Privacy Policy

Who we are

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.

What data we collect

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:

• Anonymous account identifier: Duko automatically creates an anonymous Firebase account on your device so progress can sync to the cloud. No email or password is required.
• Gameplay progress: story level, total points, day streak, daily puzzle completion dates, hint balance, onboarding status, owned theme packs, and achievement progress — stored locally and in Google Firebase (Firestore) under your anonymous identifier.
• Usage analytics (opt-in only): if you choose to allow analytics in the app, gameplay session data (such as puzzle mode, grid size, symbol theme, difficulty, time taken, mistakes, and hints used) is sent to Google Analytics for Firebase. You can decline or withdraw consent at any time in Settings.
• App interactions and feature usage (screens visited, buttons tapped, session duration)
• Device type, operating system version, and app version
• General geographic region (country or region level — not precise location)
• Crash reports and performance diagnostics (via Firebase and Sentry on mobile release builds)
• Advertising interaction data (ad impressions, clicks) via AdMob
• Attribution and install data: to understand which advertising campaigns (such as those on TikTok or Google Ads) led to an app install, Duko uses AppsFlyer, a mobile attribution service. On Android, this includes your device's advertising identifier (GAID). On iOS, your device's advertising identifier (IDFA) is only accessed if you select "Allow" at the App Tracking Transparency prompt shown on first launch; if you select "Ask App Not to Track," AppsFlyer instead receives aggregated, non-identifying attribution data only.
• Leaderboard data (opt-in only): if you opt in to the daily leaderboard, your Game Center or Google Play Games display name, score, and platform are stored in Firestore for that calendar day.
• Push notification tokens: a unique device identifier generated by Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) and/or Apple Push Notification service (APNs) that allows us to send notifications to your device. This token is not linked to your name or personal identity.
• Notification interaction data: whether a notification was delivered, opened, or dismissed, used solely to assess reminder effectiveness and improve timing.

How we use your data

The usage data we collect is used for the following purposes only:

• Understanding how users interact with our apps so we can improve them
• Identifying and fixing crashes or performance issues
• Measuring the reach and effectiveness of the app
• Serving relevant advertisements through Google AdMob
• Measuring advertising campaign effectiveness through AppsFlyer, so we can understand which advertising campaigns led to installs and improve how we spend our advertising budget
• Collecting usage analytics only when you have opted in via the in-app consent prompt or Settings
• Sending push notifications: specifically, daily challenge reminders if you have not yet completed your challenge by a set time of day. Notifications are only sent if you have turned on the daily reminder in Settings and granted notification permission on your device.
• Restoring gameplay progress: gameplay progress data stored in Firestore is used solely to restore your progress after a reinstall or device change. It is not used for advertising, analytics, or profiling purposes.

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.

Third-party services

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.

Advertising

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:

• iOS: Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking → disable "Allow Apps to Request to Track" (this setting governs both AdMob and AppsFlyer)
• Android: Settings → Privacy → Ads → enable "Opt out of Ads Personalisation"

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.

In-app purchases

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:

• Remove Ads (£1.99) — a one-time non-consumable purchase that removes full-screen interstitial advertisements every five story levels. Rewarded ads for hints and extra lives still apply.
• Hint Packs (£0.99 for 10 hints) — a consumable purchase. Purchased hints are linked to your anonymous identifier and synced to Firebase. They are not restored via the App Store or Google Play (consumables), but may sync from Firestore after reinstall unless you delete your data.
• Theme Packs — one-time non-consumable purchases that unlock cosmetic symbol sets in Custom mode: History & Mythology, Video Games, and Explorer. Use Restore Purchases to recover on the same Apple ID or Google account.

All payments are processed securely by the platform you are using:

• iOS: Purchases are processed by Apple Inc. via the App Store. DevDog does not receive or store your payment card details. Apple's payment privacy policy applies: apple.com/legal/privacy
• Android: Purchases are processed by Google LLC via Google Play Billing. DevDog does not receive or store your payment card details. Google's privacy policy applies: policies.google.com/privacy

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.

Push notifications

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:

• iOS: Settings → Notifications → [App Name] → toggle off Allow Notifications
• Android: Settings → Apps → [App Name] → Notifications → toggle off

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.

Data retention

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.

Deleting your data: you can delete your anonymous account and associated Firestore data at any time in Duko under Settings → Delete my data. This clears cloud progress and local game data on the device and creates a fresh anonymous account. Remove Ads and theme pack entitlements remain on your Apple ID or Google account and can be restored via Restore Purchases. You can also email us using the details in Section 12 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.

Your rights

If you are located in the United Kingdom or European Economic Area, you have the following rights under UK GDPR / GDPR:

• The right to know what data is held about you
• The right to request correction or deletion of your data
• The right to object to or restrict certain processing
• The right to data portability
• The right to withdraw consent at any time

For gameplay progress data stored in Firestore, DevDog is the data controller. The quickest way to delete your data is Settings → Delete my data in the app. 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.

Children's privacy

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.

Changes to this policy

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.

Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or wish to exercise your data rights, please get in touch: