About this policy
Acquiring is a music-theory and ear-training app provided by Brian Ellsworth. This policy covers the Android and iOS apps, including their beta releases distributed through Google Play testing and Apple TestFlight, and support for those apps. It does not replace the policies of services you choose to visit. For questions, contactbellsworth137@gmail.com.
The app does not require an Acquiring account. It has no advertising SDK, third-party analytics SDK, or automatic third-party crash-reporting SDK. It does not sell personal information or use microphone input for advertising. Where the two platforms differ, this policy says so.
Microphone and pitch detection
If you enable a microphone-based practice feature and grant microphone permission, the app uses microphone input to estimate pitch and provide singing and vocal-range feedback. Audio samples are processed in memory on your device. The app does not save these samples as audio recordings or upload them to the developer or another service. This applies equally on iOS: pitch analysis runs entirely on the device, and no audio or derived pitch data leaves it.
Android asks for microphone permission when a listening feature starts; iOS asks the first time the app requests microphone access. You can decline or revoke that permission at any time in Android's app permissions or in iOS Settings. Features that listen to your voice will not work without it, but browsing songs and listening to app-generated playback do not require microphone access.
Information stored on your device
The app stores its song catalog and downloaded song information locally. It also stores favorites, playlist entries, and recent song and artist history to support those features. On neither platform does the app upload that local history or your favorites to an Acquiring account or a developer-operated synchronization service.
Operating-system backup is enabled in the app. On Android, depending on your device, operating system, and backup settings, Android may back up or transfer app data through your device's backup provider. On iOS, the app's local data is included in iCloud Backup and in backups made through Finder or iTunes, according to your device and iCloud settings. In both cases the backup is operated by the platform rather than by an Acquiring service, and is controlled through your device and account settings.
Online features and other services
Some features make internet requests. The receiving service necessarily receives your IP address and the requested resource, and may process technical request information under its own policies:
- Catalog downloads: Download Full Library retrieves the catalog from GitHub's release-hosting infrastructure.
- Song retrieval: Harvesting a song requests the supplied page and retrieves song-section data from Hooktheory. Those requests disclose the page or song sections being requested to the receiving service.
- External search and links: Opening a Hooktheory search sends the search text to Hooktheory in your browser. Song-source links and YouTube links open external services, whose content, cookies, account handling, and privacy practices are separate from the app.
See the Hooktheory Privacy Policy,GitHub Privacy Statement, and Google Privacy Policy. External services have their own eligibility and age requirements. Acquiring does not grant permission to use a service contrary to those requirements.
This privacy-policy webpage is hosted by GitHub Pages, which logs visitor IP addresses for security. The page does not add an advertising or analytics tracker.
App distribution, beta testing, and diagnostics
Google Play handles Android distribution and may process installation, testing, and diagnostic information under its own settings and policies.
Apple handles iOS distribution, and TestFlight handles iOS beta distribution. Joining a TestFlight beta requires an Apple Account and the email address the invitation was sent to; Apple processes those under its own policies. Through TestFlight the developer may receive:
- Crash and diagnostic reports: if you allow TestFlight to share app data with the developer, Apple provides crash logs and basic technical details such as device model, operating-system version, and app version.
- Tester feedback: feedback you send from TestFlight — including any screenshot and comments you attach, plus device, operating-system, app-version, and similar technical details Apple includes — is delivered to the developer, along with your email address and tester name if you allow TestFlight to share them.
- Aggregate metrics: Apple reports aggregate installation and session statistics for the beta in App Store Connect. The developer does not link these to an individual tester.
Crash reports and feedback are used to fix problems and improve the app, not for advertising. Sending TestFlight feedback is optional, and sharing app data with the developer can be turned off in TestFlight. Apple's handling of this information is described in theApple Privacy Policy. TestFlight builds expire, so a beta install is not a permanent way to keep the app.
Support and privacy requests
If you email bellsworth137@gmail.com, the developer receives your email address and whatever message, screenshots, or other information you choose to send. Email is handled through Gmail. This information is used to respond to your request, investigate problems, and maintain the app, not for advertising. Please do not send passwords, sensitive personal information, or voice recordings.
Support correspondence and TestFlight feedback are retained only as needed to handle the request, maintain relevant support records, or meet legal obligations. You can ask the developer to access, correct, or delete information you have sent. Requests are handled subject to applicable law; information that must be retained for legal reasons may not be immediately deleted.
Children and families
Acquiring is intended for teens aged 13 and older and adults, not children under 13. The same on-device microphone processing described above applies to all users on both platforms. The app does not require an Acquiring account or ask for a name, email address, or date of birth to use its local music-learning features. This audience statement is not an in-app age verification mechanism.
Teens should review external services with a parent or guardian and follow those services' eligibility rules. Hooktheory's policy requires users aged 13–17 to have parental permission. Acquiring does not obtain that permission on a user's behalf or enroll users in Hooktheory's separate educational-service arrangements.
If you believe a child has sent personal information to the developer, contactbellsworth137@gmail.com to request review and deletion. Do not include more information about the child than is needed to identify the relevant message.
Your choices and deletion
- Stop microphone practice or revoke microphone access in Android's app permissions, or in iOS Settings under Privacy & Security, then Microphone.
- Avoid online downloads, harvesting, and external links if you do not want those requests made.
- Clear Acquiring's app storage in Android settings, or delete the app on either platform, to remove its local app data. That also removes downloaded music data, favorites, and history. iOS offers no separate clear-storage control, and offloading the app on iOS keeps its data.
- Manage any operating-system backups separately through your backup provider or iCloud settings. Clearing local storage does not necessarily delete an existing backup, and a restore may bring back previously backed-up data.
- On iOS, turn off sharing app data with the developer in TestFlight, and decline to send TestFlight feedback, if you do not want diagnostics or feedback delivered.
- Contact the developer to request deletion of support correspondence or TestFlight feedback.
Microphone audio buffers are temporary and are not retained as recordings. Other local data remains until removed by you, replaced through normal app use, or cleared by the operating system. Retention of external-service records and backups is controlled by those providers; the developer cannot delete those records through the app.
Changes to this policy
This policy may be updated as the app changes. Updates will be posted at this address with a revised date. Material changes to data handling will be accompanied by any notice or consent required before the new handling begins.