Summary
- Screenshots never leave your phone. Text is recognised on your device.
- Only the text you translate is sent to Google Translate — or nothing at all if you choose Offline only.
- No account and no ads.
- Your history, saved words and settings stay on your phone.
- Usage statistics and crash reports help us fix problems, and you can turn them off.
Who we are
The Android app Translate on Screen (the “App”) is published by Ai4u Limited (“we”, “us”), Hong Kong. You can reach us at [email protected]. This policy covers the App only; our website has its own privacy policy.
We do not run servers for the App. Information either stays on your phone or is sent by your phone directly to the Google services listed below.
Information processed on your device
- Screenshots. The App captures the screen only when you start a translation, using Android’s screen-capture permission or, if you turn on Enhanced mode, the accessibility service. Screenshots are used on your device to recognise text and are then discarded. They are never uploaded or saved.
- Word snippets. When you save a word, a small image of the area where it appeared is saved with it by default. It is stored on your device only. You can turn this off in settings, and it is deleted when you delete the word.
- Recognised text. Text recognition runs on your device using Google ML Kit, without a network connection.
- History and saved items. Translation and subtitle history, favourites, saved words and review progress, names and terms lists, and settings are stored on your device only. You can turn history off and clear it at any time. This information is excluded from Android cloud backup and device-to-device transfer.
- Backup files. If you export a backup, the App writes it to a location you choose, and importing restores from that file. We never receive it.
- Language processing. Language detection, word segmentation and phonetic annotation run on your device.
- Notifications. Notifications are created on your device. No push-notification server is involved.
Uninstalling the App deletes all of this information from your device, except backup files you have exported yourself.
Information sent to third parties
| Information | Sent to | When | Your choice |
|---|---|---|---|
| Text to be translated (recognised text, never screenshots) | Google Translate (translate.googleapis.com, clients5.google.com), sent directly from your phone | Each translation or word lookup in online mode | Choose Offline only in settings and all translation happens on your device |
| Requests to download offline translation and text-recognition models | Google (ML Kit model download servers) | When you download an offline language, or first recognise text in a new writing system | Needed to download a model; afterwards that model works without the network |
| Text you ask to have read aloud | Your phone’s text-to-speech engine (usually Google’s speech services; chosen by your phone) | When you ask for text to be read aloud | Only when you use it; handled under that engine’s own terms |
| Usage statistics | Google Firebase Analytics | While you use the App | Can be turned off; see Usage statistics and crash reports |
| Crash reports | Google Firebase Crashlytics | When the App crashes or stops responding | Same setting as usage statistics |
| Purchase information | Google Play | When you buy or restore a purchase | Payment is handled by Google Play; see Purchases |
| Emails you send us | Us, at [email protected] | When you send feedback or write to us | Voluntary; your address and message are used only to reply |
More about how these services handle information: Google Privacy Policy, Privacy and security in Firebase, Google Play Terms of Service.
Usage statistics and crash reports
What is collected
- Usage statistics (Google Firebase Analytics): which features and screens are used, whether translations succeed and how long they take, which settings are chosen and which plan is purchased; device model, Android version, App version, interface language, country (estimated by Google from your IP address) and the Firebase app instance ID.
- Crash reports (Google Firebase Crashlytics): the technical trace when the App crashes or stops responding, device model, Android version, App version, the steps taken before the crash (feature names only) and the Crashlytics installation ID.
What is never included
Recognised text, translations, screenshots and word snippets, saved words and favourites, names and terms lists, clipboard contents, the names of the apps you translate from, the advertising ID, the Android ID, precise location, contacts, your name or your email address. Usage statistics are not used for advertising, and Google signals is not enabled.
Why
To understand which parts of the App work well, and to find and fix problems that affect stability.
How to turn it off
Go to Settings › Data & privacy and switch off Share usage stats and crash reports (“Never includes text, translations or screenshots”). This stops both usage statistics and crash reports.
How long it is kept
User-level data in Firebase Analytics is deleted automatically after 2 months; aggregated reports contain no personal data. Crash reports are kept for 90 days.
Enhanced mode (Accessibility Service)
Enhanced mode uses Android’s accessibility service. It is optional and off by default, and the App works fully without it. Only you can turn it on: first read the explanation and agree in Settings › Permissions › Enhanced mode, then enable it yourself in Android’s accessibility settings. The App describes it as follows:
Reads the text on screen when you start a translation, so Translate on Screen can translate it more accurately. It never reads password fields, never reads in the background and never sends screenshots anywhere.
- It reads the text on the current screen only when you start a translation. It does not read continuously in the background, and it never reads password fields.
- With it on, the App can ask for screen-capture permission less often and can capture only the window of the app you are using.
- Text it reads is handled exactly like recognised text: sent to Google Translate in online mode, as described in Information sent to third parties, and to no one else. Screenshots never leave your phone.
- While it is on, your history records which app a piece of text came from. This is stored on your device only and is never included in usage statistics.
- You can turn it off at any time in Android’s accessibility settings.
Permissions
| Permission | Why it is needed |
|---|---|
| Display over other apps | To show the App’s controls and translations on top of the app you are using |
| Screen capture (confirmed by Android each time) | To capture the screen and recognise text; used only when you start a translation or while continuous translation is running |
| Foreground service | To keep the App’s on-screen controls and continuous translation running; a notification shows while it runs |
| Notifications | For the running status, quick actions and review reminders |
| Accessibility service (Enhanced mode, optional, off by default) | See Enhanced mode |
| Internet | For online translation, model downloads, usage statistics and crash reports, and Google Play purchases |
| Run at startup | To restore review reminders after your phone restarts |
Purchases
Purchases are processed by Google Play. We never receive your card number or other payment details. The App only learns, on your phone, whether you have made a purchase and which plan it is. Purchase status is verified by Google Play on your device; we have no server involved. See the subscription terms.
Data retention
| Information | How long it is kept |
|---|---|
| Information on your device | Until you delete it or uninstall the App |
| User-level data in Firebase Analytics | Deleted automatically after 2 months (aggregated reports contain no personal data) |
| Crashlytics crash reports | 90 days |
| Text sent to Google Translate | Not kept by us; Google handles it under the Google Privacy Policy |
| Support emails | As long as needed to resolve your request; deleted on request |
Your choices and rights
- Choose Offline only, turn off usage statistics and crash reports, turn off or clear your history, delete saved words, or uninstall the App.
- Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, delete or correct your personal information, to object to or restrict its processing, and to complain to a data-protection authority. Write to [email protected]. Because there is no account, we usually cannot identify any individual’s information, but we will help as far as we can.
- We do not sell personal information, and we do not share it for cross-context behavioural advertising.
Legal bases (EEA and UK users)
- Translation: processing that is necessary to provide the service you ask for.
- Usage statistics and crash reports: our legitimate interest in improving the App and keeping it stable. You can turn them off at any time.
International transfers
Google may process information outside your country, including in the United States, relying on safeguards such as the standard contractual clauses that Google provides.
Children
The App is intended for users aged 13 and older and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect information from children. If you are a parent and believe your child has provided information, write to us and we will delete it.
Security
All network traffic uses HTTPS. Information on your device is kept in the App’s private storage.
Changes
When we change this policy we will update the date at the top of this page. For material changes, we will also let you know in the App.
Contact
Ai4u Limited, Hong Kong · [email protected] · See also the terms of service.