Linguar Privacy Policy

Effective date: August 2, 2026

Last updated: August 2, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Linguar collects, uses, shares, and protects
personal information when you use the Linguar iOS application, the website at
linguar.com, and related services (together, the
"Service").

At a glance

• The iOS app does not contain third-party advertising and does not use your data to track you across other companies' apps or websites.
• Google sign-in is optional and helps people access an account they may have created on the website. Linguar does not request or receive your phone number through the current sign-in flow, although Google may independently use a phone number associated with your Google account for authentication or security.
• Linguar stores the profile details, messages, posts, voice recordings, and videos you choose to submit so it can provide its social and communication features.
• Microphone, camera, photo-library, notification, and device-location access occurs only after you use the relevant feature and grant the applicable permission. Linguar does not continuously record audio or video.
• The optional "near me" feature sends your device coordinates to Linguar to find nearby language partners. It is not used for advertising or displayed to other users as a live location.
• You can request account deletion in the iOS app. Your account is hidden immediately and can be restored by signing in during a 30-day grace period.

This summary is only an overview. The sections below provide more detail.

1. Who is responsible for your information

The Service is operated under the Linguar name by Carl Noresson ("Linguar," "we," "us," or "our"). This entity is the
controller of the personal information described in this policy unless stated
otherwise.

Questions and privacy requests may be sent to
[email protected].

2. Information we collect

Account and authentication information

Depending on how you register or sign in, we collect:

• your username and email address;
• a securely hashed version of your password when you use email/password authentication;
• an account ID and authentication tokens;
• the identity-provider name and provider-specific account identifier when you use Sign in with Apple or Google sign-in; and
• sign-in timestamps, sign-in count, and current or recent sign-in IP address.

When you use Google sign-in, Linguar's current implementation receives an
identity token, email address, and Google account identifier. Linguar does not
have a phone-number field and does not request or store your phone number.
Google may process other account or device information independently under
Google's Privacy Policy.

When you use Sign in with Apple, Apple processes the sign-in and may provide an
email address or private relay address and an Apple account identifier. Apple's
handling of that information is described in
Apple's Privacy Policy.

Profile and language-learning information

We collect profile information that you choose to provide, including:

• profile photo;
• biography, hobbies, age, and gender;
• time zone;
• languages you speak or are learning and proficiency levels; and
• onboarding progress and preferences.

Your username, profile photo, biography, hobbies, age, gender, time zone,
languages, activity status, and selected profile location may be shown to other
users as part of language-partner discovery and profile features.

Location information

Linguar uses location in two different ways:

1. Profile location. When you select or search for a city, we store the city, country, display name, and coordinates associated with that selection. We use this information to display your profile location and match you with language partners. Other users see your profile location as a place name (such as city and country); we do not provide your stored coordinates to other users. Do not use a home address as your profile location.
2. Nearby search. If you choose the "near me" feature and allow location access, the iOS app sends your device's latitude and longitude to our server to find users within the selected search radius. The app requests kilometer-level accuracy. We do not display this as a continuously updated live location, but the request and related technical information may appear temporarily in security or server logs.

City searches and location coordinates may be processed by Apple map services
or Mapbox to resolve a place. Mapbox's practices are described in the
Mapbox Privacy Policy.

Messages, posts, media, and other content

We collect the content you create or share through the Service, including:

• private text messages and connection-request messages;
• voice and video messages;
• public posts, replies, comments, and voice posts;
• flashcard collections, cards, and study activity;
• likes, bookmarks, and other content interactions; and
• content or user reports and any explanation you submit with a report.

Audio, video, camera, and photo-library data is collected only when you choose
to record, capture, or select content and submit it. Granting an iOS permission
does not cause Linguar to record continuously in the background.

Messages are visible to their participants. Public posts, replies, profile
information, and associated voice content can be visible to other users or the
public, depending on the feature. Content you report may be reviewed by
authorized moderators. Do not submit information you do not want recipients or
the intended audience to see.

Social, safety, and notification information

We collect information about connections, connection requests, blocks, reports,
spam reports, message read status, notification preferences, and notification
history. If you enable push notifications, we store a device push token and
basic device/platform information needed to deliver them. The iOS app uses the
Apple Push Notification service; the website may use Firebase Cloud Messaging.

Device, usage, and diagnostic information

When you use the Service, we and our service providers may automatically process:

• IP address, browser type, operating system, device and app version, and language or time-zone settings;
• pages, screens, features, buttons, and content you interact with;
• search terms, city searches, filters, onboarding state, and recent activity;
• session, cookie, account, device, and request identifiers;
• request times, referring URLs, server logs, and security events; and
• crash, error, performance, and diagnostic information.

The iOS app stores its authentication token in the iOS Keychain and may store
limited account or preference data on the device. The website uses cookies and
similar browser storage as described in Section 7.

Communications with Linguar

If you contact us, we collect your email address, the contents of your message,
attachments you provide, and information needed to respond. We also keep email
delivery, bounce, complaint, and suppression information so we can operate our
email service responsibly.

3. How we use information

We use personal information to:

• create, authenticate, maintain, and secure accounts;
• provide profiles, partner matching, chat, posts, language-learning tools, flashcards, and other requested features;
• display information and content to the audience you selected or that is inherent to the feature;
• provide location search and nearby-partner results;
• send account, security, connection, message, moderation, and other service notifications by email or push notification;
• provide user-requested AI translation and explanation features;
• remember settings and personalize the Service;
• monitor reliability, diagnose errors, prevent abuse, and protect users and the Service;
• review reports, enforce our rules, and respond to safety issues;
• measure and improve features and website performance;
• show and measure advertising on the website; and
• comply with law, enforce agreements, and establish or defend legal claims.

Where applicable law requires a lawful basis, we rely on:

• performance of a contract to create your account and provide the features you request;
• legitimate interests to secure, moderate, troubleshoot, and improve the Service, balanced against your rights;
• consent for optional device permissions, push notifications, marketing, and non-essential website cookies where required; and
• legal obligations and legal claims where processing is required by law or necessary to protect legal rights.

You may withdraw consent through iOS settings, browser controls, in-product
settings, or by contacting us. Withdrawal does not affect processing already
performed and may prevent the relevant optional feature from working.

4. AI-assisted translation and explanations

When you deliberately select a message and request a translation or explanation,
Linguar sends the selected text and your chosen target language to xAI's Grok
API. We do not intentionally send your password, entire chat history, voice
recording, video, or precise location with that request. xAI processes the
prompt and response under its
API terms of service and
privacy policy, including any retention or
abuse-monitoring rules applicable to our service configuration.

Linguar may store the resulting translation or explanation with the associated
message so it can be shown again. AI output may be inaccurate. Avoid requesting
AI processing for text containing sensitive or confidential information.

5. When we share information

We share information only as needed for the purposes described in this policy:

• Other users and the public. We disclose profile details, public posts and replies, activity information, and other content according to the feature. We disclose messages and shared media to chat participants.
• Apple. We use Sign in with Apple, Apple Push Notification service, and Apple map or location frameworks in the iOS app.
• Google. We use Google sign-in. On the website, we also use Google Analytics, Google Ads/AdSense, and Firebase Cloud Messaging.
• xAI. We use xAI's Grok API to provide user-requested translation and explanation of message text, as described in Section 4. See the xAI Privacy Policy.
• Mapbox. We use Mapbox services for geocoding and resolving location searches.
• Sentry. We use Sentry to diagnose server errors and monitor performance. Diagnostic context may include request routes, IP or device information, and an account or request identifier when present in the affected operation. See the Sentry Privacy Policy.
• Mailtrap. We use Mailtrap to send transactional and service email and to manage bounces, complaints, and suppression records. See the Mailtrap Privacy Policy.
• Cloudflare. We use Cloudflare for content delivery, security, network monitoring, and bot protection. Cloudflare may process IP address, browser, device, and request information. See the Cloudflare Privacy Policy.
• Hosting and infrastructure providers. Providers that host the Service, databases, uploaded files, logs, and backups process information on our behalf.
• Professional advisers and authorities. We may disclose information to advisers, courts, regulators, law enforcement, or other parties when we reasonably believe disclosure is required by law or necessary to protect people, rights, property, or the Service.
• Business transfers. Information may be disclosed as part of a merger, financing, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of all or part of the Service, subject to applicable law.

We do not sell personal information for money. The website's use of advertising
and analytics cookies may, however, be considered a "sale," "sharing," or
targeted advertising under some privacy laws. See Sections 7 and 11 for choices.
The iOS app does not contain third-party ads and does not use data for
cross-company tracking.

6. What Linguar does not collect through the current iOS app

The current iOS app does not:

• ask for or store a phone-number field;
• access your address book or upload your device contacts;
• collect payment-card or purchase information;
• continuously access the microphone or camera in the background; or
• use an advertising identifier or track your activity across other companies' apps and websites for advertising.

Authentication providers and other platform providers may independently
process information under their own policies. Their processing is not the same
as Linguar receiving that information.

7. Website cookies, analytics, advertising, and push notifications

This section applies to the website, not the current iOS app.

The website uses cookies and similar technologies for login sessions, security,
preferences, analytics, advertising, conversion measurement, and optional web
push notifications. In particular, the website uses Google Analytics and
Google Ads/AdSense. Google and its partners may use cookies or identifiers to
measure activity and, depending on your region and choices, personalize ads
based on activity on Linguar and other sites.

You can:

• block or delete cookies using your browser settings, although login and other features may stop working;
• manage personalized advertising through Google Ads Settings;
• install the Google Analytics Opt-out Browser Add-on;
• decline or revoke web push permission in your browser; and
• email [email protected] with the subject "Do Not Sell or Share" to make an applicable advertising opt-out request.

Because the legacy browser "Do Not Track" signal is not standardized, the
website does not currently treat that signal by itself as an opt-out request.

8. Retention and account deletion

We generally retain account information and content while your account is
active and as needed to provide the Service. We may retain security logs,
diagnostic records, correspondence, and records needed for fraud prevention,
legal compliance, disputes, and enforcement for longer where reasonably
necessary.

You can start account deletion from the iOS app's profile settings. When you do:

1. your account is hidden immediately;
2. signing in again within 30 days cancels the deletion request; and
3. after the 30-day grace period, Linguar removes or anonymizes account and profile information, authentication identities, location, profile pictures, language selections, connections, push devices, notifications, flashcards, and voice/video recordings associated with the deleted account.

Text messages and communal text content—such as posts, comments, and forum
contributions—may remain because other users participated in or rely on those
conversations. After the purge, that retained content is attributed to an
anonymized deleted-user record rather than your former username or email.

Information may remain for a limited additional period in backups or provider
systems before ordinary deletion cycles complete. We may also retain particular
information when required by law, to protect safety or security, or to establish
or defend legal claims. Third-party providers apply their own retention rules.

Deleting or disconnecting an Apple or Google login does not by itself delete
your Linguar account. Use Linguar's account-deletion control or contact us.

9. Security

We use administrative, technical, and organizational measures designed to
protect personal information. These measures include HTTPS encryption in
transit, hashed passwords for email/password accounts, restricted
administrative access, and secure token storage in the iOS Keychain. No method
of transmission or storage is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee
absolute security.

Linguar messages are stored on our servers to provide chat functionality; this
policy does not represent them as end-to-end encrypted. Protect your account
credentials and avoid sending highly sensitive information through the Service.

10. International data transfers

Linguar and its providers may process information in countries other than the
country where you live, including the United States. Those countries may have
different data-protection laws. Where required, we use an approved transfer
mechanism or other safeguards for international transfers and make additional
information available on request.

11. Your privacy rights and choices

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to:

• access and obtain a copy of your personal information;
• correct inaccurate or incomplete information;
• delete personal information;
• restrict or object to certain processing;
• receive certain information in a portable format;
• withdraw consent;
• opt out of targeted advertising or a sale or sharing of personal information;
• appeal our response to a privacy request; and
• complain to your local data-protection authority.

You can edit many profile details and notification preferences in the Service,
change iOS permissions in the Settings app, and delete your account through the
iOS profile settings. For other requests, email
[email protected]. We may need to verify your
identity before completing a request. Rights are subject to legal exceptions,
including the rights of other users in shared conversations.

We will not discriminate against you for exercising a privacy right. Authorized
agents may submit requests where permitted by law, subject to verification of
their authority.

12. Children and teenagers

The Service is not directed to, and may not be used by, anyone under 18. We do
not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 18. If you believe
a person under 18 has provided information to Linguar, contact
[email protected] so we can investigate and take
appropriate action.

13. Third-party links

The Service may link to websites, apps, or services that Linguar does not
control. Their privacy practices are governed by their own policies, and this
Privacy Policy does not cover their independent processing.

14. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy as the Service, our providers, or applicable
law changes. We will post the revised version at
linguar.com/pages/privacy and update the
date above. If a change is material, we will provide additional notice when
required by law.

15. Contact us

For questions, complaints, or privacy requests, contact:

• Operator: Studio 35d Pte. Ltd
• Address: 60 Paya Lebar Road #05-45, Singapore 409051
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: https://linguar.com