Privacy, in plain words

The short version

• Your camera video never leaves your device. Hand tracking runs in your browser. Nothing is recorded or uploaded.
• We keep only what the app needs: your username, picture, settings and learning progress.
• No ads. We don't sell or share your data.
• You can delete your account and everything in it from your profile, any time.

What we store

• Account: email (if you sign up with email or Google) — guests don't need one.
• Profile: username, optional display name, emoji or uploaded picture, app preferences.
• Moments you share: your story, the sign you tag and an optional photo. Moments are public, shown with your username and picture. Photos are re-saved on your device before upload, which removes hidden data such as GPS location. You can delete a moment any time.
• Volunteer sign-ups: name, email, city and how you'd like to help — seen only by the KindHands team, used only to contact you about volunteering. Ask us and we'll delete it.
• Suggestions: words you suggest or problems you report, linked to your account so reviewers can follow up.
• Progress: which signs you've practised, XP, streaks and badges.
• On this device: a copy of your profile and progress in your browser's local storage, so lessons work offline.

Data is stored with our database provider, Supabase, and protected so each person can only read their own records.

Sign videos

Some signs (including ISL signs from the ISLRTC dictionary) play from YouTube using its privacy-enhanced mode (youtube-nocookie.com). When a video plays, YouTube receives the request under Google's privacy policy. List views show a thumbnail and only load the video when you open it.

Microphone and voice

“Speak” in the translator uses your browser's built-in speech recognition. Depending on your browser, the audio may be processed by the browser maker (for example Google or Apple) under their privacy terms. Typing always works instead.

Children

KindHands is designed to be kid-friendly. Children under 13 should use it with a parent or guardian, ideally in guest mode. In kid mode we don't ask for a display name, only offer emoji avatars, and moments are words only — no photo uploads. If you believe a child has given us personal information, contact us and we'll delete it.

Your rights

You can view, change or delete your information in your profile. Deleting your account removes your profile, picture and progress permanently. For anything else, contact the KindHands team.