Privacy Policy

1. Overview

KanjiDraw ("the App") is an educational application for learning Japanese kanji. This policy explains what data is collected, how it is used, and how you can manage it.

2. Data We Collect

2.1 Account data (registration only)

If you create an account, we collect your email address. Passwords are stored encrypted on Google Firebase Authentication servers and are never accessible to us in plain text.

2.2 Progress data

To save your learning progress, we store:

• list of unlocked kanji;
• mastery status for each kanji (guided / from memory);
• Silver and Gold row progress per level;
• Time mode scores with timestamps;
• earned badges.

This data is stored locally in your browser (localStorage). If you have an account, it is also synced to Google Firestore for cross-device access.

2.3 Analytics

With your consent, the App uses Google Analytics (GA4) to collect anonymised statistics such as the number of mastered kanji, activity by level, user type (registered / anonymous), page views, and aggregated dictionary-search events. This collection does not run without consent to analytics cookies.

Additionally, the App uses Cloudflare Web Analytics — privacy-first, cookieless traffic analytics with no user identifiers. It collects aggregated page-view statistics (URL, referrer, device and browser type, country) to measure overall traffic. It sets no cookies and does not track you across sites, so it runs without a separate consent. Data is processed by Cloudflare under its privacy policy.

We do not store raw search queries and do not write the words or characters you type into a cloud database. Search analytics uses aggregated information only, such as whether a search happened, the interface language, and a coarse bucket for the number of results returned.

2.4 Data we do NOT collect

• name, age, or phone number;
• location;
• kanji drawings or handwriting attempts;
• payment data.

3. How We Use Data

• User authentication and identification.
• Syncing progress across devices.
• Improving the app using aggregated statistics.

We do not sell, share, or use your data for marketing or advertising purposes.

4. Data Storage

Data is stored on Google servers (Firebase / Firestore) in accordance with the Firebase Privacy Policy.

Local data (localStorage) is stored on your device and deleted when you clear your browser data.

5. Your Rights

• Delete data. You can reset your progress via the profile. To fully delete your account, contact us.
• Anonymous use. The app works fully without registration — progress is saved locally only.

6. Cookies and Local Storage

The app uses the browser's localStorage rather than traditional HTTP cookies. Below is a full list of keys we store and what they are used for.

6.1 Essential (always active)

These are required for the app to function and do not require your consent.

Firebase Authentication stores session data in the browser's IndexedDB. This data is not shared with any third party other than Google Firebase.

6.2 Analytics (with your consent only)

Loaded only if you click "Accept all". You can opt out by choosing "Essential only".

Analytics records anonymised events such as kanji mastered, level completed, account login, and aggregated search events without query text. No personal information is transmitted.

6.3 Managing consent

You can change your choice at any time by clearing the site data in your browser settings — the consent banner will reappear on your next visit.

7. Browser Extension

This policy also covers the KanjiDraw extension for Chrome. Only what differs from the website is described here.

7.1 Access to pages

The extension needs access to the pages you read, because Japanese text appears on arbitrary websites. That access is not requested at install: you grant it yourself — for one site or for all — and can withdraw it at any time. Page content is not collected and is not transmitted anywhere: text is matched against your own word list locally, on your device. No request carries page content or a page address. Highlighting can be switched off entirely, or for individual sites, in the extension's settings.

7.2 Sign-in and syncing

The extension never asks for your password. If you are signed in on kanjidraw.com, it uses the token of that existing session, exchanges it for a short-lived access token through Google Firebase, and reads and writes your own vocabulary document — the same one the website uses. A word saved from the extension carries the word, its reading and its meaning.

7.3 Data kept on your device

Your word list, your settings and your recent lookups are stored locally in the browser. Recent lookups are never sent anywhere and can be cleared with one button in the extension.

7.4 Analytics

The extension contains no analytics. Links from the extension to the website carry UTM parameters, so the site's own statistics show them as an "extension" source, with nothing about you attached.

8. Children

The app is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children.

9. Policy Changes

We may update this policy. The date of the last update is shown at the top of this page.

10. Contact

For privacy questions, email info@kanjidraw.com.