Overview
CitizenPrep is a U.S. citizenship test preparation application. We are committed to protecting your privacy. This policy explains what information we collect (and what we don't), how your data is handled, and your rights as a user.
The short version: we do not collect, store, or share any personal information about you. Your study data stays on your device. The app sends anonymous usage statistics to our own server, which you can switch off in Settings → Privacy.
Information We Do NOT Collect
CitizenPrep does not collect any of the following:
- Name, email address, or any contact information
- Account credentials — there are no accounts or sign-ups
- Location data
- Tracking across other apps or websites, or third-party analytics
- Any biometric or sensitive personal data
Local Storage on Your Device
All app data is stored locally on your device. This includes:
- Your study progress and completed questions
- Your selected U.S. state for state-specific answers
- Your language preference for bilingual mode
- Your daily streak count
- Bookmarked or saved questions
None of this study data is transmitted to any server. It lives only on your device and is never shared with us or any third party. Uninstalling the app removes all locally stored data.
Network Requests
Apart from the anonymous usage statistics described below (and the ads in the free version), CitizenPrep occasionally makes a single outbound network request to fetch a publicly available JSON data file hosted on a public web host. This request is used to update time-sensitive civics answers — such as the current President, Vice President, or your state's Governor — when those officeholders change.
No personal data is included in this request. The request is a standard HTTP GET to a public URL. No cookies, identifiers, or user information are sent. This request is functionally identical to loading a public webpage.
Anonymous Usage Statistics
To learn which features help people and to find crashes, the App sends anonymous usage statistics to our own server (hosted on Supabase). This is our own first-party system — no third-party analytics SDK is involved. The App identifies itself only with a random installation ID that is created on your device and is deleted together with the App.
What is sent:
- Device model, iOS version and app version
- Language, region and time zone
- Accessibility settings (such as larger text or reduced motion)
- Session start and end, and the last screen you were on
- App events, such as “a practice test was started” or “a practice test was finished”, with the test mode, number of questions, a score range and whether it was a pass — never the questions or your answers
- Paywall views and which plan was tapped
- Purchase, trial, renewal-status and restore events (the product and plan length only)
- Review-prompt requests
- Crash and performance reports from Apple’s MetricKit
What is never sent: your name, email, phone number or address; your location; the advertising identifier (IDFA) or vendor identifier (IDFV); prices, receipts or transaction IDs; and anything you type, say or create — your answers, written or spoken practice, or any audio. Your IP address is not stored or used.
Retention: usage statistics are kept for 13 months (crash and performance diagnostics for 6 months), then deleted.
Turn it off: Settings → Privacy → Share Usage Data. When off, nothing is collected or sent, and anything not yet sent is deleted from your device.
Delete it: copy your Installation ID from Settings → Privacy and email it to essentialdevteam@gmail.com; we will delete everything linked to it.
Purchases & Refund Requests
Purchases and subscriptions are processed by Apple; we never see your payment details.
Refund requests. When someone asks Apple for a refund, Apple may ask us about the purchase. By subscribing, you agree that we may then tell Apple that the purchase was delivered, that a free version or trial was available beforehand, and that we prefer a refund of the unused part. We share nothing else, and only for purchases made after this consent appeared on the subscription screen. We are also notified when a refund is requested or granted, without learning who you are.
Third-Party Services
CitizenPrep does not integrate third-party analytics platforms, crash-reporting services, or tracking SDKs (the anonymous usage statistics above go to our own server). The only third-party SDK in the app is Google AdMob, used to show optional rewarded video ads in the free version — see the Advertising section below.
Advertising
The free version of CitizenPrep can show optional rewarded video ads served by Google AdMob (for example, watching an ad to unlock an extra free practice test). Google may process device information, IP address, ad interaction data, and — only with your permission via Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt — the advertising identifier (IDFA). In the EEA/UK/Switzerland a consent form is shown first, and consent can be changed anytime in Settings → Ad privacy settings. Purchasing Pro removes all ads. See the full privacy policy and how Google uses ad data.
Children's Privacy
CitizenPrep is intended for individuals preparing for the U.S. naturalization interview. The app does not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13 (or the applicable age of digital consent in your jurisdiction). Because we collect no personal data from any user (usage statistics are anonymous), this applies equally to all age groups. If you believe a child has somehow submitted personal information through the app, please contact us immediately at the address below.
Data Security
No personal data is transmitted to or stored on our servers — only the anonymous usage statistics described above, which contain no name, email, location or study content. Your study data is protected by your device's own security features (passcode, biometrics, encryption at rest).
Your Rights
We do not collect or store any personal data. To delete the anonymous usage statistics, copy your Installation ID from Settings → Privacy and email it to us; we will delete everything linked to it. If you wish to clear your in-app data (progress, preferences, streak), you can do so from within the app's Settings screen, or by uninstalling the app.
Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in the app or applicable law. When we make changes, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. We encourage you to review this page periodically. Your continued use of the app after any changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact Us
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us at:
Email: essentialdevteam@gmail.com