Terms and Conditions

3.1 Account Creation

• You must provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration
• You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your password
• You are responsible for all activities that occur under your account
• You must notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account

3.2 Account Security

• Do not share your account credentials with others
• Use a strong, unique password (minimum 8 characters, including uppercase, lowercase, numbers, and symbols)
• Your password is hashed with bcrypt and never stored in plain text
• Sessions use secure httpOnly cookies to prevent XSS attacks
• Login attempts are rate-limited (5 failed attempts = 15 minute lockout)
• Refresh tokens allow you to stay logged in for 90 days; you can revoke all tokens by logging out from all devices
• We are not liable for any loss or damage from your failure to maintain account security

5.1 Your Content

• You retain ownership of content you create (custom profile pictures, bio, messages, and profile information)
• By uploading content, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive license to use, display, and distribute it within the App
• You are responsible for ensuring your content does not violate any laws or third-party rights

5.2 Content Standards

User content must not:

• Be defamatory, obscene, offensive, or hateful
• Promote violence, discrimination, or illegal activities
• Infringe on intellectual property rights
• Contain personal information of others without consent
• Be misleading or fraudulent
• Constitute harassment, bullying, or abuse of any kind

5.3 Zero-Tolerance Policy

5.4 Reporting Objectionable Content

Users can report objectionable content or abusive behaviour directly within the App:

• On any chat message: tap and hold the message, then select "Report"
• On any user profile: tap the three-dot menu on their profile, then select "Report User"
• Via email: support@cringeapp.ai with the subject line "Content Report"

We are committed to reviewing all reports and taking action on confirmed violations within 24 hours of a report being received.

5.5 Blocking Abusive Users

You can block any user at any time to prevent them from contacting you or viewing your profile:

• On a user's profile, tap "Block User"
• Blocked users cannot send you messages, view your profile, or interact with you in any way
• You can manage your block list in Profile → Settings → Blocked Users
• Blocking a user does not notify them that they have been blocked

5.6 Content Moderation

• We reserve the right to remove any content that violates these Terms at our sole discretion
• We may suspend or permanently terminate accounts that violate content policies
• Repeated or severe violations will result in immediate and permanent account termination
• We cooperate fully with law enforcement where required by applicable law

6.1 Lesson Generation

• Educational content is generated using AI (Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude)
• AI-generated content is provided "as is" and may contain inaccuracies
• We strive for accuracy but do not guarantee the correctness of all AI-generated content
• Use AI-generated lessons at your own discretion

6.2 Educational Purpose Only

• The App is designed for language learning purposes only
• It is not a substitute for professional language instruction or certification programs
• We do not guarantee specific learning outcomes or proficiency levels

7.1 Friend Connections

• You may connect with other users through our friend system
• Respect other users' privacy and boundaries
• Do not use social features for commercial or promotional purposes without permission

7.2 User Interactions

• Be respectful and courteous in all interactions
• Report inappropriate behavior or content
• We are not responsible for interactions between users

8.1 Our Rights

All content, features, and functionality of the App are owned by Cringe and protected by copyright laws, trademark laws, and other intellectual property rights.

8.2 License to Use

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable license to access and use the App for personal, non-commercial purposes and to download and install the App on your devices.

You may NOT:

• Copy, modify, or create derivative works of the App
• Reverse engineer or decompile the App
• Remove or modify any copyright notices
• Use the App's branding without permission

9.1 XP, Gems, and Achievements

• XP, gems, badges, and achievements have no real-world monetary value
• These are virtual items for motivational purposes only
• We reserve the right to adjust, modify, or remove virtual items at any time

9.2 Leaderboards

• Leaderboards are for competitive motivation only
• We may reset leaderboards periodically
• Cheating or manipulation may result in removal from leaderboards and account suspension

10.1 Cringe Plus Subscription

Cringe offers an optional premium subscription called Cringe Plus, which unlocks additional features including AI voice practice, PDF lessons, pronunciation scoring, and more. The core app remains free to use.

Cringe Plus is available as an auto-renewable subscription with the following billing options:

• Weekly — billed every 7 days
• Monthly — billed every 30 days
• Yearly — billed every 365 days

Prices are displayed in your local currency at the point of purchase and may vary by region.

10.2 Billing and Renewal

• Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at the confirmation of purchase.
• Your subscription automatically renews at the end of each billing period unless auto-renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period.
• Your Apple ID account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period.
• You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal at any time by going to your Account Settings in the App Store after purchase.
• No cancellation of the current subscription is allowed during the active subscription period.

10.3 Free Trial

Where offered, any unused portion of a free trial period will be forfeited when you purchase a Cringe Plus subscription.

10.4 Refunds

Subscription payments are non-refundable except where required by applicable law. For refund requests related to App Store purchases, please contact Apple directly via the App Store.

10.5 Price Changes

We reserve the right to change subscription prices at any time. Price changes will take effect at the start of your next billing cycle. We will give you reasonable advance notice of any price change.

10.6 Cancellation

You may cancel your Cringe Plus subscription at any time. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period — you will retain access to Plus features until then. To cancel:

• iOS: Go to Settings → [your name] → Subscriptions on your iPhone or iPad
• App Store: Go to your Account Settings → Subscriptions

Cancelling does not delete your account or your learning data.

16.1 By You

You may stop using the App and delete your account at any time.

16.2 By Us

We may suspend or terminate your account if:

• You violate these Terms
• You engage in fraudulent or illegal activity
• We discontinue the App
• Required by law

16.3 Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

• Your right to use the App ends immediately
• We may delete your account and data (subject to legal retention requirements)
• Provisions that should survive termination will remain in effect

20.1 Informal Resolution

Before filing a claim, contact us to attempt informal resolution: support@cringeapp.ai.

20.2 Arbitration

Disputes may be resolved through binding arbitration rather than court litigation, subject to applicable law.

20.3 Class Action Waiver

You agree to resolve disputes individually and waive the right to participate in class action lawsuits (where permitted by law).

25.1 Installation

• Cringe can be installed as a Progressive Web App on supported devices
• Installation is optional but provides offline functionality and improved performance
• Installed apps may request permissions (notifications, storage, etc.)

25.2 Updates

• We automatically update the PWA to ensure security and feature improvements
• Updates are applied seamlessly without requiring manual installation
• You may need to refresh or restart the app to apply critical updates

25.3 Uninstallation

• You can uninstall the PWA at any time through your device settings
• Uninstalling removes cached data but does not delete your account
• Your account data remains on our servers until you request deletion

25.4 Offline Functionality

• Some features work offline using cached data
• Lesson generation and AI features require internet connectivity
• Offline actions sync automatically when you reconnect