Church Translation App Privacy: What Happens to Your Sermon Audio and Data

What data does a church translation app handle?

Live translation cannot happen on one phone alone. The app listens to the preacher, a speech recognition provider turns the audio into text, a translation provider turns that text into other languages, and the result comes back to the screen. So a church translation app handles three kinds of data: the live audio, the text of the sermon, and the account records of the people who sign in.

A fourth kind matters to many pastors: the people in the pews. A visitor who reads captions on a phone is also using the service, and a church should know what the app learns about that visitor.

Is the sermon audio recorded?

In Sermon Translate, live audio is streamed for transcription and is not retained unless you save a recording. Live audio you do not save is never written to our disks at all. Saved audio recordings and downloadable MP3 files are a feature of the All Languages plan, and saved recordings live in a private storage bucket that is not publicly readable.

That makes the default simple. If you only want captions during the service, nothing is kept as audio. If you want a recording to keep, you choose that, and you can delete it later.

Who can see the transcripts?

Transcripts are tied to your account and are not shared with other users or churches unless you explicitly export or share them. The database enforces this itself: a signed in account can read only its own transcripts, settings, usage and messages, and there is no shared or public transcript store.

Which plans save a full transcript is a separate question. Full session transcripts come with the Standard and All Languages plans, as explained in our article on sermon transcription and on the transcripts feature page. Check the pricing page for the current plans.

Which companies process sermon content?

Speech recognition, translation and AI providers process sermon content only to perform the job asked of them. The company publishes the full list on its sub-processors page, with what each one receives and where it is located. Here is how the main roles divide:

The privacy policy states that Sermon Translate does not sell personal data, and does not use your sermons to train its own models or anybody else's. Most providers are in the United States, so a church outside the United States should know that its data is transferred there. Churches that need a written agreement can ask for the data processing addendum.

What does a visitor who scans the QR code give up?

Very little. A visitor who scans a church's QR code reads the captions the church is already broadcasting. They do not create an account, the app does not ask for a name, an email address or a phone number, and their reading is not tied to a person. The church chooses what is broadcast and when it stops. QR Code Join is included in every plan.

This is one reason many churches prefer the QR code for guests. A first time visitor can follow the sermon without handing over any personal details.

How do you delete sermon data?

You can do these things yourself, without asking anyone:

• Delete any transcript from your history.
• Download everything held on your account from Settings, using Download my data.
• Delete your account and its content from Settings, using Delete my account.
• Change your tracking choice on the cookie settings at any time.

Transcripts and saved recordings are kept until you delete them or delete your account. For anything the buttons do not cover, the policy says to write through the in-app message box, and that requests are answered within 30 days.

What should a church ask before choosing any app?

1. Is live audio stored, or only streamed? Ask whether a recording is kept by default.
2. Who are the sub-processors, and is the list public?
3. Are sermons used to train any model, yours or someone else's?
4. Can an ordinary user delete a transcript and the whole account without writing to support?
5. Do visitors need an account to read captions, and what does the app learn about them?
6. Is there a written data processing agreement for churches that need one?

Ask these of every vendor, including us. A clear written answer is a good sign, and a vague one is worth noting. The churches page describes how Sermon Translate is used in a congregation.

What are the honest limits?

Consent is also the church's job. The privacy policy says a church using the service is responsible for telling its congregation that a service is being captioned, and for any consent the law where it meets requires. A sign at the door or a line in the bulletin is a sensible start. The service is for churches and organizations and is not directed at children under 13.

The app needs an internet connection and does not work offline, so audio always travels to the providers while a session runs. If that is not acceptable for a given meeting, such as a private counseling session, do not use live translation for it.

Frequently asked questions

Does Sermon Translate record my sermon?

Live audio that you do not save is never written to the company's disks. A saved recording and a downloadable MP3 are features of the All Languages plan, and saved recordings sit in a private storage bucket.

Can other churches see my transcripts?

No. Transcripts are tied to your account and are not shared with other users or churches unless you explicitly export or share them.

Are sermons used to train AI models?

The privacy policy says Sermon Translate does not use your sermons to train its own models, and does not use them to train anybody else's.

Do visitors who scan the QR code need an account?

No. They read the live captions without an account, and the app does not ask them for a name, an email address or a phone number.

How do I delete my church's data?

In Settings you can delete any transcript, download all your data, or delete your account and its content. Transcripts and recordings are otherwise kept until you delete them.

Try Sermon Translate at your next service

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