Last updated: 18 October 2026.
SpellTick ("the app") helps parents run spelling tests at home: it reads the words aloud, your child writes them on paper, and you can take a photo of the page so the app can mark it. It is made by NqApps, an Australian seller. This page is written for parents and explains exactly what happens to information in the app.
When you choose "Snap the page", the app opens the camera (your phone may ask you to allow camera access) and you take one photo of the written answers. The handwriting is read on the device by Google ML Kit text recognition, which is built into the app and works offline; the photo is not uploaded to NqApps, Google or anyone else. As soon as the text has been read, the photo file is deleted, whether or not reading succeeded, and any leftover photo is removed the next time the app starts. The app does not save photos to your gallery and does not access your existing photos. Only the result is kept: each word, whether it was marked right or wrong, and the text the app read for it. Please don't write your child's name on the page.
You can import a word list from a photo (taken with the camera or chosen from your photos) or from a file you pick with your device's file picker, which can include files in Google Drive or other file apps (images, PDF, txt or csv). Images and PDF pages are read on the device by the same built-in text recognition; txt and csv files are read directly. The app works on its own temporary copy, which is deleted straight after the words are read; your original photo or file is not changed, and nothing is uploaded. Only the words you choose to keep are saved, as a word list on your device. If you open a file stored in Google Drive or another service, that service's own terms apply to the file, not ours.
You can add a first name or nickname for each child so their history is kept separately. Nicknames are entered by you, the parent, and never leave your device. Children do not create accounts and the app does not collect any information from them. Please don't write your child's full name on the spelling page you photograph.
A grown-up check (a simple sum) is always shown before purchases, Parent settings, importing, restoring a backup and any link that leaves the app, whether or not "Lock for child" is turned on. "Lock for child" additionally protects other grown-up actions such as changing marks and deleting lists.
During a test the screen is kept on so it doesn't lock between words. Words are read aloud by your device's built-in text-to-speech voice (Australian English where available). The app does not record audio and does not use the microphone.
The app contains no advertising and no analytics or tracking SDKs, and it does not use the advertising ID or your location. On Android the app does not have internet permission at all. On iPhone, Google's ML Kit library built into the app may send Google basic diagnostic information (such as device model, app version and how long recognition took) to keep the library working; it never sends the photo or the text it read. Device backup is turned off for the app (Android), so app data is not copied to cloud backups.
The free version includes one word list of up to 100 words and 3 photo checks per week. SpellTick Pro unlocks all features. You can choose a one-time lifetime unlock (A$9.99 in Australia) or an auto-renewing monthly subscription (A$0.99 a month in Australia); the store shows the local price. SpellTick Pro lifetime is a one-time purchase that unlocks Pro for as long as the app is offered in the store, tied to your store account; it doesn't renew. The subscription renews automatically until you cancel it, which you can do at any time in your Google Play or App Store subscription settings; if it ends, the free limits apply again and your lists and history stay on your device. Google Play (or the Apple App Store) processes the payment; NqApps does not receive your name, card details or billing address. The app only asks the store whether you own the lifetime unlock or an active subscription (including each time the app is reopened), and "Restore purchases" asks again. Purchases, Parent settings, import, restore and every link that leaves the app are always behind a grown-up check, so a child can't buy anything or open a web page on their own.
You can export a backup file (word lists, words, children's nicknames and settings, and test results) from Parent settings. The app hands the file to your device's share sheet and you choose where it goes, for example Files, Google Drive or email. Backups are manual and are never uploaded by the app. The file is not encrypted, so keep it somewhere private. Restoring reads a file you pick, checks it, and asks before replacing the data on the device. Your SpellTick Pro subscription is not stored in backups; it comes from the store.
Handwriting recognition can make mistakes, especially with young children's writing. The app only ticks exact spellings automatically and shows "Check?" when it is unsure, so a parent can decide. It is a practice aid, not an assessment tool.
Photos are deleted immediately after marking. Other data stays on your device until you delete it with Parent settings > Delete all data, delete a child's profile (which also deletes their history), or uninstall the app. NqApps keeps no copies.
If this policy changes, the updated version will be posted on this page with a new date.
NqApps, Sydney, Australia (Australian seller). Email: sharmnadqam@gmail.com. Help and support: SpellTick support.