Privacy Policy

Effective Date: March 12, 2026

Summary: WordPop is designed with privacy in mind. We do not collect your name, email, or any personal information. Game progress is stored locally on your device. Multiplayer features use anonymous accounts with no identifying information.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information You Provide

Display Name (Optional): You may set a display name for multiplayer matches. This is visible to opponents during duels. You are not required to use your real name.
Avatar Selection: Your chosen avatar color and icon for your player profile.

1.2 Automatically Collected Information

Anonymous Account ID: When you first open WordPop, a randomized anonymous identifier is created via Firebase Authentication. This ID cannot be linked to your real identity, email, phone number, or any other personal information.
Game Scores: When you play multiplayer matches, your scores and words found are transmitted to our game servers for fair play validation and leaderboard ranking.

1.3 Information We Do NOT Collect

Email address, phone number, or real name
Location data or GPS coordinates
Contacts, photos, or calendar data
Advertising identifiers (IDFA)
Browsing history or clipboard contents
Health, fitness, or biometric data

2. How We Use Your Information

Multiplayer Matchmaking: Your anonymous ID and skill rating (ELO) are used to pair you with opponents of similar skill.
Fair Play: Word submissions in multiplayer matches are validated server-side to prevent cheating.
Leaderboards: Your highest score may appear on public leaderboards, identified only by your display name (or "Player" if none is set).

3. Data Storage

3.1 Local Storage (On Your Device)

The following data is stored exclusively on your device and is never transmitted to our servers:

Game history (last 50 solo games)
Player statistics (high score, games played, streaks)
XP level and progression
Achievements and unlock dates
Daily quest progress
Word catalog (words you've discovered)
Settings (sound, haptics, reduced motion)
Player profile (display name, avatar preferences)

3.2 Server Storage (Firebase)

The following data is stored on Google Firebase servers located in the United States:

Anonymous authentication token
Active multiplayer game state (deleted when game ends)
Matchmaking queue entries (deleted after matching or 60-second timeout)
Leaderboard entries (display name and score only)

4. Third-Party Services

WordPop uses Google Firebase for authentication, real-time multiplayer, and server-side game validation. Firebase is subject to the Google Firebase Privacy Policy.

We do not use any advertising networks, third-party analytics services, or tracking SDKs.

5. Data Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or share your information with third parties for marketing or advertising purposes. Your data is only shared as follows:

With opponents: Your display name, skill rating, and level are visible to multiplayer opponents during matches.
On leaderboards: Your display name and highest score are visible on public leaderboards.
With Google Firebase: As described in Section 4, for service infrastructure.
Legal requirements: If required by law, regulation, or legal process.

6. Data Retention

Local data: Retained on your device until you delete the app or clear app data.
Multiplayer game rooms: Automatically deleted when the game ends.
Matchmaking data: Automatically deleted after matching or 60-second timeout.
Leaderboard data: Retained indefinitely until you request removal.
Anonymous auth tokens: Managed by Firebase; may be cleaned up after extended inactivity per Google's retention policies.

7. Children's Privacy

WordPop does not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. Since we use anonymous authentication and do not collect any personally identifiable information, the app is suitable for all ages. If you believe a child has provided personal information through the display name feature, please contact us and we will promptly remove it.

8. Your Rights

You may:

Delete all data: Use the "Delete My Data" option in Settings to permanently erase all local and server-side data.
Delete local data: Uninstall the app to remove all locally stored data.
Change your display name: Update or remove your display name at any time in Settings > Profile.
Request data deletion: Contact us to request deletion of any server-side data associated with your anonymous ID.

9. Security

All data transmitted between WordPop and our servers is encrypted using TLS (HTTPS). Firebase Realtime Database security rules enforce that users can only read and write their own data. Server-side Cloud Functions validate all multiplayer actions to prevent tampering.

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Changes will be posted within the app and on our website. Your continued use of WordPop after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data rights, please contact us at:

Email: wordpopapp@gmail.com