Legal
Last updated: 24 July 2026 · Effective: 24 July 2026
Contents
This Privacy Policy applies to applications and services developed and published by DevDog, a sole-trader software development business operated by Shawn Wilson, based in the United Kingdom.
By using any DevDog application, you agree to the collection and use of information as described in this policy.
We do not collect personally identifiable information (PII) such as your name, email address, or contact details directly, and we do not require you to create a username or password.
We do collect the following data through the app and third-party services:
We do not sell your data or use it to build marketing profiles. Analytics runs only if you opt in. Progress sync uses an anonymous identifier — not your name or email. Friends features are entirely optional; your display name and stats are only visible to players you have mutually added.
The usage data we collect is used for the following purposes only:
We do not sell, trade, or otherwise transfer your data to third parties for marketing purposes. We do not use your data to build personal profiles.
Our apps use the following third-party services, each of which has its own privacy policy governing how they handle data:
These services may collect data as described in their respective policies. Where DevDog uses these services to store data on your behalf (such as Firestore), DevDog acts as data controller and Google acts as data processor under Google's Data Processing Terms.
Our apps may display advertisements served by Google AdMob. AdMob may use your device's advertising identifier (IDFA on iOS, GAID on Android) to serve personalised ads based on your interests.
We also use AppsFlyer to measure the effectiveness of the advertising campaigns we run on networks such as TikTok and Google Ads, by attributing app installs and key in-app events (such as completing onboarding or making a purchase) back to the campaign that drove them. On iOS 14.5 and later, this relies on the same App Tracking Transparency (ATT) system prompt described below — if you select "Ask App Not to Track," AppsFlyer does not access your device's advertising identifier and instead measures installs only in aggregate, privacy-preserving form via Apple's SKAdNetwork framework.
You can opt out of personalised advertising and attribution tracking at any time:
Opting out means you will still see ads and the app will function normally, but ads will not be personalised to your interests and advertising campaigns will not be attributed to your specific device.
Some of our apps offer optional in-app purchases. These purchases are entirely voluntary and do not affect core gameplay. Current purchases available in Duko include:
All payments are processed securely by the platform you are using:
Upon a successful purchase, we receive a purchase token from the platform confirming entitlement. This token is used solely to unlock the purchased feature on your device and is not linked to any personally identifiable information held by DevDog.
For billing support, refund requests, or purchase queries, please contact Apple Support or Google Play Support directly, as DevDog does not have access to your payment or billing information.
Some of our apps, including Duko, may send you push notifications to encourage you to complete your daily challenge if you have not done so by a certain time of day.
Permission: Duko does not request notification permission on first launch. We only ask when you turn on the daily challenge reminder in Settings. On iOS, a system permission dialog appears at that point. On Android 13 and above, a similar runtime permission is required.
What we send: Notifications are limited to daily challenge reminders. We do not send marketing messages or share your notification channel with third parties for promotional purposes.
Device tokens: To deliver notifications, your device generates a unique push token via Firebase Cloud Messaging (Android) or Apple Push Notification service (iOS). This token is transmitted to and stored on Google's and/or Apple's infrastructure. DevDog uses this token solely to send you app notifications and does not link it to any personally identifiable information.
Opting out: You can disable notifications at any time through your device settings:
Disabling notifications does not affect your ability to use the app or access any features. You can re-enable them at any time.
Token deletion: If you delete the app or request deletion of your data, your push token will be removed from any DevDog-controlled storage. Tokens held by Google or Apple are subject to their respective data retention policies.
Duko includes an optional Friends feature that lets you connect with other players and compare progress. Using this feature is entirely voluntary — you can play the full game without it.
How it works: when you first visit the Friends screen, Duko generates a unique 6-character friend code for you and asks you to choose a display name (3–16 characters). To add a friend, you enter their code or they enter yours. Both players must exchange codes — there is no in-app player search, no contact-list access, and no messaging.
What friends can see: once mutually connected, each friend can see your display name, current story level, total points, day streak, and your daily puzzle results (stars and completion time) for the last 7 days. No other personal information is shared.
What friends cannot see: your friend code (only you can share it), your linked account details, your analytics data, your purchase history, or your device information.
Removing a friend: you can remove any friend at any time from the Friends screen. Removing a friend immediately revokes their access to your data and yours to theirs, on both sides.
Friend limit: each player may have up to 50 friends.
Legal basis (UK GDPR): the Friends feature is processed under legitimate interest. You actively opt in by visiting the Friends screen, choosing a display name, and exchanging codes. You can withdraw at any time by removing friends or deleting your account.
Friend codes are exchanged outside the app (via text message, in person, social media, etc.). There is no in-app discovery, messaging, or contact-list access. This is the same model used by platforms such as Nintendo Switch friend codes.
By default, Duko uses an anonymous Firebase account that does not require a name, email, or password. This anonymous account is tied to your device — if you uninstall the app or switch devices, it may be lost.
Optional account linking: to protect your progress, friends list, and friend code, you can link your anonymous account to a sign-in provider:
We do not access your password, contacts, photos, or any other data from your Google or Apple account. The linked identifier is used solely to let you sign back in and recover your Duko profile.
Switching devices: if you link your account and then sign in on a new device, your cloud profile (including friends, friend code, and gameplay statistics) is restored. If both the old device and the new device have local progress, the highest story level and point total are kept.
Unlinking: you can remove your linked account at any time by deleting your account (Settings → Delete Account). Relinking to a different provider is not currently supported.
Legal basis (UK GDPR): account linking is processed under consent. You choose to link your account and can withdraw by deleting it.
Analytics, crash report, and attribution data is retained by Google Firebase, AdMob, and AppsFlyer in accordance with their own retention policies. Push notification tokens are retained for as long as your app is installed and notifications remain enabled.
Gameplay progress data (story level, total points, day streak, daily puzzle completion dates, hint balance, onboarding status, owned theme packs, optional leaderboard entries, and aggregated gameplay session data if analytics is enabled) is retained for as long as the app is in active use.
Friends data (display name, friend code, friend relationships, and shared gameplay statistics) is retained for as long as you use the Friends feature. Daily puzzle results older than 90 days may be automatically pruned. If you remove a friend, the connection and shared visibility are deleted immediately on both sides.
Linked account data (Google or Apple identifier) is retained for as long as your account exists. It is deleted when you delete your account.
Deleting your account: you can permanently delete your account and all associated data at any time in Duko under Settings → Delete Account. This removes the following from our servers:
All local game data on your device is also cleared. This action is permanent and cannot be undone. Remove Ads and theme pack entitlements remain on your Apple ID or Google account and can be restored via Restore Purchases after creating a new account. You can also email us using the details in Section 14 if you need help.
Analytics, crash, attribution, and notification data held by Google, Apple, and AppsFlyer is subject to their respective data retention policies. We will submit deletion requests on your behalf where technically possible.
If you are located in the United Kingdom or European Economic Area, you have the following rights under UK GDPR / GDPR:
For gameplay progress data and friends data stored in Firestore, DevDog is the data controller. The quickest way to delete your data is Settings → Delete Account in the app, which permanently removes your profile, friends, and all associated data. You may also contact us to request access or deletion. For data held solely by third-party providers (Google Analytics, AdMob, AppsFlyer, Sentry, APNs), we will assist you in exercising these rights where we are able to.
You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) at ico.org.uk.
Our apps are not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect any data from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided data through our app, please contact us immediately and we will take steps to remove that information.
If the App is available in the EU, the minimum age threshold is 16 in some member states. We comply with applicable local law.
The Friends feature uses friend codes that are exchanged outside the app (via text message, in person, etc.). There is no in-app player search, no contact-list access, and no messaging between players. Display names are visible only to mutually connected friends.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page with an updated "Last updated" date at the top. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
Continued use of our apps after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated policy.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data rights, please get in touch:
DevDog — Shawn Wilson
United Kingdom
Email: support@dev-dog.com
Website: www.dev-dog.com
LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/shawn-wilson-9a512b44