Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy describes how Doubleyou Agency ("we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, stores, and protects information when you use the Word Hunt — Puzzle & Explore mobile application ("the App"). We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about our data practices.

By downloading, installing, or using the App, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with any part of this policy, please do not use the App.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information You Provide

• Account Information: If you choose to sign in with Apple or Google, we receive your email address, display name, and profile photo URL as provided by the authentication service. You may also use the App anonymously without providing any personal information.
• In-App Purchases: When you make purchases, transaction information is processed directly by Apple App Store or Google Play Store. We do not collect, store, or have access to your payment details, credit card numbers, or billing information.

2.2 Information Collected Automatically

• Game Progress Data: We collect and store your gameplay progress, including levels completed, scores achieved, star ratings earned, bonus words discovered, in-game diamond balance, daily gift claim dates, and level variant history.
• App Preferences: Language selection, notification preferences, audio settings, and ad removal status.
• Device Information: Through our advertising partner (Google AdMob), standard device information may be collected, including device type, operating system version, and network connection type. This information is collected by the AdMob SDK and is subject to Google's privacy policy.
• Play Statistics: Consecutive play streak data and last play date for engagement features such as re-engagement notifications.

2.3 Information We Do NOT Collect

We want to be clear about what we do not collect:

• GPS location or precise geolocation data
• Contacts, photos, camera, or microphone access
• Browsing history or activity outside the App
• Device identifiers such as IMEI or hardware serial numbers
• Biometric data (fingerprint, face recognition data)
• Information about other apps installed on your device
• Keystroke logging or input patterns
• Health or fitness data

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the collected information for the following purposes:

• Core Game Functionality: Saving and loading your game progress, tracking scores and achievements, managing in-game currency (diamonds), and providing the word puzzle gameplay experience.
• Cloud Synchronization: If you sign in with Apple or Google, your progress is synchronized across devices via Google Firebase so you can continue playing on any device.
• Advertising: Displaying ads through Google AdMob to support the free-to-play model. Ad interactions may be used by Google to provide personalized advertising. You can purchase an ad removal option to disable all advertisements.
• Notifications: Sending optional local notifications (not push notifications) to remind you about daily rewards and encourage continued gameplay. These are scheduled and processed entirely on your device.
• Purchase Fulfillment: Processing and verifying in-app purchases, including diamond packages and ad removal.
• Localization: Storing your language preference to display the App in your chosen language (English, Turkish, French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, or Italian).

4. Data Storage and Security

4.1 Local Storage

Game progress, preferences, and in-game currency are stored locally on your device using the operating system's standard application storage (SharedPreferences on Android, UserDefaults on iOS). This data is sandboxed by the operating system and accessible only to the App. Authentication credentials are stored using platform-specific secure storage mechanisms.

4.2 Cloud Storage

If you sign in with Apple or Google, your game progress is additionally stored in Google Cloud Firestore, a cloud database service provided by Google. Data is transmitted using encrypted connections (TLS/SSL) and stored in Google's secure data centers. Cloud synchronization uses an offline-first merge strategy where the highest progress values are retained to prevent data loss.

4.3 Security Measures

We implement reasonable security measures to protect your data, including encrypted data transmission, secure authentication via Firebase Authentication, and platform-level app sandboxing. However, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

5. Third-Party Services

The App uses the following third-party services, each with their own privacy policies:

6. Advertising

The App displays advertisements through Google AdMob to support the free-to-play model. Ad types include banner ads, interstitial ads (full-screen), and rewarded ads (opt-in for in-game rewards).

The AdMob SDK may collect and process data for ad personalization, including device identifiers, ad interaction history, and approximate location inferred from IP address. This data collection is governed by Google's privacy policy.

Opting Out of Personalized Ads: You can opt out of personalized advertising through your device settings (Settings → Privacy → Advertising on iOS, or Settings → Google → Ads on Android). Additionally, you can purchase the "Remove Ads" in-app purchase to completely disable all advertisements within the App.

7. Notifications

The App uses local notifications (not server-based push notifications) to remind you about daily rewards and encourage gameplay. These notifications are scheduled and processed entirely on your device. No notification data is sent to our servers or any third party.

Notifications respect quiet hours (10:00 PM to 9:00 AM local time) and can be disabled at any time through the App's settings or your device's notification settings.

8. Children's Privacy

The App is not specifically directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at wordhunt@doubleyou.agency and we will take steps to delete such information.

The App contains third-party advertising (Google AdMob) which may collect device-level data. If you believe a child under 13 is using the App, we recommend supervising their use and managing ad personalization through device settings.

9. Data Retention

• Local Data: Game progress and preferences are retained on your device until the App is uninstalled or you manually clear the App's data through your device settings.
• Cloud Data (Firebase): If you have signed in with Apple or Google, your game progress stored in Firestore is retained until you request deletion or your account is removed.
• Advertising Data: Data collected by Google AdMob is retained according to Google's data retention policies, typically for a period of up to 90 days for ad serving purposes.
• Purchase Records: Transaction records are maintained by Apple App Store and Google Play Store in accordance with their respective policies and applicable regulations.

10. Your Rights and Choices

You have the following options regarding your data:

• Anonymous Use: You can use the App without signing in, which limits data collection to local storage and advertising SDK data only.
• Disable Notifications: You can turn off notifications within the App's settings or through your device's system settings at any time.
• Remove Ads: Purchase the ad removal option to eliminate all advertising and associated data collection by AdMob within the App.
• Sign Out: You can sign out of your social account at any time, which reverts the App to anonymous mode.
• Clear Local Data: You can delete all locally stored data by clearing the App's data or uninstalling the App through your device settings.
• Request Data Deletion: You can request deletion of your cloud-stored data by contacting us at wordhunt@doubleyou.agency. We will process your request within 30 days.
• Opt Out of Ad Personalization: Adjust your device's advertising settings to limit ad tracking and personalization.

For EU/EEA Residents (GDPR)

If you are located in the European Union or European Economic Area, you have additional rights under the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR), including the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict processing, data portability, and object to processing. To exercise these rights, contact us at wordhunt@doubleyou.agency.

For California Residents (CCPA)

If you are a California resident, you have the right to know what personal information is collected, request deletion of your personal information, and opt out of the sale of personal information. We do not sell personal information. To exercise your rights, contact us at wordhunt@doubleyou.agency.

11. International Data Transfers

Your data may be transferred to and processed in countries other than your own, including the United States, where our third-party service providers (Google) maintain their servers. By using the App, you consent to such transfers. We ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place as required by applicable data protection laws.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, technology, legal requirements, or other factors. We will notify you of any material changes by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.

13. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us: