Privacy Policy
The short version
- No account, no sign-in. I don't run any servers, and I never see your name, email or contacts.
- Your progress, settings and banked hints are saved only on your phone.
- The game shows a video ad only when you tap to watch one for a hint. Google AdMob runs those ads and collects device data to do it. Where the law requires it, you're asked first.
- Purchases go through Google Play or the App Store. RevenueCat keeps an anonymous record of them so No Ads can be restored and hint packs get added.
- I don't sell your data, and the game has no analytics or tracking of its own.
Who this policy covers
Line Thief is a puzzle game for Android and iPhone/iPad made by Juan Diaz, an independent developer ("I", "me"). This policy explains what happens to your data when you play it. You can reach me at games@juangdiaz.com.
What stays on your phone
The game saves these on your device, in the app's own storage:
- Which rivals you've unlocked, your wins against each, and how many matches you've played
- Your Daily heist results
- The sound on/off setting
- Your banked hints, whether you own No Ads, and which hint-pack purchases have already been added
None of this is sent to me. Your phone's own backup (Google backup on Android, iCloud or a computer backup on iPhone) may include it, under Google's or Apple's terms. Uninstalling the game deletes it.
The "Copy result" button after a Daily heist copies a text grid to your clipboard. Nothing is sent unless you paste it somewhere yourself.
Ads (Google AdMob)
When you run out of free hints, you can choose to watch a rewarded video ad for one more. The game never shows an ad you didn't tap for, and it has no banners or pop-up ads. The ads come from Google AdMob.
To choose, show and measure ads and to prevent fraud, Google's software in the app collects:
- Your device's advertising ID (on iPhone, only if you allow tracking)
- Your IP address, and an approximate location worked out from it
- Device and app information, such as model, operating system, language and app version
- How you interact with the ads, and diagnostic data such as crashes inside the ad
Google uses this as described in How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services and the Google Privacy Policy.
Your choices
- Consent form. In the European Economic Area, the UK, Switzerland and other places where the law requires it, Google's consent form appears before any ad loads. You can change your answer any time under Menu → Privacy choices.
- iPhone and iPad. Apple's "Allow tracking?" prompt appears after the consent form. If you choose "Ask App Not to Track", your advertising ID isn't shared and you get non-personalized ads. You can change this in Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking.
- Android. You can delete or reset your advertising ID in Settings → Google → All services → Ads (the exact path depends on your phone).
Hints work exactly the same whatever you choose.
Purchases (Google Play, App Store and RevenueCat)
You can buy No Ads and hint packs. Google Play or the App Store handles the payment. I never see your card details, your name or your store account's email.
The game uses RevenueCat to check purchases with the store. RevenueCat receives:
- A random anonymous ID the app creates (not linked to your name or store account)
- Your purchases: product, date, price, currency, and the store's order or transaction number
- Device and app information, such as operating system, app version and your store's country
- Your IP address, used to deliver the service
This lets the game unlock No Ads, add hint packs to your bank, and run Restore Purchases. See the RevenueCat Privacy Policy. The stores' own policies apply to the payment itself: Google and Apple.
What I don't do
- I don't sell or rent your data.
- I don't use analytics, crash reporting or tracking tools of my own.
- The game doesn't ask for your location, contacts, photos, camera or microphone.
- There is no account, chat, or online play.
Legal bases (EEA and UK)
| Purpose | Basis |
|---|---|
| Personalized ads and the advertising ID | Your consent, given in Google's consent form |
| Non-personalized ads, fraud prevention | Legitimate interest in keeping a free game funded and ads honest |
| Purchases and Restore Purchases | Providing what you bought |
How long data is kept, and how to delete it
- On your phone: until you uninstall the game or clear its data in your phone's settings. Doing that also removes banked hints, which can't be brought back. No Ads can be restored any time with Menu → Store → Restore Purchases.
- Purchase records at RevenueCat: kept as long as needed to restore your purchases. To have yours deleted, email me the order number from your purchase receipt (on Google Play it starts with
GPA.), and I'll delete that record within 30 days. If you later tap Restore Purchases, the store sends the record again. - Ad data at Google: kept and deleted under Google's policy. You can control it with the choices above and at My Ad Center.
Your rights
Depending on where you live (for example under the GDPR, the UK GDPR, or California's CCPA), you may have the right to access, correct, delete or move your personal data, to object to or limit how it's used, and to withdraw consent. Because I don't hold data linked to your identity, most requests are handled by the choices above. For anything else, email me and I'll answer within 30 days. You can also complain to your local data protection authority.
Children
Line Thief is not directed at children under 13, and I don't knowingly collect data from them. If you believe a child under 13 has made a purchase or that their data was collected, email me and I'll delete any records I can.
Changes
If this policy changes, I'll update this page and the date at the top. If a change affects what is collected, the app's store listing will say so too.
Contact
Juan Diaz · games@juangdiaz.com