BetterKbd Privacy Policy
Short version: BetterKbd learns on your device. The developer collects no data at all: there are no accounts, analytics, advertising or third-party services. If you turn on iCloud sync (iPhone and iPad), your learned data is stored in your own private iCloud account, which only you can read. This policy covers BetterKbd on iOS and on Android.
What the keyboard learns
To adapt to how you type, the keyboard keeps, on your device:
- where you tap each key (touch positions and touch size), per way of holding the phone;
- the words and word sequences you type, to improve suggestions and autocorrection;
- a log of corrected taps, used to train the optional touch model.
This data is stored in the app's private container on your device. It is not sent to the developer or to anyone else.
Full Access
iOS asks you to "Allow Full Access" for keyboards that need to save data or use haptics. BetterKbd uses Full Access only to save what it learns to the app's shared container on your device (so the keyboard and the BetterKbd app can both use it) and for haptic feedback. The keyboard itself makes no network connections. Without Full Access the keyboard still works, but forgets what it learned when it closes.
iCloud sync (optional)
If iCloud sync is on in the BetterKbd app, the app copies your learned language model, your touch model, the number of touch samples and your device's name to the private database of your own iCloud account, so your other devices can use them. Apple stores this data under its iCloud terms; the developer cannot see it. You can turn sync off in the app's settings, and delete the data in iOS Settings › [your name] › iCloud › Manage Storage.
Android
On Android, BetterKbd has no internet permission, so neither the keyboard nor the app can send anything over the network. Android shows a standard warning when you turn on any keyboard that it "may be able to collect all the text you type"; BetterKbd keeps what it learns in the app's private storage on your phone. It doesn't learn from password fields, and doesn't learn from URL, e-mail or number fields or from apps that ask keyboards not to learn (such as incognito browser tabs).
There is no iCloud on Android. Instead, Android's own backup can include what the keyboard learned (not the touch log) in your Google account's device backup, so a new phone starts where the old one left off. BetterKbd allows this only when Android can end-to-end encrypt the backup with your screen lock, so neither Google nor the developer can read it. You can turn backup off in Android Settings › System › Backup.
Importing and exporting
- Import: text files or chat exports you choose to import are read on your device to learn your words. The files themselves are not uploaded anywhere; what is learned from them becomes part of your language model, which is synced only if iCloud sync is on (iOS) or included in your encrypted device backup (Android).
- Export: the touch log leaves your device only if you export it yourself with the share button.
Deleting your data
Use Learning › Reset learning in the BetterKbd app, or delete the app, which removes everything it stored on the device. Synced copies can be removed from iCloud as described above; Android device backups are managed in your Google account (Google Drive › Backups).
Children
BetterKbd collects no data from anyone, including children.
Changes and contact
If this policy changes, the updated version will be posted on this page. Questions: kobus@marneweck.com.