Support

For all questions about Belka.

Welcome to the support page for Belka, the iOS app for growing your Russian vocabulary, made for German speakers. This page answers the most common questions. If yours isn't here, just send us an email.

Overview

Belka is a small, focused app for people with a Russian-German background who want to grow their Russian vocabulary. You answer a short flashcard session each day — and the app learns with you which words you already know and which ones still trip you up. Belka is free to try, with an optional Belka Pro subscription on top.

Belka is intentionally small: no accounts, no social features, no ads — just you, the mascot Belka (Белка), and your cards.

Frequently asked questions

1. Why is there no login?

So that your data belongs to you and stays on your device. We deliberately decided against accounts: no signup, no password, no forgotten credentials. Your learning progress lives in the app sandbox and nowhere else. The trade-off: when you switch devices, you currently start over. An optional cloud sync is planned for a future version — it will also work anonymously (without a classic account).

2. How do I cancel Belka Pro?

Like any iOS subscription, directly through the Apple Settings:

1. Open the Settings app on your iPhone.
2. Tap your name at the top → Subscriptions.
3. Choose Belka Pro and tap Cancel Subscription.

You can also start cancellation from inside Belka: Profile → Belka Pro → Manage subscription opens Apple's management page. You can cancel any time; the subscription continues until the end of the paid period and then automatically reverts to the free mode.

3. What does Belka Pro cost?

• Yearly plan: €19.99 per year (about €1.66/month).
• Monthly plan: €2.99 per month.

The prices shown in the App Store at the time of purchase are authoritative. Both plans renew automatically until you cancel.

4. Does the widget work?

Yes. Belka has a Home Screen widget and a Lock Screen widget that show you a fresh word every hour, plus your streak. To add it:

1. Long-press an empty area on the Home Screen until the apps wiggle.
2. Tap the + in the top left.
3. Search for Belka, choose your size, and add.

Important: for the widget to show fresh data, you should open Belka at least once a day. The widget updates in the background; iOS decides how often. If a value ever looks frozen, opening the app will refresh it. The widget needs no internet connection.

5. Is my data synced to the cloud?

No, no sync. Your learning progress, your name, your topics, your streak, your reminder time — all of that stays on your iPhone. There are three transparent exceptions:

• Subscription validation through RevenueCat, so that Belka Pro works.
• Optional feedback form — only when you submit it yourself.
• Pseudonymous usage statistics — events such as "session completed" or "card rated" go anonymously (no name, no email) to our own server so we can understand what works. You can disable this any time under Profile → Privacy → Anonymous statistics — no third-party tracking, no advertising IDs.

Details are in our Privacy Policy.

6. Can I delete my data?

Yes, in three ways:

• Local data: in Belka under Profile → Privacy → Delete local data you can reset your learning progress. Or simply uninstall the app — iOS then deletes all local data.
• Pseudonymous statistics events on our servers: first turn them off under Profile → Privacy → Anonymous statistics; locally queued, not-yet-sent events are deleted immediately. To delete already submitted events: send an informal email to dennis.achtziger@gmail.com with your anonymous device UUID.
• Feedback on our servers: send an informal email to dennis.achtziger@gmail.com with your anonymous device UUID (which you can find in the app under Profile → Privacy). We will delete all linked records within a few business days and confirm by email.

7. Which iOS version do I need?

Belka requires at least iOS 17.0 on iPhone. iPad is not yet supported in this version — the app runs in iPhone compatibility mode but is not optimized for the larger display. A native iPad and Mac version is on the roadmap. Apple Watch is not supported.

8. Where do I report bugs?

Preferably right inside the app: Profile → Send feedback. Describe the bug as precisely as possible (what did you do, what did you expect, what happened) and tick the box "I agree to be contacted" if you'd like a reply. You can also email dennis.achtziger@gmail.com directly — please include your iPhone model, your iOS version, and the Belka version number (under Profile → About).

Privacy and account topics

• Privacy policy: privacy-en.html
• Reset local data: Profile → Privacy → Delete local data
• Manage subscription: Profile → Belka Pro → Manage subscription

Contact

If none of the questions above fit: just write us.

Спасибо for using Belka!