Plain-English summary: Polya is a homework-checking app made by one person, Ethan Chow. When you photograph a problem or ask a question, that photo and text are sent to Anthropic (the company that runs the Claude AI models) so the AI can check your work — that's the only way the app works. Homework photos are automatically deleted from Polya's server after 24 hours. Voice questions are turned into text on your own phone before anything is sent anywhere; your raw voice recording never leaves your device. Payment is handled entirely by Apple — Polya's server never sees your card number. There are no ad networks and no analytics trackers in this app. The details are below.
Polya is built and operated by Ethan Chow, an individual developer, not a company. If you have any question about this policy or your data, email ethanchow42@gmail.com.
| What | When | Why |
|---|---|---|
| A photo of your homework, and any typed or spoken question | Whenever you use "check my work," live-camera mode, or chat | Sent to Anthropic's AI models so they can read the problem and generate feedback. This is the core of the app — without it, Polya can't check anything. |
| Transcribed text of your spoken questions | Voice mode | Your phone's own speech-to-text turns your voice into text before anything is sent. Your raw audio recording is never uploaded — only the resulting text goes to the AI. Polya's spoken replies are generated from text by a third-party voice service, which likewise only ever receives text, never your voice. |
| A device token (a random ID, not tied to your name) | First time you open the app | Identifies your device to the server so it can show your own history and enforce your plan's usage limits. It is stored as a one-way hash, not as plain text, on the server. |
| Your Apple ID identifier, and your email address if you choose to share it | Only if you use "Sign in with Apple" | Links your device token to an account, so your history and plan follow you if you switch phones. Polya never sees or stores an Apple password — Apple verifies your identity and only passes Polya a signed token. |
| Usage data: timestamps, which AI model was used, credits spent, processing cost | Every time you use the app | To run the service, show you your own usage, and enforce plan limits (e.g., how many checks you have left this month). |
| Subscription status (active plan, renewal date) | If you buy Magna or Summa | Apple, not Polya, processes your payment and sends the server a signed notice of your subscription status. Polya's server never receives or stores your card number, billing address, or any other payment details — Apple keeps that. |
Polya does not sell your data, and does not use ad networks, ad trackers, or analytics/tracking SDKs of any kind. Information is shared only with the services that make the app work:
Polya may disclose information if required by law, or to protect the safety of users or the service.
Photos and questions travel between your phone and Polya's server over an encrypted connection (HTTPS/TLS). Device tokens are stored as one-way hashes, so even someone with access to the database cannot recover your original token. No system is perfectly secure, and Polya cannot guarantee absolute security, but reasonable steps are taken to protect your information.
Polya is not directed at children under 13, and knowingly collecting information from a child under 13 is not something Polya does. Users between 13 and 17 need a parent or legal guardian's permission to use Polya, consistent with Polya's Terms of Service. If you believe a child under 13 has used Polya and provided information, contact ethanchow42@gmail.com and it will be deleted.
This policy may be updated as Polya changes — for example, if a new feature changes what data is collected. The effective date above will change when it is updated, and significant changes will be noted in the app.
Questions, requests, or concerns about your privacy: ethanchow42@gmail.com.