Terms & conditions

This page was last updated on July 11, 2026.

Tangent is a free, unofficial reader for Wikipedia, currently in development. These terms cover the Tangent app for mobile devices and this website, both operated by Daniel Heyne (“we”). By downloading or using either, you agree to them.

What Tangent is

Tangent presents random Wikipedia articles in a swipeable feed and lets you read, save, and share them. It is provided free of charge, as a personal project. Features may change, break, or be discontinued at any time, including before the app is ever publicly released. Should any part of Tangent ever cost money, that will be clearly communicated before you pay anything.

License and intellectual property

We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to install and use the app on your devices for personal purposes. You may not copy, distribute, modify, reverse engineer, or create derivative works of the app, except to the extent such activity is expressly permitted by applicable law. This license ends automatically if you materially breach these terms; upon termination, stop using the app and delete your copies.

The app’s code, design, name, and logo belong to us. The articles themselves do not: all article content belongs to its Wikipedia authors and is licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0 — we claim no ownership of it, and nothing in these terms restricts the rights that license gives you.

Relationship to Wikipedia

Tangent is an independent project. It is not affiliated with, operated by, or endorsed by the Wikimedia Foundation. “Wikipedia” is a registered trademark of the Wikimedia Foundation. Images have their own licenses, viewable on their Wikipedia or Wikimedia Commons file pages; every card links back to its source.

Acceptable use and eligibility

Use Tangent as a reader, not as infrastructure. Don’t use the app or this site to send abusive traffic to Wikimedia’s servers, to scrape at volume, or to misrepresent Tangent as an official Wikipedia product. You must be at least 16 years old to use the app, or have these terms accepted by a parent or guardian on your behalf.

Your connection and devices

Tangent needs an internet connection to fetch articles. Your network access, including any mobile data or roaming charges, is your responsibility and subject to your agreement with your provider.

Updates and availability

We may update the app from time to time, and updates may be required for it to keep working. We do not guarantee that the app will remain compatible with every operating system version, and we may stop providing it entirely at any time.

No warranty

Tangent is provided “as is”, without warranty of any kind. There is no guarantee of availability, correctness, or fitness for a particular purpose. Wikipedia’s content is written and edited by volunteers — verify anything you intend to rely on against primary sources. We accept no liability for inaccuracies in third-party content presented through the app.

Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, we are not liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages, including lost profits, data loss, or business interruption. We remain fully liable for death or personal injury caused by our negligence, for fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation, and for any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law — including liability for intent and gross negligence.

Beyond that, our total liability for any claim is limited to the amount you paid us for the app in the twelve months preceding the claim or, where the app is free, to the minimum amount permitted by applicable law. Nothing in these terms limits rights you have under consumer protection laws that cannot lawfully be excluded.

Indemnification

To the extent permitted by law, you agree to indemnify us against claims and reasonable costs arising directly from your breach of these terms or your intentional misuse of the app. This does not apply to claims arising from our own negligence or legal violations, and it is limited to whatever extent consumer law restricts such clauses in your jurisdiction.

Governing law

These terms are governed by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the provider is established (Germany), excluding its conflict-of-law rules, except where mandatory consumer protection law provides otherwise. Disputes belong before the courts competent under applicable law.

Final provisions

If any provision of these terms is held invalid or unenforceable, it will be modified to the minimum extent necessary and the remainder stays in force. These terms, together with the privacy policy, are the entire agreement between you and us concerning Tangent.

Changes and contact

These terms may be updated as the project evolves; changes will be posted on this page with a new effective date, and previous versions are available on request. Questions are welcome at hey@tangent.wiki.