Privacy Policy

Last updated 26 October 2026

Who we are

OwnWords ("we", "us") is a reading and study app for listening to documents, learning vocabulary and turning reading material into lessons. This policy explains what information we handle, why we use it, who receives it and the choices you have. For privacy questions or requests, contact support@readownwords.com. Our Terms of Service explain the terms for using the app.

On-device reading and browser storage

• Files and reading data. Your browser stores local copies of imported books and documents, extracted text, images, notes, highlights, saved words, reading progress and settings. Some of this information is also stored online when you sign in or use the features described below.
• Offline scanning. Standard or offline text recognition processes supported photos and scanned pages on your device. Choosing this scan mode does not itself upload the file for AI processing; cloud library sync remains a separate setting.
• Downloaded voices. Downloaded reading voices generate speech on your device. Browser or operating-system voices may use local or remote processing, depending on the voice and your device provider.
• Storage and sessions. Browser storage and caches keep your library, downloaded voices and dictionaries, audio, preferences and sign-in session. Authentication and payment services may also use cookies or similar technologies for sign-in, checkout and fraud prevention.

Downloading resources still connects to the servers that deliver them. Blocking storage or clearing site data can sign you out, remove local work or downloads, and prevent offline features from working. It does not delete online copies or cancel a subscription.

Accounts and cloud sync

When you sign in, we receive an account identifier, email address and the profile information made available by your sign-in provider, such as your name and profile image. We use these to authenticate you, show your account, associate saved work and purchases with you, and provide support.

While you are signed in and connected, reading progress, notes, highlights, saved vocabulary and listening statistics can sync to your account. These records can include book identifiers, selected text, your annotations, listening duration and reading activity dates.

Cloud library sync stores book files and related information, such as titles, extracted text, covers and reading structure, so you can use them on other devices. By default, eligible books are selected for syncing when account sync is available, within your plan's limits. You can choose all books, selected books or pause library syncing. These controls apply to the cloud library; they do not pause separate annotation and listening-statistics sync or online scan and study requests.

Online scanning, speech and AI study features

• AI scans. Online scanning uploads an original document or image for background processing. It can extract text and figures and send relevant text to AI services to arrange reading order, prepare listening text and identify study checkpoints. Uploaded originals, progress and results may be stored so preparation can continue or resume.
• Cloud speech. Text you ask to hear, the selected voice and speech settings are sent for speech generation. Audio and timing information may be cached on your device and, for signed-in accounts, in private online storage so it can be reused.
• Study notes, explainers and courses. Relevant source passages, titles, notes, revised explanations, selected language and lesson settings are sent to prepare scripts, feedback, illustrations, narration and quizzes. Source figures may also be processed or saved for lessons. Your account stores requested work, preparation status, generated material, answers and review progress. A course that needs scanning may require the original file as well.
• Local lesson narration. Choosing a downloaded voice for a study video generates its narration on your device. The script and illustrations still use online AI services, and the completed narration is uploaded so the saved lesson can play across devices.
• Another language. Generating a saved video in another language sends its lesson text for a new generation request and saves the resulting version to your account.

These features require our services and relevant providers to process the supplied content. Your notes or documents may contain personal information about you or others, and generated lessons can repeat or infer information from them. Only submit material you are entitled to provide for the selected feature.

Dictionary lookups, articles and external links

If an on-device dictionary has no result, the selected word may be sent to an external dictionary service. Online allowance checks also send the selected word or phrase to our service to account for usage. Choosing an external dictionary, pronunciation or search link sends the search request to the service you open.

Importing a web article sends its URL to our extraction service, which retrieves the page. Opening source websites or other external links connects your browser to those services, which receive ordinary connection information and handle it under their own policies.

Payments and messages

Our payment service provider collects the payment and billing details you enter at checkout. OwnWords keeps the customer and transaction identifiers, purchase details, subscription and trial status, renewal dates, credit balances and usage or refund records needed to deliver and manage your purchase. Full card details are entered into the provider's checkout rather than stored in the OwnWords app.

If you choose Notify me when done for a course, the email delivery service receives your account email address and a message containing the course title, preparation outcome and a link back to it. This is an optional notification for that course. If you contact support, we receive the contact details, messages and attachments you send.

Usage analytics and service logs

We use site analytics to understand visits and feature use. This can include page paths, referral information, browser and device information, and events such as an import starting or finishing, playback duration, voice-engine category and errors. The analytics integration excludes page query strings and URL fragments. Reader event properties are restricted to counts, timings, sizes and fixed categories; they do not include book text, notes, titles, filenames, imported article URLs or free-text error messages.

Our services also process technical information such as IP addresses, request times, account or job identifiers, usage totals and error information to deliver requests, enforce allowances, prevent abuse and diagnose problems. Network-based allowance records use a daily hash derived from the IP address rather than storing the raw address in those records. Hosting, security and other service logs may still receive IP addresses; this hashing does not make every service interaction anonymous.

Sharing lessons

Completed explainers and course videos are private unless you enable a share link for that video. Anyone with an enabled link can view the lesson, its transcript and quiz without signing in, and can forward the link. Sharing does not separately publish the original book excerpt, saved note, other course chapters or your course progress, but the generated lesson may contain quotations, source details or feedback about your note. Review it before sharing.

Stop sharing disables future access through the link. Media access already granted may remain usable for up to one hour. We cannot remove copies another person has already saved. Visiting a shared lesson also involves the ordinary connection and usage information described in this policy.

How we use information

We use the information described above to provide reading and study features, save and sync work, authenticate accounts, manage purchases and allowances, send requested notifications, answer support requests, improve performance and reliability, prevent misuse, resolve disputes and meet legal obligations. If you do not provide information needed for an account, purchase or online feature, we may be unable to provide that feature; local reading options remain available where supported.

Service providers and overseas processing

We use service providers for sign-in, payments, hosting, storage, background processing, AI generation, speech synthesis, analytics and email delivery. Depending on their function, these providers receive account and connection information, transaction data, content submitted for processing or generated results. They process information under the applicable service arrangements and their own privacy obligations.

Providers may process or store information outside Australia or the country where you live. Locations depend on the service and its operating arrangements. Contact us if you need information about the locations relevant to a feature before submitting content.

Information may also be disclosed where required by law or reasonably necessary to investigate misuse, protect people or the service, or resolve a dispute. Enabling a share link is a separate disclosure to the people who can access that link.

Keeping and deleting your information

Local books, reading data and downloads remain in browser storage until you remove them, clear site data or the browser removes them. Keep copies of important originals and exports. Removing a local book does not necessarily delete its cloud copy, study notes, lessons or courses; saved study work can remain available without the original book on that device.

We retain online account content so you can access it, resume work and use the service. Temporary scan uploads and checkpoints normally become eligible for scheduled cleanup after seven days; sources needed by unfinished courses may be kept longer so you can continue them. Cached reading audio has a separate expiry from saved lesson narration. Cleanup of temporary material does not delete copies already saved to a device, a cloud library or a lesson.

Use the available library and study deletion controls to remove particular items, or contact us to request deletion of your account or other online information. Account deletion also cancels active subscriptions. Signing out, pausing sync or clearing browser data does not perform account deletion or subscription cancellation.

Deletion from active services and cleanup of stored media may occur at different times. We may retain records needed for payments, accounting, security, dispute resolution or legal obligations, and copies may remain in backups until their normal expiry. We do not promise that clearing local data immediately removes every online copy. Contact us for help with a specific deletion request.

Security

We use HTTPS, account access controls, private storage and time-limited media links to help protect information handled by online features. Those features require access to content to process it. No storage or transmission system can be guaranteed secure. Local data is also subject to your device and browser security; protect your sign-in account and be careful when using a shared device.

Children

OwnWords is not directed at children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided personal information through an account or online feature, contact us so we can review it and take appropriate action.

Your choices, requests and complaints

You can use local reading and scanning options, choose downloaded reading voices, manage cloud library sync, stop sharing supported lessons, export available reading data and remove local data. Account-based sync, online generation, payment processing and ordinary site requests have the separate data flows described above.

To ask for access to, correction of or deletion of personal information we hold, or to raise a privacy concern, email support@readownwords.com. Describe the request and the account or feature involved. We may need to verify your identity before disclosing or changing account information. Available rights and any exceptions depend on applicable law.

We will review privacy complaints, investigate the relevant handling of information and respond within a reasonable time. If we cannot fulfil a request, we will explain why. If you remain dissatisfied, you may be able to raise the matter with the Office of the Australian Information Commissioner or the privacy regulator where you live.

Changes to this policy

This update replaces the earlier browser-only description with information about accounts, cloud sync, payments, online scanning and AI study features, sharing, analytics and deletion choices. We will update the date when this policy changes and explain significant changes on this page. Where required, we will provide additional notice or seek consent before a new use of personal information.