Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 20, 2026

TL;DR

Word Chain Duel is free to play and shows ads (Google AdMob) in the free version; an optional one-time Premium purchase removes them. For ads we request App Tracking Transparency (ATT) permission: if you allow it, ads may be personalized and your device's advertising identifier (IDFA) may be used; if you decline, ads are non-personalized. Either way we build no advertising profile of our own. We ask for no name, email, or password. To make online multiplayer and the global leaderboard work, the app sends a small amount of anonymous gameplay data to our own backend. We never sell it, and the single-player Practice mode is fully offline.

What we collect, and why

Online multiplayer and the leaderboard run on our own backend (hosted on Supabase — see "Third-party services" below). When you play online (random matchmaking or a friend match), the app sends:

• An anonymous device ID — a random identifier generated on first launch and stored on your device. It is your handle for matchmaking and the leaderboard. It is not your Apple ID, real name, email, or phone number, and it resets if you reinstall.
• A display name — your Game Center alias if you are signed in, otherwise a name you choose or an auto-generated "Player ####". It is shown to your opponent and on the leaderboard.
• Your Game Center alias and player ID, for online matches you complete, so results can be attributed on the leaderboard.
• Gameplay data — during an online match your moves (the words you play, strikes, time-up signals, resignations) pass through our realtime server so your opponent receives them. When a match ends, the result (scores, win/loss, language, mode, number of moves, duration) is stored to power the leaderboard and stats.
• A push notification token (only if you enable notifications) — to send "your turn" alerts for async (turn-based) friend matches, your device's Apple Push Notification token is stored on our backend. It is removed when it stops working, e.g. when you uninstall the app or turn notifications off.

That is the complete list. We do not collect your real name, email address, phone number, contacts, location, or photos. Whether your device's advertising identifier (IDFA) is used for ads depends on your App Tracking Transparency choice — see "Ads (Google AdMob)" below.

What stays only on your device

• Local match state (current word, score, strikes, timer) — held in memory for the duration of a match.
• Lifetime win / loss / streak counters and your settings (haptics, the "skip Game Center sign-in" preference) — stored in UserDefaults on your device. They never leave your device and are deleted when you uninstall.

Practice mode is offline

The single-player Practice mode runs entirely on your device against a local AI opponent. Nothing about a practice game — no words, no scores, no identifiers — is sent to any server.

How long we keep it

• Matchmaking queue entries are transient and removed within minutes.
• Friend-room invitations expire automatically (about 15 minutes).
• In-match move logs are automatically deleted a few hours after the match.
• Match results used for the leaderboard are kept until removal is requested (see "Your rights").

Ads (Google AdMob)

In the free version, the app occasionally shows full-screen (interstitial) and optional rewarded ads via Google AdMob. On first launch it presents Google's consent (UMP) flow and then the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompt. If you grant ATT, ads may be personalized to your interests and your device's advertising identifier (IDFA) may be used; if you decline, ads are non-personalized (npa=1) and the IDFA is not used to target them. You can change the permission any time in iOS Settings. We build no advertising profile of our own.

To serve and measure ads, Google may process some device-level data (for example a device identifier, IP address, and ad interactions). That processing is governed by Google's privacy policy: policies.google.com/privacy.

Purchases

An optional one-time Premium purchase removes ads and unlocks extra color themes and detailed match history. Purchases are handled through Apple's App Store; we never see or store your payment details. Your Premium entitlement is managed via your Apple ID and can be restored with "Restore Purchases".

No analytics, no crash reporting

The app contains no third-party analytics or crash-reporting SDKs. Apart from the ads described above, no component tracks you.

Third-party services

• Apple Game Center — used for optional sign-in, your alias and player ID, and a "wins" leaderboard. Governed by Apple's privacy practices: apple.com/legal/privacy/data/en/game-center.
• Google AdMob — used to serve and measure ads in the free version (personalization depends on your ATT choice). See policies.google.com/privacy and Google AdMob.
• Supabase — our backend host (database + realtime messaging). The gameplay data above is stored and relayed through Supabase, acting as our data processor. See supabase.com/privacy.

We do not sell your data or share it with anyone beyond the processors above, and we use it only to run the game's online features.

Children

The app does not knowingly collect personal data from children. The only data we receive is the anonymous gameplay information above; we ask for no real-world identity. Game Center sign-in itself is governed by Apple's account-age policies.

Your rights

Online play is tied to an anonymous device ID rather than a real-world identity, so we generally cannot connect stored results to a specific person. If you would like your stored match results removed, email us and we will help. Uninstalling the app removes all locally stored state and stops any further data from being sent.

Contact

For privacy questions: