Sema Privacy Policy
Effective date: July 1, 2026
Sema is an iOS translation app operated by McGrew Home Management LLC. This Privacy Policy explains how Sema collects, uses, shares, retains, and protects information when you use the Sema app and related services.
1. Who We Are
Sema is operated by McGrew Home Management LLC.
For privacy questions, account deletion help, or other requests, use the contact options at:
https://mcgrewhm.com/sema/support/
2. Information We Collect
Account and app identity information
Sema uses account and app identity information to authenticate users, protect the service, support quotas, and operate app features. This may include:
- Sign in with Apple identifier information.
- A Sema user account identifier.
- Device or install identifiers used for app trust, security, and quota context.
- Session, refresh-token, and authentication lifecycle metadata.
- App state needed to troubleshoot account, session, or service errors.
Translation content
When you use translation features, Sema may process:
- text you enter for translation;
- speech or audio you capture for transcription and translation;
- transcripts created from speech;
- translated text; and
- generated speech audio created for playback.
Translation content is sent to the Sema API and may be processed by model and speech providers, including OpenAI, to provide transcription, translation, and text-to-speech functionality.
By default, Sema does not keep source audio after processing a translation request.
Local history and generated audio cache
Sema may store app data locally on your device, including:
- recent language pairs;
- translation history;
- translated text;
- generated speech files for playback;
- app settings; and
- related local state needed to operate the app.
Local history and generated speech cache are separate from backend operational records. They can be deleted through available app controls or account deletion flows.
Issue reports and support messages
If you submit a translation issue report, Sema may collect:
- the selected issue reason;
- an optional comment;
- submitted source text or transcript;
- submitted translated text; and
- operational context needed to review the report.
Issue reports are intended for support, quality review, and troubleshooting. They do not include raw source audio by default.
If you contact us by email or through a support page, we collect the information you choose to provide, such as your email address, message content, and any details needed to respond.
Operational metadata and diagnostics
Sema may collect operational metadata and diagnostics, such as:
- user, account, install, or session context;
- language pair and translation mode;
- app version, provider, model, or configuration version;
- request timing, latency, and cost summaries;
- quota and abuse-prevention signals;
- error category and failure stage; and
- crash, reliability, and performance diagnostics.
Operational metadata is used to operate, secure, monitor, and improve Sema. It is not intended to be a user-facing remote translation history.
3. Information We Do Not Collect or Use for Advertising
Sema is not designed for advertising tracking.
In v1, Sema does not:
- use advertising identifiers for targeted advertising;
- run third-party ad retargeting;
- sell user data;
- use translation content for advertising; or
- collect precise location, contacts, photos, financial information, health information, browsing history, or search history through the app.
If Sema's data practices materially change, we will update this policy and any required App Store privacy disclosures.
4. How We Use Information
Sema uses information to:
- authenticate and authorize app sessions;
- provide transcription, translation, and generated speech features;
- return translation results to the device;
- support local history and playback;
- operate accounts, sessions, deletion flows, and settings;
- enforce quotas, rate limits, abuse controls, and service safeguards;
- troubleshoot errors and support requests;
- process translation issue reports;
- monitor reliability, cost, performance, and security; and
- comply with legal, security, and operational obligations.
5. Sharing and Service Providers
Sema shares information only as needed to operate, secure, support, or comply with legal obligations for the service.
This may include sharing information with:
- OpenAI or other model/speech providers for transcription, translation, and generated speech workflows;
- Apple services for Sign in with Apple and App Store platform functionality;
- hosting, logging, security, and operational service providers; and
- legal, safety, or compliance recipients when required by law or necessary to protect users, the service, or others.
We do not sell user data.
6. Retention and Deletion
Sema keeps information only as long as reasonably needed for the purposes described in this policy, unless a longer period is required for security, legal, accounting, or compliance reasons.
Planned v1 retention periods include:
- authentication, session, and audit metadata: up to 1 year;
- quota decisions and usage rollups: up to 1 year;
- account deletion records: up to 3 years;
- invite and allowlist changes: up to 1 year;
- translation/result metadata without full text content: about 180 days;
- failed-attempt operational metadata: about 90 days; and
- translation issue reports with content: about 180 days unless retained longer for reviewed, internal quality analysis or legal/security needs.
Local history, generated speech cache, and local app settings remain on your device until deleted by you, app cleanup behavior, or account deletion.
When you delete your account, Sema is intended to stop account access and delete app-scoped local history and generated speech cache for that user on the device. Some backend operational, security, abuse-prevention, deletion, or legal records may remain for the periods described above.
7. Your Choices
You can:
- choose whether to provide text, speech, issue reports, or support messages;
- delete local history and generated speech cache through available app controls;
- request account deletion through available in-app or support flows; and
- contact us through the support page for privacy questions or account deletion help.
8. Age and Audience
Sema is intended for users aged 13 and older.
Sema is not directed to children under 13, and Sema does not provide child-directed account or age-verification tooling in v1.
9. High-Stakes Use Notice
Sema translations may be inaccurate, incomplete, delayed, or affected by audio, network, model, or context limitations.
Do not rely on Sema as your only source for emergency, legal, medical, immigration, financial, safety-critical, or other high-stakes decisions. Verify important messages with a qualified human translator or other appropriate professional source.
10. Security
Sema uses secure transport, account/session controls, backend safeguards, and service-layer access controls designed to protect user information.
No security method is perfect. You should use normal caution when submitting private or sensitive content, especially in legal, medical, safety, or other high-stakes contexts.
11. International Processing
Sema and its service providers may process information in the United States and other locations where Sema or its providers operate.
12. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy as Sema changes. If we make material changes, we may provide notice in the app, on the website, or through another reasonable method.
The effective date at the top of this policy shows when this policy was last updated.
13. Contact
For privacy questions, deletion requests, support, or legal requests, use: