Cookie & Tracking Notice

1. Overview

This notice explains the cookies and similar technologies used on our website (hemistich.com), our web app, and our admin tools. It applies to the web. The WhatsApp bot does not use cookies.

2. What are cookies?

Cookies are small text files stored on your device by your browser. Similar technologies include local storage, which lets a site keep information in your browser between visits. Both let a site remember things.

3. What we use

3.1 Strictly necessary

• Sign-in cookie (web app): When you sign in, we set a secure, HTTP-only cookie named hemistich_user_rt that keeps you signed in. Scripts on the page cannot read it, and it is only sent to our sign-in endpoints. Without it you would have to sign in again every time you open the app.
• Staff sign-in cookie: Our admin dashboard uses a similar cookie to keep authorized staff signed in.

3.2 Preferences and features (local storage)

The web app stores small items in your browser so that it works the way you left it. These stay on your device and include:

• Your theme (light or dark), your chosen reading voice and speech accent, and notices you have dismissed
• Your chat conversations, saved per account on your device (they are not kept on our servers)
• Progress through the first-run tour and your install prompt status
• A referral code, if you arrived through a referral link

3.3 Analytics and session recording (web app)

On the web app we use PostHog for product analytics and session recording. It sets a cookie and keeps an identifier in local storage so that it can recognise a returning visit and link the screens you view together. What it does and does not record, and how to opt out, is explained in section 5 of our Privacy Policy. In short, the content of your questions, answers and voice conversations is excluded, form fields are masked, and we honour your browser's "Do Not Track" setting. Our public marketing pages do not use PostHog, and the native mobile app does not use it.

4. Third parties

• Google Sign-In: If you choose to sign in with Google, a Google sign-in window opens and Google may set its own cookies according to its own policies.
• Fonts: Our pages load typefaces from Google Fonts. Google may receive your IP address as a normal part of serving them.
• PostHog: See 3.3.

We do not sell your data and we do not use third-party advertising cookies.

5. Managing cookies

You can control or delete cookies and local storage through your browser settings, and you can turn on "Do Not Track" to opt out of analytics. Blocking the sign-in cookie will stop you staying signed in. Clearing local storage will reset your preferences and remove your saved chat history from that device.

6. Changes

We may update this notice as our use of cookies evolves. Material changes will be reflected here with a new "last updated" date. See also our Privacy Policy.

7. Contact

Questions? Email privacy@hemistich.com.