AALookup
About this policy
In this policy, “AALookup” or “we” refers to the operator providing the AALookup app and related services and responsible for processing personal information. This policy covers our apps across platforms, aalookup.com, and related account and online services. Features vary by platform and version.
For privacy and account questions, contact support@aalookup.com. You can write in English or Chinese.
Information we use and why
We process and store information provided or generated when you use the service, including authentication information such as your username, display name, email address and password, as well as membership status, learning records, requests and model replies from our official online explanation service, and support messages. We use it to provide and maintain the service, manage accounts and access, save your settings and content, and respond to your requests.
When you use the app, website or related services, we also record operational and usage information depending on the features you use. This may include IP addresses, account, device or browser identifiers, app version, feature use and interaction events, usage frequency and duration, and request times, status and duration. This helps us operate and secure the service, manage usage, troubleshoot problems, understand use, and improve features and performance. These first-party logs may be linked to an account or device; they are not anonymous statistics. AALookup currently has no advertising and does not track you across other companies’ apps or websites for targeted advertising.
Feature-use events record actions such as opening a page, viewing a lookup result, saving a word, completing a review or starting a purchase. They include action times and random installation and session identifiers; signed-in actions may be linked to your account. These events do not include the word you looked up, reading text, notes or dictionary content. Events may be kept temporarily on your device while offline and sent when a connection is available.
The website and sign-in service use browser storage or session mechanisms for sign-in state, preferences and learning content. Hosting, authentication, email and AI providers process information needed for their services; online data may be processed outside your country or region. Content you choose to post in public channels such as GitHub is public under that platform’s rules.
Local dictionaries and word sync
Imported dictionaries, local lookup history, captured reading text and local learning records are stored on your device. Importing a dictionary or looking up an offline entry does not automatically upload its original file. Capture and voice features use permissions you grant. OCR runs locally; speech recognition is subject to the operating system’s services and settings.
When you sign in and use learning sync, saved words, headwords, notes, mastered or suspended status, review scheduling data and word-book progress are stored with your account for use on other signed-in devices. Sync does not automatically upload original dictionary files, entry HTML, captured sentences or reading context, local lookup history, or individual review events. Text you put in a synced note is uploaded as part of that note.
Free vocabulary sync covers unmastered cards and pauses regular uploads and downloads after the 100th card uploads. Mastered cards stay on your devices. When a card saved only under the free plan is marked as mastered, its last saved cloud copy is available for existing devices to finish downloading for up to seven days. It is removed when those devices confirm their final downloads or the window ends; local copies are kept, but a new device cannot restore it. Content saved during membership is retained when membership ends. We also retain existing cloud content if we cannot reliably determine that it was saved only under the free plan. Free sync does not continue uploading or downloading the complete content of mastered cards; active membership restores full sync.
Removing a free cloud copy does not immediately erase older backups. We retain limited card references and sync status to communicate the change, prevent duplicate processing and keep an older device from restoring removed cloud content without a new sync request. Account deletion follows the process below.
Dictionaries may contain publisher scripts or external images, audio and other resources. Loading resources allowed by the network rules, or opening external links, can send your IP address and request details to those providers. You can manage dictionary network access and related permissions through settings available on your platform.
Online explanations and AI services
When you start a lookup while online and have lookups available, AALookup automatically requests an online explanation. The word, sentence and surrounding context, relevant dictionary text and explanation language are sent to AALookup and may be sent to a model provider. The default provider is DeepSeek. Our request to the model provider does not explicitly include your account email or identifier, but the text you send may itself contain personal information. AI explanations send text, not screenshots or audio recordings.
Model providers may record complete explanation requests and model replies, and process and retain that data under their privacy policies and applicable terms of service.
For lookups that support connection recovery, we save the completed answer with an account or device reference and a request identifier so you can recover it for 24 hours without using another lookup. We then delete this recovery copy. We keep usage and payment records to manage your allowance, prevent duplicate charges and handle support requests; operational logs and backups follow the retention practices described below.
Online explanations are provided by AALookup. Current app versions no longer offer custom AI keys and no longer use previously configured keys. Local configuration files exported or backed up from older versions may still contain those keys in plaintext; protect your device and remove copies you no longer need.
Opening an external AI website or search shortcut may include the selected word or context in a link. Those providers handle data under their own policies, including retention, training use and processing locations. Only send content you intend to share with that service.
Error and performance reports
When the app or this website hits an error it cannot handle, it sends us a report so the problem can be found and fixed. A report contains the error message and the technical trace of where it happened, the app or site version, your operating system version, your device model, and the device identifier the app already uses when it contacts our service. A report from the website names the page it happened on, with anything after the address itself removed. Nothing is captured from your screen and no audio is recorded.
We also collect a sample of performance reports to find slow features and improve responsiveness. These record the type of operation, when it started, how long it took and whether it succeeded. Website reports also measure page loading, navigation, responsiveness and requests to our own service. Server reports measure request processing. Page and request names sent by the app and website omit search text, account references and other values specific to you. App reports use the same device identifier as error reports; related app, website and server timings can be connected to follow one request through the service.
Reports sent by the app and website do not contain the words or text you looked up, dictionary content, your notes, your keys, your files, or your computer's name. Their performance reports do not include the content of pages or messages you send or receive, and we do not record or replay your browsing session. Reports from our own servers retain the original error messages, requested addresses and related diagnostic details to help investigate problems. These details are not shortened or removed before reporting and may include information about you or your request when it appears in an error or its related context.
Reports go only to servers we run ourselves, so no third-party crash reporting or analytics service receives them, and the network address a report arrives from is shortened before it is stored. We keep error and performance reports for 30 days and then delete them.
Error and performance reporting are on by default. In the App Store and Google Play versions you can turn both off with the reporting switch in Settings, under About. Turning it off stops the app from submitting new reports, including performance reports for operations still in progress. Reports already submitted may still reach us afterward. The copies we distribute ourselves — the macOS and Windows downloads, and the Android package from this site — do not offer that switch. Write to support@aalookup.com if you would rather one of those did not send reports.
Retention and security
We retain information to provide the service and meet necessary security and support needs, handling it according to the data involved and applicable requirements. Account authentication and access controls help protect service data. No storage or transmission method can guarantee complete security.
You can remove local data through available app controls or by clearing storage, but exported copies, original dictionary files and backups may remain. Signing out, clearing local storage or uninstalling the app does not delete server-side account or synced records; deleting the account does. Data held by third-party services is subject to their controls and policies.
Your choices and contacting us
Online explanations are part of the lookup flow and do not have a separate on/off switch. When your device is offline or you have no lookups available, local dictionary cards remain available. Before starting a lookup online, consider whether the selected word and reading context contain information you do not want to send. You can manage the sync, permissions and dictionary network settings available on your platform. Some platforms or features require sign-in. Available edit and removal controls let you manage local or synced learning records; they do not recall information already sent to another service.
You can delete your account yourself from Account & Sync in the app’s settings or from the account page on this website by typing the account’s email address to confirm. The account stops working at once: every AALookup signed-in session is revoked and it can no longer sync. For 7 days after the request you can keep the account by signing in again and explicitly confirming that you want to withdraw the request. After that the account stays closed, and 14 days after the request, within 15 days at the latest and after a service backup, we delete the account record, sessions and device authorizations, synced words and notes, review schedule and word-book progress, membership grants, and the account’s usage counters; a redeemed membership code stays marked as used. The associated sign-in record is removed within 30 days after that. Backups that predate the deletion expire within seven days of it, and a restore re-applies completed deletions. We keep the deletion record, including the account’s email address and available phone number, to communicate deletion results and investigate later support requests. Once your account and any associated sign-in record have been deleted, we will send a completion notice by email, or by SMS if no email address is available. We also keep short-lived operational logs. These retained records do not restore the account. Data on your own devices is removed from the device you deleted from; other devices keep only what they already hold offline.
To request access, correction or export, or if you cannot use the in-app deletion, contact support@aalookup.com, preferably from your account’s email address. We may verify account ownership and confirm the data we can handle and the progress of your request. Sending a request does not by itself delete all records, logs or backups. Do not send passwords or API keys.
For security concerns, or questions from a parent or guardian about a child’s information, contact support privately. Avoid posting unnecessary personal information in public channels. Your specific statutory rights depend on the rules that apply.
Policy changes
We may revise this policy as features, data uses or service arrangements change, and update the date on this page. Changes that materially affect the purposes or methods of processing personal information, or your rights, will be highlighted on the website, by email or through another appropriate channel. We will obtain consent or renewed consent where required.
If a new operator takes over the service and personal information is transferred, we will identify the recipient, provide contact details and explain relevant changes, require it to continue meeting this policy’s protections, and follow applicable requirements. Contact us whenever you need an explanation or clarification. Interpretations, revisions and changes in operating arrangements do not diminish your statutory rights.
Subscriptions and payment information
When you purchase through Paddle, Paddle acts as the authorized reseller and handles checkout and payment under its Privacy Policy. When you purchase through Waffo Pancake, it handles subscription or one-time checkout and payment under the Waffo Privacy Policy. The payment service you choose processes the contact, billing and payment-method information you provide.
We share the account contact information and purchase details needed to create and link your order. We use order references, amounts, currencies, and subscription, payment and refund status to provide membership benefits, reconcile payments and handle support requests. We do not receive your full payment-card details.
Transaction and refund records may remain after account deletion where needed for accounting, tax obligations, fraud prevention or payment disputes. Learning, account and sign-in records follow the deletion process described in this policy. See our refunds page for cancellation and refund requests.