Privacy Policy

Introduction

EZPinyin ("we," "us," or "our") operates the EZPinyin input method application available on macOS and iOS. This Privacy Policy explains our practices regarding data collection, usage, and protection.

The core principle: Your typing is your business. We don't record it, send it anywhere, or use it for any purpose. Everything happens on your device.

How EZPinyin Works

EZPinyin is a Pinyin input method that converts phonetic input (pinyin) into Chinese characters. Here's what happens when you use it:

1. Dictionary Lookup: Your pinyin input is matched against a dictionary stored locally on your device
2. Candidate Generation: Matching characters are ranked by frequency and displayed as suggestions
3. Character Selection: You select the character you want
4. Text Input: The character is inserted into your text field

Every step happens on your device. Your pinyin input is never sent to any server. The dictionary is bundled with the application.

Data We Don't Collect

EZPinyin does not collect, transmit, or store:

• Your typing or text input — No record of what you type
• Usage analytics — We don't track which features you use or how often
• Dictionary lookups — We don't log which characters you search for
• Device identifiers — We don't identify your specific device
• Location data — We never access your location
• Contacts or calendar data — We never access your personal information
• Network traffic — EZPinyin doesn't connect to the internet for any typing-related function

Network Connections

EZPinyin is a completely offline application. It does not make any network requests for:

• Dictionary data
• Character suggestions
• Usage tracking or analytics
• Telemetry or diagnostics

Exception (macOS only): The initial installer may check for updates when first installed (standard macOS behavior). This is optional and can be disabled. Future versions may include an optional automatic update checker, but any such feature will be clearly disclosed and remain opt-in.

Data Storage

EZPinyin stores the following data locally on your device only:

• Dictionary files: CC-CEDICT entries and character definitions (bundled with the app)
• Frequency data: Character frequency rankings and HSK vocabulary levels (bundled with the app)
• Index files: Pre-built indexes for fast lookups (bundled with the app)

These files are pre-installed with the application and are used solely to provide keyboard functionality on your device. They are never uploaded or transmitted.

iOS-Specific Privacy & Permissions

EZPinyin on iOS is implemented as a keyboard extension. Apple's iOS security model requires us to request "Full Access" to function as a system keyboard, but we do not use this permission to access any data.

What Full Access means:

• The keyboard can receive the text being typed and text field context (to provide character suggestions)
• This is necessary for the keyboard to function

What we don't do with Full Access:

• We don't store or transmit the text you type
• We don't send anything to remote servers
• We don't use this access to harvest passwords, contacts, or sensitive data
• We don't create a log of your typing

You can verify this by checking your network activity in Settings → Privacy & Security. EZPinyin will not appear in your recent network activity unless you explicitly check for updates.

macOS-Specific Privacy

EZPinyin on macOS is installed as a system input method. macOS doesn't grant keyboard extensions special access by default—the keyboard only sees text within the application where you're actively typing.

EZPinyin does not request any special permissions (accessibility, location, contacts, etc.) and does not access any system APIs beyond what's necessary for basic keyboard input and display.

Third-Party Services

EZPinyin does not use any third-party services for keyboard functionality, analytics, crash reporting, or data collection. The application is self-contained and does not integrate with:

• Analytics services (Google Analytics, Firebase, etc.)
• Crash reporting tools (Sentry, Crashlytics, etc.)
• Advertising networks
• User tracking services

The only external resources EZPinyin depends on are the open-source dictionaries and frequency data included in the application (see Data Attribution below).

Data Attribution

EZPinyin uses the following open-source and academic resources:

• CC-CEDICT: A freely available, open-source Chinese-English dictionary. Licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International. Learn more
• Jun Da Modern Chinese Frequency List: Academic research on character frequency in modern Chinese texts. Used for ranking character suggestions.
• HSK Vocabulary Lists: Official vocabulary lists from the Chinese language proficiency test. Used to prioritize beginner-friendly words.

All of these resources are freely available and do not involve any data sharing between EZPinyin and external parties. We use them as static data bundled with the application.

Children's Privacy

EZPinyin does not knowingly collect information from children under 13. Because EZPinyin does not collect any personal data from any user (regardless of age), there is no heightened risk to children.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has used EZPinyin, please know that no data is being collected or stored about them.

Your Rights & Data Access

Since EZPinyin does not collect or store any personal data, there is no user data for us to access, modify, or delete. You have complete control over any data on your device:

• Delete your data: Uninstall the application to remove all EZPinyin files and data from your device
• Access your data: All data is stored locally on your device and under your control
• Export your data: N/A — EZPinyin doesn't store personal data to export

Security

Since EZPinyin doesn't transmit or store personal data, the primary security measures are:

• Device security: All data is protected by your device's built-in security (iOS Secure Enclave, macOS FileVault, etc.)
• Code signing: macOS installer is code-signed and can be notarized by Apple
• Open source: The application code is available for review on GitHub

If you have security concerns or discover a vulnerability, please report it to us on GitHub.

Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last Updated" date. Continued use of EZPinyin after changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.

Because EZPinyin is fundamentally designed to not collect data, any future changes will likely be clarifications rather than functional changes to our privacy practices.

Legal Compliance

EZPinyin is designed to be compliant with major privacy regulations:

• GDPR (EU): We don't collect personal data, so most GDPR requirements don't apply. No data is transferred outside the EU.
• CCPA (California): We don't collect covered personal information, so CCPA requirements don't apply.
• PIPEDA (Canada): We don't collect personal information subject to PIPEDA.
• Apple's Privacy Policy Guidelines: EZPinyin discloses no data collection, consistent with Apple's requirements.

Our privacy approach—collecting no personal data—exceeds the requirements of all major privacy laws.