Privacy Policy — US Citizen Civic Test 2026

Effective date: August 30, 2026

Summary: Your study progress stays on your device — no account and no analytics. The free version can show optional rewarded video ads served by Google AdMob, which processes ad-related data as described below (and only with your consent where required). Purchasing Pro removes all ads. Audio for the optional pronunciation practice is processed by Apple's speech recognition.

This policy describes how Essential Dev Team ("we," "us") handles information when you use US Citizen Civic Test 2026 (the "App"). We build our apps to collect the minimum data needed to make them work.

1. Information Stored on Your Device

Your quiz progress, scores, bookmarks, and settings are stored locally on your device (and in your personal iCloud device backup if you enable backups). We cannot access this data. The App does not require an account, and the civics questions work fully offline.

2. Microphone & Speech Recognition (Pronunciation Practice)

The App offers an optional pronunciation practice feature. If you choose to use it and grant microphone permission:

Your speech is processed by Apple's Speech Recognition service, which may transmit the audio to Apple's servers for transcription, subject to Apple's Privacy Policy.
We never receive, store, or have access to your audio or transcripts — recognition results are used on your device only, to show how your answer was heard.
You can decline or revoke microphone and speech permissions at any time in iOS Settings, and the rest of the App works normally without them.

3. Purchases

Purchases and subscriptions are processed by Apple. We receive anonymized transaction records (for example, that a purchase is active) but never your payment details. See Apple's privacy policy at apple.com/legal/privacy.

4. Advertising (Google AdMob)

The free version of the App uses Google AdMob to show optional rewarded video ads (for example, watching an ad to unlock an extra free practice test). Pro purchasers see no ads and the advertising SDK is not started for them. When an ad is served, Google may collect and process:

Device information (model, OS version, language, mobile carrier)
IP address (which can imply approximate location)
Ad interaction data (which ads were shown, viewed, or tapped)
The advertising identifier (IDFA) — only if you allow tracking in the iOS App Tracking Transparency prompt. If you tap "Ask App Not to Track", ads are still shown but are not personalized using the IDFA.

In the European Economic Area, the UK, and Switzerland, the App first shows Google's certified consent form (IAB TCF) and only requests ads according to your choices. You can change or withdraw your consent at any time in the App under Settings → Ad privacy settings.

Learn more: Google Privacy Policy · How Google uses ad data · AdMob data practices.

5. What We Do Not Do

No analytics or tracking SDKs beyond the advertising described in Section 4
No user accounts and no collection of names, emails, or phone numbers
No location tracking
We do not sell personal information. Personalized advertising may constitute "sharing" under the California CCPA/CPRA — you can opt out via the iOS tracking prompt or the in-app ad privacy settings

The App may contact Apple's App Store (itunes.apple.com) to check whether a newer version of the App is available. This request contains no personal information.

6. Data Retention & Deletion

Your study data lives on your device: delete the App to remove it. Ad-related data collected by Google is retained under Google's policies linked above.

7. Your Rights

Depending on where you live (including the EU/UK, California, and other US states), you may have rights to access, correct, or delete personal information. Because we hold no personal data about you on our servers, most requests can be satisfied on-device or through the ad-consent controls described above; for anything else, email us and we will help within 30 days.

8. Children

The App is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by an updated effective date.

10. Contact

Essential Dev Team
essentialdevteam@gmail.com

Disclaimer: the App is a study aid and is not affiliated with, or endorsed by, USCIS or any government agency.