Terms of Service

These terms govern your use of the Gangkar learning application (iOS app, Android app, and web app). By installing, opening, or using the app, you agree to these terms. If you do not agree, please do not use the app.

Who we are

Gangkar is an educational app for learning to read, write, and speak Tibetan: the script, vocabulary, pronunciation, and sentence structure. For questions about these terms, contact support@gangkar.app.

Your account

You can use Gangkar with or without an account. The lessons and practice work without signing in; an account is needed only for the social features. You may sign in with an email link, Google, or Apple, or continue as a guest. If you create an account, you are responsible for keeping your sign-in secure and for activity on it. You can delete your account at any time in the app, from the Social tab by tapping your profile avatar and choosing Delete account.

Acceptable use

You agree not to:

• Use the app for any unlawful purpose
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract the source code, except where allowed by applicable law
• Interfere with or disrupt the service, including by sending automated requests at a rate that degrades performance for others
• Use the app in a way that infringes on the rights of others (for example, by posting content that infringes copyright, harasses other users in social features, or impersonates others)
• Resell, rent, or sublicense access to the app

A free app

Gangkar is free for everyone. Every lesson is unlocked. There is no subscription, no paid tier, and no in-app purchase. We do not charge you to learn, and we will never lock lessons behind a paywall.

Keeping Tibetan learning free and open is a deliberate choice. There is nothing to buy inside the app, no account is required to start, and we do not collect payment information of any kind.

Donations

Gangkar is supported by people who choose to give. If you would like to help fund the work, you can make a voluntary donation through our page at givebutter.com/gangkarapp. The following applies to donations:

• Entirely optional. Donating is never required. Every feature and lesson is fully available whether or not you give.
• No goods or services in return. A donation is a gift of support. It does not unlock any content, remove ads, or grant any benefit inside the app, because everything is already free.
• Handled by Givebutter. Donations are processed by Givebutter, our third-party donation platform, under their own terms and privacy policy. We do not receive or store your payment details.
• Refunds. Because donations are voluntary gifts rather than purchases, they are generally non-refundable. If you believe a donation was made in error, contact us at support@gangkar.app and we will do our best to help.

Intellectual property

Gangkar, including its lessons, audio, illustrations, software, and design, is the property of the app's developers and is protected by copyright and other intellectual property laws. You are granted a personal, non-transferable, non-exclusive license to use the app for personal, non-commercial learning. You may not reproduce, redistribute, or create derivative works based on Gangkar's content without prior written permission.

Content you submit

Gangkar lets you submit a few kinds of content: a display name, username, and avatar shown in the social features; word and pronunciation contributions to help improve the app; and feedback or bug reports. You are responsible for what you submit, and you confirm you have the right to share it. Do not submit content that infringes someone else's rights or that is unlawful.

By submitting a word or pronunciation contribution, you grant us a worldwide, royalty-free, perpetual license to use, reproduce, adapt, and incorporate it into Gangkar and its learning content. Contributions are reviewed before use, and an accepted contribution may be added to the app for all learners. We are not obligated to use any contribution, and we may edit or remove it. For your display name and other profile details, you grant us a license to display them within the app so the social features can work. You can delete your account to remove your profile, and we may remove any content that violates these terms.

Community conduct

The social features are for encouragement, not conflict. There is no open messaging between users. When you take part, do not choose a display name or username that is offensive, impersonates someone, or infringes a trademark, and do not use the friends or leaderboard features to harass others. We may reset a name or remove access that breaks these rules.

Device permissions

Some features ask for device permissions. The app can use your microphone so you can record and hear your own pronunciation, and it can send notifications such as practice reminders. These are optional, you are asked before they are used, and you can change them at any time in your device settings. How this data is handled is described in our Privacy Policy.

Disclaimer

Gangkar is provided "as is" and "as available," without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. We do not warrant that the app will be uninterrupted, error-free, or perfectly accurate. Tibetan language content is provided for educational purposes and may contain errors; please cross-reference important translations with qualified teachers or texts.

Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, the developers of Gangkar will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, or for any loss of profits or revenues, arising out of or in connection with your use of the app. Because the app is free, where liability cannot be excluded by law, our total liability is limited to any amount you voluntarily donated in the twelve months preceding the claim, if any.

Termination

You may stop using the app at any time and delete your account from within the app. We may suspend or terminate access if you violate these terms or if continued operation poses a legal or security risk. The app is free, so no charges or refunds are involved either way.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms from time to time. The "Last updated" date at the top will change when we do. Continued use of the app after changes means you accept the updated terms.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the jurisdiction where the developers of Gangkar are based, without regard to conflict-of-law principles. Your use of the Apple App Store and Google Play is also subject to those platforms' own terms.

Contact

Questions or concerns about these terms? Email support@gangkar.app.