Legal

Privacy Policy

ByteShards is built offline-first. The short version: your study data lives on your device, an account is optional, nothing you write is shared with other learners unless you opt in, we don't sell data, and we don't show ads.

What we collect

• No account (default): your progress — streaks, XP, reviewed cards, saved cards, settings — is stored only on your device. We can't see it.
• If you sign in (optional): we store your email or Apple ID identifier and your synced study progress with our backend provider (Supabase) so leagues, friends, and cross-device sync work.
• Usage analytics: app events (e.g. "session completed") via PostHog to understand which features matter. No card answers, no personal content. While you are signed out these events carry only a device-generated identifier; once you sign in we attach your account identifier to them, so analytics are linked to your account for as long as it exists.
• Content you write: scenario answers and interview debriefs you choose to send us — see User content.
• Purchases: handled entirely by Apple App Store / Google Play. We never see your payment details — only a confirmation that Pro is active.

User content

Two features send text you wrote off your device. Both are described on screen at the moment they happen.

• Scenario answers (opt-in, off by default): when you write a free-text answer to a practice scenario, it is kept on your device unless you tick "Share my answer anonymously" next to the input. If you tick it, that answer is uploaded and stored in a shared pool and may be shown to other learners studying the same card. It is stored with no author identity — no name, no email, no account id, not even for signed-in users — so we cannot link a shared answer back to you, and cannot retrieve or delete an individual one on request. Don't put anything confidential, personal, or employer-restricted in an answer you share.
• Interview debriefs (linked to your account): the company, topics, and notes you log after a real interview are uploaded and stored against your account so they appear in your own history and re-rank your deck. They are also aggregated into the "most asked at <company>" view, which only appears once at least 20 separate debriefs exist for that company, so no single interview is identifiable. Debriefs are deleted with your account.

Shared answers and debriefs are content you are responsible for. We may remove any content that is unlawful, abusive, or contains someone else's personal data — write to support@byteshards.com to report something and we aim to act within 24 hours.

What we don't do

• No cross-app tracking and no advertising identifier. ByteShards never requests the iOS IDFA or the Android Advertising ID, ships no ad SDK and no attribution SDK, and never combines your data with data from other companies' apps or websites. We do not present the iOS App Tracking Transparency prompt because there is nothing to ask for.
• No selling or renting of personal data. No third-party advertising or ad SDKs.
• No AI processing of your data at runtime — the code judge runs entirely on your device.
• No collection from children: ByteShards is intended for users 13 and older.

Sharing & processors

We use a small set of processors strictly to run the service: Supabase (accounts & sync), PostHog (product analytics, linked to your account id once you sign in), Apple/Google (distribution & billing), and Expo/EAS (app updates). Each receives only what it needs.

Retention & your rights

Synced data is kept while your account exists and deleted within 30 days of account deletion (see Delete your account). You may request a copy or correction of your data at support@byteshards.com. Local data is removed by uninstalling the app. Anonymously shared scenario answers are the one exception: because they carry no identity, they cannot be matched to you and therefore survive account deletion — that is also why sharing is opt-in.

Contact

The data controller for ByteShards is TODO(founder): legal entity name, TODO(founder): postal address. Privacy questions: support@byteshards.com.

Terms of Service

The service

ByteShards is a study app for technical interview preparation and skills upkeep. The free core (all tracks, answers, daily sessions with limits) is available without payment. ByteShards Pro unlocks the weekly fresh stream, incident debugging, mock & voice interviews, the JD analyzer, and unlimited sessions, code runs and custom decks.

Subscriptions & purchases

• Pro is offered as a monthly or yearly auto-renewing subscription, or a one-time lifetime purchase, billed through your Apple or Google account.
• Subscriptions renew automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the period ends. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store / Google Play subscription settings — not in the app.
• Refunds are handled by Apple/Google under their policies.
• Cancelling Pro never removes the free core.

Acceptable use

Don't redistribute, scrape, or resell the content; don't reverse-engineer the app; don't use it in ways that violate law or store policies. Content is for your personal study.

If you choose to share a scenario answer or log a debrief (see User content), you confirm it is yours to share and that it contains no confidential, unlawful, abusive, or personal information about anyone else. You grant us a licence to store it and — for shared answers — display it anonymously to other learners. We may remove any shared content at our discretion; report anything objectionable to support@byteshards.com.

Content disclaimer

Cards are hand-authored and verified against primary sources at publish time, but technology changes fast — content is provided "as is" for educational purposes, without warranty of accuracy or fitness. ByteShards does not guarantee interview outcomes or employment.

Liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, our total liability is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months before the claim. Nothing here limits liability that cannot be limited by law.

Changes

We may update these terms; material changes will be shown in the app or on this page with a new "last updated" date. Governing law: TODO(founder): governing-law jurisdiction.

Delete your account

You can delete your ByteShards account and all synced data at any time. Two ways:

1 · In the app (fastest)

Profile → Settings → Delete account. This permanently removes your account, synced progress, league history, and friends links. The action is immediate and cannot be undone.

2 · By email

Email support@byteshards.com with the subject "Delete my account" from the address you signed in with. We verify and delete within 30 days, and confirm when done.

What gets deleted — and what doesn't

• Deleted: account identifiers, synced study progress, league/contest history, friend connections, and analytics linked to your account.
• Not affected: data stored only on your device (uninstall the app to remove it), and purchase records held by Apple/Google — those are managed in your store account.
• Pro purchases: deleting your account does not cancel a subscription — cancel it in App Store / Google Play settings. Lifetime purchases can be restored later via "Restore purchases" on the same store account.