Skip to main content

Understanding WOVN.app data acquisition

Overview​

This document explains how WOVN.app collects and processes data for automatic translation. It also provides best practices to prevent sending end user personal data to WOVN servers.

Why WOVN.app needs data​

WOVN.app automatically collects data from your mobile application to provide complete translation coverage. This approach ensures that WOVN can translate all content in your app without missing anything. However, this method may accidentally collect end user personal information.

While WOVN has built-in filters to automatically remove personal data, these filters cannot guarantee 100% protection. We recommend implementing additional measures to ensure no end user data is sent to WOVN servers.

Data sources and processing​

Mobile applications contain two types of content that are processed differently:

Mobile native content​

This includes text, labels, and other content that is part of your app's native code.

WebView content​

This includes web pages and web-based content displayed within your app.

Each source requires different approaches for data protection and reporting control.

Mobile native content data acquisition​

The recommended approach for reporting native content data without exposing end user information is using development mode. This feature distinguishes between actual end users and internal users (QA members, translators, or developers).

Benefits:

  • When development-only reporting is enabled, normal end users cannot report anything
  • No end user information is collected
  • Internal team members can still contribute translation data

Implementation: See the documentation for your specific SDK for setup instructions.

Other reporting options​

All users mode​

  • Allows everyone to report data regardless of device type
  • Requires careful specification of which app sections WOVN should not translate or report
  • Should only be used with proper data protection measures

Off mode​

  • Disables all reporting, including from development devices
  • Recommended when the app doesn't expect new content and everything is already translated
  • Provides maximum data protection but prevents all translation improvements

WebView content acquisition​

For WebView content data acquisition, please refer to the detailed documentation: Auto content acquisition feature

Important WebView considerations​

Critical note: You can disable WebView translation in the WOVN SDK, but this only prevents the SDK from injecting the necessary JavaScript for data collection and translation.

If you manually inject the JavaScript into the WebView, even with WebView translation disabled, the WebView will still be translated and data may still be reported depending on your project settings.

Best practices summary​

  1. Use development mode for native content reporting by internal team members only
  2. Avoid "all users" mode unless absolutely necessary and with proper data protection
  3. Use "off" mode for fully translated applications

By following these guidelines and choosing the appropriate reporting mode for your use case, you can ensure effective translation coverage while protecting end user privacy.