Phonics Stars
Getting Started
Phonics Stars is simple to use. Open the app, select a lesson from Lesson 1-15 (available free), and choose one of our 6 games to practice phonics. As your child plays, their progress is automatically tracked in the Session History view. Once you're ready for more challenges, you can unlock Lessons 16-34 with a one-time in-app purchase.
Tracking Progress
Your child's progress is easy to follow. Open the Session History view to see a complete record of all games played, including the date, time, lesson, and stars earned. This gives you a clear picture of which lessons your child has been practicing and how they're performing. You can delete individual sessions or clear all history if needed—whatever works best for your family.
Understanding Your Lessons
Lessons 1-15 are free and cover foundational phonics skills including vowels and basic consonants. These lessons build a strong foundation for reading. When you're ready to continue, the paid unlock gives you access to Lessons 16-34, which introduce more consonants and advanced phonics patterns. Your child progresses naturally through the curriculum at their own pace.
Agreement to Terms
By downloading and using Phonics Stars ("the App"), you agree to comply with these Terms of Use. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not use the App. These terms apply to all users of the App, including parents, guardians, and children.
License & Use
Phonics Stars is licensed to you for personal, non-commercial use only. You may download and install the App on your personal iOS device. You may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, or lease any part of the App or its contents. Unauthorized use of the App is prohibited.
Age Appropriateness
Phonics Stars is designed as an educational tool for children learning to read. Parents and guardians are responsible for supervising their children's use of the App and ensuring it is appropriate for their child's age and educational level.
In-App Purchases
The App offers in-app purchases to unlock additional lesson content (Lessons 16-34). Lessons 1-15 are available free. In-app purchases are processed through Apple's App Store and are subject to Apple's terms and conditions. Once purchased, lesson access is stored locally on your device. Refunds for in-app purchases are handled by Apple and are subject to their refund policy.
Limitation of Liability
Phonics Stars is provided "as is" without warranties of any kind, either express or implied. We do not warrant that the App will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free from viruses or other harmful components. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for any damages arising from your use of or inability to use the App.
Educational Content
While Phonics Stars provides educational content designed to support phonics learning, we do not guarantee specific learning outcomes. The App is intended to supplement, not replace, professional educational guidance. Parents should consult with educators if they have concerns about their child's reading development.
Device Requirements & Updates
Phonics Stars requires a compatible iOS device (iPad or iPhone). We recommend keeping your device updated with the latest iOS version to ensure optimal performance and security. We may release updates to the App periodically. Updates may be required to continue using the App.
Intellectual Property
All content in Phonics Stars, including text, graphics, logos, images, and software, is the property of the App developers or their licensors and is protected by copyright laws. You may not reproduce, distribute, or transmit any content without explicit permission.
Termination
Your right to use Phonics Stars may be terminated if you violate these Terms of Use. Upon termination, you must cease using the App, though any data stored locally on your device will remain accessible to you until you delete it.
Changes to Terms
We reserve the right to modify these Terms of Use at any time. Changes will be effective upon posting to the App with an updated "Last Updated" date. Your continued use of the App following changes constitutes your acceptance of the new terms.
Contact Us
If you have questions about these Terms of Use, please contact us at info@phonics-stars.com.
1. Overview & Our Commitment
Phonics Stars ("the App") is an educational phonics learning application designed for iPad and iPhone. We are deeply committed to protecting your privacy and the privacy of children who use our App. This Privacy Policy explains in detail what data the App accesses, how it is used, and your rights regarding that data.
Privacy by Design: Phonics Stars was built from the ground up with privacy as a core principle. We do not collect personal information, we do not use analytics or tracking tools, and we do not share data with third parties.
2. What Data We Collect and How We Use It
2.1 Data Stored Locally on Your Device
Phonics Stars stores the following information locally on your device only:
- Game Session History: Information about gameplay sessions including:
- Lesson name and lesson ID
- Game name played
- Stars earned and total possible stars
- Date and time of each session
- Unique session identifiers (generated locally)
- In-App Purchase Status: A simple flag indicating whether you have unlocked the full lesson collection (Lessons 16-34) through an in-app purchase.
Purpose: This determines which lessons are accessible in the App.
Important: All this data is stored exclusively on your device using Apple's standard UserDefaults storage mechanism. We do not transmit this information to our servers, to any third party, or anywhere outside your device.
2.2 Data We Do NOT Collect
Phonics Stars does not collect, store, access, or transmit:
- Personal identification information (names, email addresses, phone numbers, addresses, etc.)
- Device identifiers or advertising identifiers (IDFA, etc.)
- Location data or GPS coordinates
- Usage analytics, behavior tracking, or telemetry
- Health or fitness information
- Contact information from your address book
- Photos, videos, or media files
- Microphone or camera access
- Clipboard data
- Network activity or browsing history
- Any biometric data
3. No Account Required
Phonics Stars does not require account creation, registration, or login of any kind. The App is fully functional without providing any personal information. You can use all features of the App anonymously.
No Sign-In Required: As per Apple's guidelines (Section 5.1.1(v)), since our App does not include significant account-based features, we allow full use without any login. The App's core educational functionality is accessible immediately upon installation.
4. In-App Purchases & Payment Information
Phonics Stars offers an optional in-app purchase to unlock Lessons 16-34. Here's how we handle purchases:
- Processing: All transactions are processed directly by Apple through the App Store. We never see or store your payment information (credit card numbers, billing addresses, etc.).
- Verification: Purchase verification occurs locally on your device using Apple's StoreKit 2 framework.
- Storage: Your purchase status (whether you have unlocked full lessons) is stored only on your device.
- Restoration: You can restore purchases on other devices you own using Apple's purchase restoration feature, which is handled entirely by Apple's systems.
We do not receive, store, or have access to any payment or financial information.
5. Third-Party Services & Data Sharing
Phonics Stars does not use any third-party services, analytics tools, advertising networks, or software development kits (SDKs) that collect user data.
No Third-Party Access: We do not share, sell, rent, or transfer any user data to third parties because we do not collect any data that leaves your device. There are no parent companies, subsidiaries, or related entities with access to user data.
Apple Services Only: The only external service the App uses is Apple's StoreKit 2 for in-app purchases, which is a native iOS framework. StoreKit operates according to Apple's own privacy policies.
6. Children's Privacy
Phonics Stars is designed for children learning to read. We take children's privacy extremely seriously and comply fully with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and similar regulations worldwide.
COPPA Compliance:
- We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13
- The App does not require children to provide any personal information to use it
- We do not use behavioral advertising or tracking targeted at children
- The App includes a parental gate to protect in-app purchases as required by Apple's Kids Category guidelines
Parental Control: Parents and guardians maintain full control over the App and any data stored on their device. Since all data is local, parents can review, manage, or delete it at any time.
7. Data Security
Since all data in Phonics Stars is stored locally on your device, the security of this information depends on your device's security settings. We recommend:
- Keep your iOS device updated with the latest security updates
- Use a passcode, Face ID, or Touch ID to protect your device
- Enable device encryption (enabled by default on modern iOS devices)
- Regularly back up your device if you want to preserve game session history
8. Your Rights & Data Control
8.1 Accessing Your Data
Since all data is stored on your device, you have immediate and complete access to it through the App's Session History view.
8.2 Deleting Your Data
You can delete your data at any time through several methods:
- Delete Individual Sessions: Use the App's Session History view to delete specific game sessions
- Clear All History: Use the "Clear All History" function in the App (if available) to delete all session data
- Uninstall the App: Deleting the App from your device will remove all associated data
- iOS Settings: Go to Settings > General > iPhone/iPad Storage > Phonics Stars > Delete App
8.3 Data Portability
Because all data is stored locally and we do not maintain any servers, your data exists only on your device. If you back up your device using iCloud or iTunes/Finder, your Phonics Stars data will be included in that backup.
8.4 No Consent Required
Since Phonics Stars does not collect personal data or transmit data off your device, there is no need to request or revoke consent for data collection. The App functions entirely without collecting personal information.
9. Data Retention
Game session history and purchase status remain on your device until you choose to delete them. We do not impose any automatic data retention or deletion policies because all data is under your direct control on your device.
10. International Users & Data Transfers
Phonics Stars can be used anywhere in the world. Since all data remains on your device and nothing is transmitted to external servers, there are no international data transfers to worry about. Your data never leaves your possession.
11. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices or for legal, regulatory, or operational reasons. When we make changes, we will:
- Update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
- Post the updated policy within the App and on our support website
- Continue to maintain our commitment to not collecting personal data
We encourage you to review this policy periodically. Your continued use of the App after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
12. Legal Basis for Processing (GDPR)
For users in the European Economic Area (EEA), United Kingdom, or Switzerland: Since Phonics Stars does not collect or process personal data that leaves your device, GDPR data processing requirements do not apply to our use of the App. All data remains under your control on your device.
13. California Privacy Rights (CCPA)
For California residents: Phonics Stars does not sell personal information, does not collect personal information for commercial purposes, and does not share personal information with third parties. Since we do not collect personal data, CCPA disclosure requirements do not apply.
14. Contact Us
If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:
- Email: info@phonics-stars.com
- App Store: You can also contact us through the Phonics Stars App Store listing
We will respond to your inquiry as soon as reasonably possible.
15. Transparency Commitment
We believe in complete transparency about our privacy practices. This policy is written in clear language to ensure you understand exactly how Phonics Stars handles data. If anything is unclear, please don't hesitate to contact us.