This policy explains what information the mobile game Branch ("the Game") processes when you play it on Android or iOS, why, who else receives it, and the choices you have. It also covers this website.
| What | Goes to | When |
|---|---|---|
| Progress and settings | Nowhere — stays on your device | Always |
| Advertising | Google AdMob | Always; personalised only with your permission (see Section 4) |
| Gameplay statistics | Google Analytics for Firebase | In the EEA, UK and Switzerland only with your consent; elsewhere by default |
| Crash reports | Firebase Crashlytics (Google) | Same as gameplay statistics |
| Purchases | Google Play or the Apple App Store | Only when you buy something |
The Game is developed and published by BCKN ("we", "us"), which is the controller of the information described here. You can reach us about anything in this policy at support@bckn.net.
Your level progress, stars, best times, daily puzzle streak, hints, purchase status and settings are saved in a file on your device. That file is never uploaded, and uninstalling the Game deletes it.
The Game is free and funded by ads: full-screen ads between levels, and rewarded ads that you can choose to watch for extra hints. To show and measure them, Google's AdMob SDK processes your IP address, device and app information (such as device model, operating system, language and app version), how you interact with ads, and — only where you have allowed it — your device's advertising identifier (the Android advertising ID, or Apple's IDFA). Google uses this to choose and deliver ads, limit how often you see the same one, measure performance and prevent fraud.
Whether ads are personalised depends on your choices (Section 4). If you refuse, Google shows "limited ads", which do not use cookies, advertising identifiers or other storage on your device. Buying "Remove Ads" stops the ads between levels; rewarded ads remain available because they are always optional.
These tell us which levels are too hard, where players stop, and whether a change made the Game better. They include:
We use these statistics only to understand and improve the Game. They do not include your name or contact details, and we do not try to identify you from them.
When the Game crashes or runs into an error, Crashlytics sends a report so we can find and fix the cause. A report contains the error and where in the code it happened, plus technical details such as device model, operating system version, app version, free memory and storage, screen orientation, the time, and a random Crashlytics installation identifier.
"Remove Ads" is sold through Google Play or the Apple App Store, using Unity's in-app purchasing library inside the Game. The store handles the payment; we receive only a receipt confirming the purchase so the Game can unlock and restore it. We never see your payment details.
On first launch the Game shows a consent form provided by Google's User Messaging Platform (part of the IAB Transparency & Consent Framework), listing the purposes and the ad partners involved. Personalised ads need your consent. Gameplay statistics and crash reports need your consent to "store and/or access information on a device" — if you refuse it, neither is sent at all, and the Game still works exactly the same.
You can reopen the form and change your answer at any time from Settings → Privacy options. The change takes effect immediately.
No consent form is shown. Gameplay statistics and crash reports are sent, and ads may be personalised unless you limit it with the device controls below.
Before ads start, the Game asks for permission to track through Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt. If you do not allow it, neither AdMob nor Analytics can read the IDFA. You can change this at any time in Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking.
You can reset or delete your advertising ID in your device settings (usually Settings → Google → Ads, or Settings → Privacy → Ads). Once it is deleted, apps can no longer use it for personalised ads.
We use these providers, each of which processes information under its own privacy policy:
Google and Apple process information in the United States and other countries. For information from the EEA, the UK and Switzerland they rely on safeguards such as the EU–U.S. Data Privacy Framework (and its UK and Swiss extensions) and the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses.
In the EEA, the UK and Switzerland you have the right to access your data, to have it corrected or erased, to restrict or object to its processing, to data portability, and to withdraw consent at any time. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection authority — in the EU, the one in your country (list of authorities); in the UK, the ICO.
Depending on where you live — California and other U.S. states, for example — you may have similar rights to know about, delete, or opt out of the use of your information for targeted advertising. The device controls in Section 4 are the quickest way to opt out.
Because the Game has no accounts, the information held by Google is linked only to random identifiers, not to you by name. The fastest way to stop collection is the Privacy options screen; uninstalling the Game removes its data and identifiers from your device. For any other request, email us and we will help — we will not ask for more information than we need.
The Game is made for a general audience and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13, or under the age of digital consent in their country. If you believe a child has provided information to us, contact us and we will delete it.
This website is a set of static pages hosted on Firebase Hosting. It uses no cookies, no analytics and no third-party scripts. Like any web server, the host processes your IP address to deliver the pages and protect them from abuse.
The services built into the Game send information over encrypted connections, and our providers protect it with their own technical and organisational measures. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we work to keep your information safe.
When this policy changes, the "Last updated" date at the top changes with it. Where a change needs your consent, we will ask for it before it applies to you.
For any privacy question or request: support@bckn.net