Privacy Policy for Handcode
Handcode collects no data. There are no accounts, no ads, no analytics and no network connections. Your programs and progress stay on your iPad.
Handcode is an iPad app that teaches computational thinking by having you fix small programs. The lessons ship inside the app, and your code runs on a Python interpreter built into it. Nothing you type is sent anywhere. This policy explains what the app does with your data, in plain language.
1. Data We Collect
None. Handcode does not collect, transmit or share any personal information or usage data. Its App Store privacy label is Data Not Collected.
- No accounts. You never sign up, sign in, or give a name or email address.
- No network. The app makes no network requests. Lessons are part of the app, and new lessons arrive only through App Store updates.
- No analytics or advertising. The app contains no third-party SDKs of any kind.
- Diagnostics. If you have turned on Share iPad Analytics (and Share with App Developers) in iPadOS Settings, Apple may share aggregate crash and performance reports with us through App Store Connect. These do not identify you and contain none of your code. The app also records performance diagnostics to the device's own system log, which never leaves your iPad through the app.
2. What Stays on Your iPad
To keep your place, Handcode saves two things in its own private storage on your device:
- Your programs — the code you write for each section.
- Your progress — which sections you have completed, and how many runs you have tried.
We never see this data. It may be included in your device backups (iCloud or computer backups) under your Apple account's own settings, the same as any app's data.
3. How Your Code Runs
When you tap Run, your program runs on a Python interpreter inside the app, on your iPad. The app blocks programs from opening network connections or starting other processes. Your code is never uploaded for checking; the scoreboard comes from tests that also run on your device.
4. Third-Party Services
Handcode uses no third-party services. It bundles the open-source CPython interpreter and the PythonKit library, which run entirely on the device and send nothing anywhere. Their licence notices are in the app under About.
| Service | Purpose | Privacy Policy |
|---|---|---|
| Apple App Store Connect (aggregate) | Aggregate crash and performance reports, only if you have Share iPad Analytics turned on | apple.com/legal/privacy |
5. Children's Privacy
Handcode is written to be used by children as well as adults. Because the app collects no personal information from anyone, it collects none from children. There are no accounts, chat, ads, external links to purchase, or ways to contact other people inside the app.
6. Your Rights & Controls
Deletion: Deleting the app removes your programs and progress from the device. We hold no copies.
Diagnostics: To stop sharing crash and performance reports with Apple (and so with us in aggregate), turn off Share iPad Analytics under Settings > Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements.
GDPR (EU) and CCPA (California): You have the right to access, correct, delete or port your personal data, and to know what is collected. Because we collect and store no personal data, there is nothing for us to access or delete on your behalf. You can still contact us with any question.
7. Data Security
Your programs and progress are protected by iPadOS Data Protection. Because nothing is transmitted or stored on our systems, there is nothing on our side that could be breached.
8. Changes to This Policy
If the app changes in a way that affects this policy, we will update it and the "Last Updated" date above, and mention it in the App Store release notes. Any change that would collect data would also change the app's App Store privacy label.
9. Contact
For privacy questions, contact us at: [email protected]