Privacy Policy

1. Overview

FlexWord is a word-puzzle game published by TheForklift.dev LLC ("we," "us"). This policy explains what data FlexWord collects, why, who we share it with, and the choices you have. It applies to the FlexWord app across iOS, Android, and web, and to all of its modes: Daily FlexWord, FlexStarter, FlexPlay, FlexRate, FlexArena, and FlexBard.

2. Data we collect

Account & authentication

If you create an account or sign in, we collect an email address (if you register with email, Google, or Apple), an optional display name, which sign-in method you used, and your subscription status. You can also play as a guest, in which case you're identified only by a random, pseudonymous ID with no personal information attached.

Gameplay data

We store your game history in our cloud database, linked to your account ID:

Usage events

We log lightweight, pseudonymous events tied to your account ID, like when you start a mode, use a hint, or unlock an achievement, so we can see which features are actually used. These events never include your name or email. They're written directly to our own database, not run through a third-party analytics SDK.

Advertising identifiers

If you're shown ads, Google's ad SDK (AdMob) collects your device's advertising identifier (IDFA on iOS, Advertising ID on Android), general device information, and approximate location for ad delivery and, where you've allowed it, personalization. See §5 for details and how to opt out.

On-device data

Your in-progress game state, offline sync queue, arena rating, cached results, and custom FlexStarter packs are stored locally on your device. This is cleared when you uninstall the app and is never sent to us unless you're signed in and online.

3. How we use it

• Run the game: sync your progress, stats, and achievements across devices.
• Improve the word list: your ratings and problem-word reports directly shape word difficulty and dictionary curation.
• Understand feature usage: aggregate, pseudonymous event data tells us what's working.
• Manage subscriptions: entitlement status is synced via RevenueCat.
• Serve and measure ads: via Google AdMob, if you've opted in where required.

We do not sell your data, and we do not share your gameplay with other players.

4. Third-party services

Handles authentication and stores your gameplay data (Cloud Firestore). Subject to Google's Privacy Policy.

Manages subscriptions and links your account ID to your entitlement status. Subject to RevenueCat's Privacy Policy.

Optional. If you connect a platform account, only unlocked achievement names are shared, not gameplay details. The app works fully without this.

Used only to authenticate you. We don't request access to your contacts, calendar, or location through these providers.

Serves in-app ads. See §5 below.

5. Advertising & AdMob

FlexWord shows ads through Google AdMob to keep the free version of the game free. AdMob and its ad-network partners may collect your advertising identifier, IP address, general device information, and coarse location to serve and measure ads.

Your choices

• iOS: When you first open the app, you'll see Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt. Choosing "Ask App Not to Track" prevents FlexWord and AdMob from using your IDFA for personalized ads. You can change this later in Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking.
• Android: You can reset or delete your Advertising ID, or opt out of ad personalization, in Settings → Privacy → Ads.
• Everywhere: You can review or reset your ad personalization choices anytime in Google's Ads Settings.

Turning off personalized ads does not stop ads from showing. It means the ads you see are no longer based on your activity elsewhere.

6. Data retention & deletion

We keep game history, achievements, and ratings for as long as your account exists, since they feed skill tracking and dictionary curation. Usage-event logs are kept roughly 90 days. On-device data is cleared when you uninstall the app.

To delete your account, email privacy@theforklift.dev with the subject line "PRIVACY REQUEST." We'll permanently delete your history, stats, and achievements. Ratings and word-feedback you submitted remain in our database but are disassociated from your account.

7. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access a copy of your data, correct it, request deletion, export your game history, or object to certain processing. To exercise any of these, email privacy@theforklift.dev.

FlexWord's infrastructure runs on Google Cloud / Firebase, which may process data in the United States. By using FlexWord, you consent to your data being processed there.

8. Children's privacy

FlexWord is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you're looking for a game built for young players, see FlexKids, a separate, standalone app with no ads, no analytics, and no cloud data collection, designed with COPPA in mind.

If you believe a child under 13 has provided us personal information through FlexWord, contact us at privacy@theforklift.dev and we'll delete it.

9. Security

• Data in transit is encrypted with TLS 1.2+.
• Data at rest in Firestore is encrypted using Google-managed encryption.
• Passwords are hashed by Firebase Authentication; we never see or store them in plain text.
• No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we work to protect your data using industry-standard practices.

10. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as FlexWord adds features. Material changes will be reflected here with an updated date, and significant changes will be announced in-app.

11. Contact

TheForklift.dev LLC
Email: privacy@theforklift.dev

For account deletion or data requests, include "PRIVACY REQUEST" in your subject line.