Effective Date: May 1, 2026
This Privacy Policy applies to Yappie (an AAC communication board app) and Guiding Steps (a visual schedule, social story, and task strip app), collectively referred to as "the Apps." Both apps are developed and maintained by Scott Lussier, an independent developer based in the United States, operating under the name Yappie ("we," "us," or "our").
This policy also covers our website at yappieapp.com ("the Website").
Both Yappie and Guiding Steps are designed for young children (ages 3-6) and are published in the Apple App Store Kids category. We take children's privacy extremely seriously.
We comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the Apple App Store Guidelines for Kids category apps, and all applicable privacy regulations. Our apps are built from the ground up with the principle that the best way to protect children's data is to never collect it in the first place.
To be absolutely clear, our apps do not collect any of the following:
Our apps require no account creation, no login, and no registration of any kind. There is nothing to sign up for and no information to enter.
Both apps store data locally on your device to function properly. This data never leaves your device and is never transmitted to us or any third party. Locally stored data includes:
This data is stored using your device's built-in storage (localStorage and IndexedDB). If you delete the app, this data is deleted with it. We have no ability to access, view, or recover this data.
Yappie uses your device's built-in text-to-speech capability (the Web Speech API) to speak words and sentences aloud. This processing happens entirely on your device. No audio or text is sent to any server. We do not record or store any speech output.
Our apps include Firebase Crashlytics, a crash reporting service provided by Google, to help us identify and fix technical problems. Here is how we handle it responsibly:
Firebase Crashlytics is governed by Google's Privacy Policy. We have configured Crashlytics in a COPPA-compliant manner and do not permit it to collect data from children.
Other than Firebase Crashlytics (described above, and only when explicitly enabled by a parent), our apps do not use any third-party services. Specifically:
Both apps are designed to work offline. After the initial download from the App Store, no internet connection is required to use any feature. The apps do not transmit data to any server during normal use.
Our website at yappieapp.com is a static marketing and informational site. The website is separate from our apps and is not directed at children.
Website analytics: We may use privacy-friendly analytics (such as Plausible Analytics) on our website to understand general traffic patterns such as page views and referral sources. These services do not use cookies, do not track visitors across sites, and do not collect personal information. This analytics is used on the website only -- never in the apps.
Contact: The website provides an email link (support@yappieapp.com) for support inquiries. If you email us, we will receive your email address and any information you choose to include in your message. We use this information solely to respond to your inquiry and do not add it to any marketing list or share it with third parties.
Donations: The website may include a PayPal donate button. If you choose to make a donation, that transaction is handled entirely by PayPal and is subject to PayPal's Privacy Policy. We do not collect or store your payment information.
Both apps include a parental gate -- a press-and-hold mechanism -- that prevents young children from accidentally accessing parent settings. All configuration, settings changes, and the enabling of crash reporting require passing through this parental gate. Children using the apps in their normal mode cannot access these features.
We do not sell, trade, rent, or share any user data with anyone. Period. Because we do not collect personal data from the apps, there is nothing to share.
Since all app data is stored locally on your device, you have full control over it. Deleting the app removes all associated data. We retain no data on any server because we do not collect any.
If you contact us via email, we retain your support correspondence only as long as needed to resolve your inquiry.
Because we do not collect personal information from our apps, there is no personal data for us to provide, correct, or delete. If you have any questions or concerns about data associated with the apps, you are welcome to contact us and we will assist you.
Parents and guardians have the right to:
Because all app data remains on your device, its security is managed by your device's built-in protections (passcode, Face ID, Touch ID, device encryption). We recommend using a device passcode to protect access to your device and the data stored on it.
If we make changes to this Privacy Policy, we will update this page with the new effective date. If we ever introduce any data collection beyond what is described here, we will notify users through an app update and update this policy before any new collection begins.
We will never begin collecting personal information from children without providing clear notice and obtaining verifiable parental consent as required by COPPA.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, your child's privacy, or anything else, please contact us:
Email: support@yappieapp.com
Developer: Scott Lussier
Website: yappieapp.com