Tangyuan Input Method Privacy Policy

Effective: 6 November 2026 · Operator: CodeNet (Taiwan) · Contact: [email protected]

1. Who we are

Tangyuan Input Method (“the app”) is a Zhuyin (Bopomofo) keyboard for iPhone made by CodeNet. This policy explains how the app handles data.

2. Typing and candidates

Zhuyin input, candidate words and English suggestions are computed on your iPhone with a built-in dictionary. What you type never leaves the phone, and we do not store or read it.

3. Dictation

Typing statistics keep only a count of characters typed per day, stored on your device. They never include what you type and are never uploaded; you can turn them off or clear them in the app.

Dictation uses Apple’s on-device speech recognition to turn speech into text on your iPhone. Audio is kept temporarily on the phone and deleted when dictation finishes or is cancelled. Audio is not uploaded. The microphone turns on only after you start dictation, for up to 9 minutes each time. It may also use the offline Whisper model bundled with the app, which likewise runs on the phone and uploads nothing. If on-device recognition is unavailable, the app tells you instead of sending audio over the network.

4. Cloud AI (off in this version)

Cloud AI is completely turned off in this version, so no typed text or voice is sent to our servers or to any third-party AI service.

If we offer cloud AI in the future, it will be opt-in. Before you turn it on, a separate consent screen will state what is sent, which providers process it (named at that time, for example Anthropic, Google or OpenAI), how long it is kept, and how to switch it off and withdraw consent. If you decline, the keyboard and dictation keep working. We will also update this policy.

5. What does connect to the internet today

• Update check: when the app opens, it asks our server (tang-input.codenet.com.tw) whether a newer version exists. The request carries only the app’s build number: no content from you, no login. As with any connection, the server briefly sees the IP address to keep the service running and prevent abuse; it is not linked to your identity. Offline, the app silently skips it and works as usual.
• Dictionary updates: the app downloads dictionary updates from the same server (data only: words and word order, no code). This request also carries only the app’s build number, no content from you and no login. Downloads are signature-checked; offline or on any failure the app keeps the dictionary it has.
• iCloud dictionary sync (optional): if you are signed in to iCloud, your personal dictionary and settings can sync between your own devices through Apple iCloud. The data lives in your iCloud account, held by Apple; we cannot read it. You can turn it off in iCloud settings on your iPhone.
• Referral program: not available in this version. It makes no connection and collects no email or personal data.
• Crash and problem reports (sent only with your permission): the app has no third-party crash-reporting or analytics tools. Crash reports are opt-in: “Send crash reports” under More → About is off by default and the app never asks you with a prompt. While it is off, Tangyuan does not collect, keep or send any crash data. If you switch it on, a crash is sent automatically in the background; switching it off stops collection and deletes any crash data kept on the phone. Independently of that switch, you can report a problem yourself under More → About → Report a problem; nothing is sent unless you tap “Send report”.
  • What is included: the program trace at the moment of the crash (call stacks: module names and code offsets only), the app version, iOS version, iPhone model, a summary of your theme and appearance settings, the note you write, and a screenshot only if you choose to attach one. It does not include what you typed, candidates, voice, clipboard or contacts. The phone keeps at most the 10 latest records (about 1 MB).
  • Identifier: a report carries a random code generated at install that is unrelated to your identity or Apple account; it is used only to limit repeated uploads. The server also briefly sees the IP address to prevent abuse, not linked to your identity.
  • Retention: reports are stored on our own server, readable only by the developer to fix problems, and deleted automatically after 90 days. They are not shared, and not used for ads or tracking.
  • Alternative: if the server is unreachable you can choose to email the same report to us.
  If you separately share analytics with app developers in iPhone settings, Apple may also give us crash information that does not identify you.

6. Keyboard “Allow Full Access”

You can type without Full Access. When enabled, we use it to:

• share your settings, personal dictionary and theme between the keyboard and the app;
• open the Tangyuan app for dictation when you tap the microphone (a keyboard cannot use the microphone itself);
• the clipboard tools: the clipboard is read only when you tap Paste.

We do not log, collect or transmit your keystrokes. Full Access does not let the keyboard send what you type anywhere. Password fields always use the standard iOS keyboard.

7. Returning to your previous app after dictation

Dictation briefly switches to the Tangyuan app. When you are done, tap the back arrow (◀) at the top left of the screen to return to the app you were typing in. We do not identify which app you were using and do not record where you came from.

8. What we do not do

• We do not sell, rent or share your data;
• no cross-app or cross-site tracking, no advertising identifier;
• no third-party ads or analytics.

9. In-app purchases

This version has no paid items. If in-app purchases are offered later, payment is handled entirely by Apple: we never receive your card or other payment details, and purchase records are held by Apple and read on your phone to unlock content; they are not sent to our servers.

10. Third parties

In this version, only Apple services you choose to use (iCloud, on-device speech recognition, the App Store) process data, under Apple’s privacy policy. If we add other providers later, we will require protection equal to this policy and ask for your consent before they are enabled.

11. Children

The app does not knowingly collect personal data from anyone, including children.

12. Your choices and rights

You can turn off Full Access, the microphone, speech recognition or iCloud sync in iPhone Settings at any time, or delete the app to remove local data. Because we do not collect your personal data, there is usually nothing for us to look up or delete; for any question, write to [email protected].

13. Changes

If the policy changes materially, we will update the date on this page, and obtain your consent before any new data-sending feature is enabled.

14. Contact

CodeNet (Taiwan) · [email protected]