identify emerging patterns in language usage to stay relevant.
Administrative Access: Only authorized administrators have access to the raw search data.

Cultural Content Features

Zambian Surnames, Proverbs, and Traditional Names: When you use these cultural content features, we may collect anonymous usage data to improve these features.
User Contributions: If you contribute to our cultural content database, the information you provide will be stored to enhance our cultural content offerings.
Search History: We may store your search history within the cultural content features to improve your experience.

User Tiers and Subscription Plans

Free Tier: Provides limited translations per day with ad support. Usage data is collected for ad analytics and service improvement.
Basic Tier: Provides unlimited translations with ad support. Usage data is collected for ad analytics and service improvement.
Premium Tier: Provides unlimited translations without ads and additional premium features.
Payment Processing: All payments and subscriptions are processed through Google Play.
Payment Information: We do not collect, store, or have access to your payment information such as credit card details. These are handled securely by Google Play.
Subscription Status: We only receive information about your subscription status to provide you with the appropriate level of service.
Google Play Terms: When making a purchase, you are also subject to Google Play's terms of service and privacy policy.

How We Use Your Information

To provide translation services based on your user tier (limited for Free tier, unlimited for Basic and Plus tiers)
To deliver cultural content like proverbs, surnames, and traditional names
To personalize your experience based on your usage patterns
To display relevant ads for Free and Standard tier users
To maintain and improve app functionality
To detect and prevent technical issues or crashes
To analyze the performance of ads
To improve translation quality and coverage
To develop new features based on user needs
To optimize app performance and resource allocation
To enhance speech recognition accuracy by analyzing metrics from speech-to-text usage
To improve voice recognition for different languages, accents, and dialects

Data Storage and Security

Translation history and settings are stored locally on your device
Translation search data is stored securely in our cloud database
You can clear all local data at any time from the settings
If you create an account, your data is securely stored and encrypted
We implement appropriate technical and organizational measures to protect your personal data
We use Firebase for secure authentication and data storage
We apply data retention policies to automatically delete old raw data
We maintain aggregated data longer for historical analysis
We never share your personal data with third parties except as described in this policy

Analytics Dashboard and Administration

We maintain an internal analytics dashboard to monitor app usage
Only authorized administrators with specific permissions can access raw search data
Analytics data is used exclusively for app improvement and development
Aggregated, anonymized data may be retained indefinitely for historical analysis
Individual search data is subject to our retention policy and may be deleted after 90 days
We implement security measures to prevent unauthorized access to analytics data

Ads in Free and Silver Tiers

We use Google AdMob for displaying ads
Our app contains several types of ads:
- Banner ads that appear at the bottom of screens
- Interstitial ads that may appear when navigating between screens
- Rewarded ads that you can choose to watch for additional features (Free tier) or to earn rewards (Silver tier)
- App open ads that may appear when launching the app
Free tier users see ads and have limited translations per day
Silver tier users see ads but have unlimited translations
Gold tier users don't see any ads and have unlimited translations
Ad analytics are only collected when your device is online
We implement frequency caps to ensure ads don't appear too frequently
We don't share your personal identifiable data with advertisers

Your Rights

Access: View your stored data in the app settings
Account Deletion: Delete your account directly from your profile settings at any time
Data Clearing: Clear app cache and history from the settings menu
Portability: Export your data
Opt-out: Disable anonymous usage statistics collection
For users in the EU, you have additional rights under GDPR including the right to object to processing and the right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority

Offline Usage

The app functions offline for translation purposes if you've downloaded language packs
Analytics data is not collected when offline
Ad-related functionality requires an internet connection
Translation limits for Free tier users are still enforced offline
When you go back online, we do not retroactively collect analytics data from your offline usage

Children's Privacy

Our app is not intended for children under 13 years of age. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us.

Updates to Privacy Policy

We may update this privacy policy occasionally. We will notify you of any significant changes through the app or via email if we have your contact information. The date of the latest update is shown at the bottom of this page.

Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at: privacy@translatezm.com

Download Our App

TranslateZM is available on Google Play. Download it now to start translating between English and Zambian languages.

Download on Google Play