China Essentials Privacy Policy
This policy explains how China Essentials handles information when you use the China Essentials mobile app, website and support services.
1. Information you provide
Depending on the features you use, China Essentials may process:
- Account information: your login email address, Supabase user identifier, authentication status and account timestamps. Passwords are handled by Supabase authentication and are not visible to China Essentials in readable form.
- Profile information: a display name, contact email and avatar choice, plus optional preparation preferences such as your purpose, country or region, preferred language, interests, climate, budget and cities of interest.
- Saved app state: onboarding status, packing preferences, checklist items, guide and lesson completion, saved flashcards and review progress, city visits, favourites and ratings, saved universities and similar progress or preferences.
- Access and entitlement information: records that indicate whether a beta or premium feature is available to your account. Real in-app purchases are not currently enabled. China Essentials does not receive or store payment-card details.
- Support information: your email address and anything you choose to include when you contact support, request account deletion or send beta feedback.
2. Information stored on your device
The app stores account-scoped profile data, preferences, checklists, progress, saved flashcards and entitlement state in local app storage so features can work efficiently. Some of that information is also synchronised to Supabase when you are signed in and a connection is available.
Clearing the app’s local storage or uninstalling the app removes data from that device, but it does not by itself delete your Supabase account or server-side data.
3. How we use information
We use this information only as needed to:
- create, authenticate and secure your account;
- remember your profile, preferences, progress and saved content;
- provide the app’s guides, preparation tools, city features and account-scoped access;
- restore synchronised app state when you sign in;
- respond to support, privacy and deletion requests;
- protect the service, investigate misuse and comply with legal obligations.
4. Service providers and external services
Supabase
China Essentials uses Supabase for email-and-password authentication and database storage. Supabase processes account identifiers, email addresses, profile fields, saved app state and entitlement records on our behalf.
Cloudflare
The website and public app images are delivered through Cloudflare services. When your browser or app requests this content, Cloudflare may process standard network information such as an IP address, request time, requested file and browser or device headers to deliver and secure the service.
App stores and links you choose to open
Apple or Google may process app download, beta-distribution and store-account information under their own policies. China Essentials also contains optional links to services such as Brevo-hosted newsletter forms, YouTube, Instagram and WhatsApp. Information you submit after opening a third-party service is handled under that service’s privacy policy. The app does not automatically send your China Essentials profile to those services.
China Essentials does not sell personal information. The current app and website do not include third-party advertising, behavioural tracking, or enabled analytics and crash-reporting services.
5. Security
We use reasonable technical and organisational safeguards intended to protect information, including authenticated access and the security controls provided by our service providers. Internet services cannot be guaranteed completely secure. Protect access to your device and email account, and contact us if you suspect unauthorised access.
6. Retention
Account and synchronised app data are generally kept while your account remains active. Local app data remains on a device until it is cleared by the user, removed with the app, or overwritten by normal app use.
After a verified deletion request, we remove the account and associated active server-side records. Limited information may remain temporarily in routine provider backups or be retained where reasonably necessary to document the request, prevent fraud, resolve disputes, protect security or comply with law. Support correspondence may also be retained for those limited purposes.
7. Account deletion
You can permanently delete your account in China Essentials through Profile → Settings → Delete account. The app requires you to type DELETE exactly before the final action is enabled. After server-side deletion succeeds, the app clears the account-scoped data stored on that device and returns to the signed-out screen.
If you cannot access the app, follow the email instructions on the Delete your account page. We may ask you to verify control of the account email before completing an email request.
8. Your choices and rights
You can change many profile and preference fields in the app. Depending on where you live, you may also have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict or receive a copy of your personal information, or object to certain processing. Email [email protected] to make a request. We may need to verify your identity.
9. Children
China Essentials is intended for people who can lawfully create and manage their own online account. If you believe a child provided personal information without the consent required where they live, contact us so we can review and delete it where appropriate.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as the app develops or our practices change. The current version will be published here with its effective date.
11. Contact
Questions, privacy requests and account-deletion requests can be sent to [email protected].