this privacy policy describes how pongsixtyfour studios ("we", "us", "our"), operated by Pongsixtyfour Studios LLC of North Carolina, USA, handles information in connection with Fireflies: Light Up Puzzle ("Fireflies", the "app"), distributed on the Apple App Store and Google Play. our other apps are covered by their own policy.
1. summary
fireflies is free to play and supported by ads, with optional in-app purchases. it has no account system and we run no backend, so we do not collect account data ourselves. ads are provided by Google AdMob, which collects some data as described below. crash reports go to Sentry, and payments are handled by Apple and Google.
2. advertising (Google AdMob)
the app uses Google AdMob to show interstitial and rewarded video ads. there are no banner ads. the optional ad removal purchase (see in-app purchases below) stops the full-screen interstitial ads between puzzles. optional rewarded video ads, which you choose to watch for a hint or to continue after losing lives, stay available, so the ad data collection and consent choices described here continue to apply.
AdMob may collect the following from your device: device identifiers, including your advertising ID (IDFA on iOS, Android advertising ID on Android) and, on Android, an app set ID or similar identifier; your IP address, which Google uses to estimate your approximate location; information about the ads you are shown; how you interact with the app and ads (for example launches, taps and video views); and diagnostics and performance data such as launch time, hang rate and energy use. this data may be linked to you or your device. Google uses it for third-party advertising, analytics, and fraud prevention, security and compliance, and we treat it as tracking. see how Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services.
3. your choices
iOS. the app asks for your permission to track you (App Tracking Transparency). you can decline and still play the app in full; you will see non-personalized ads. ads are still provided by Google AdMob either way, so the data described in section 2 may still be collected to deliver and measure them.
EU and UK. if you are in the EU or UK, the app shows a consent form (Google's User Messaging Platform) before ads are shown. you can change that choice later in the app under settings, then privacy choices.
device settings. you can also reset or limit your advertising ID in your device's system settings.
4. save sync
progress and settings are stored on your device. on iOS, the app also uses iCloud, through the account you are signed into on your device, to keep a small amount of data in sync across your Apple devices: which puzzles you have completed, your daily streak, your difficulty progress, whether you have seen the tutorial, and a record of your purchases (store transaction ids with hint and life counts). we cannot access data stored in your personal iCloud account.
on Android, your progress stays on your device and is not synced between devices, so it may be lost if you uninstall the app or change devices. cross-device sync on Android may come later.
5. crash reporting (Sentry)
we use Sentry to receive crash and error reports so we can fix bugs. this applies to Sentry only: reporting is crash-only, with no performance tracing, screenshots, session replay, or analytics. (Google AdMob's own data collection is described in section 2.) a report contains technical details such as the app version, OS and device model, and a stack trace. if a purchase fails inside the app, a non-fatal error report with technical details may also be sent. we strip device and user identifiers before sending (no user ID, no device hash) and do not send personal information. reports are not linked to your identity and are not used for tracking or advertising. crash reports are automatically deleted after 30 days. see Sentry's privacy policy.
6. in-app purchases
the app offers optional in-app purchases: removing interstitial ads (a one-time purchase), and hint packs and extra-life packs. there are no subscriptions. payments are processed by Apple (App Store) or Google (Google Play) under their own terms and privacy policies. we never receive or store your card or payment details.
because we have no accounts and no backend, we do not keep purchase records ourselves. purchases are verified on your device and tied to your store account, so a purchase made on iOS is not available on Android and the other way around. ad removal can be restored through your store account (for example with the restore purchases button in the app's settings). on iOS, the record of your hint and life purchases syncs through iCloud as described in section 4.
7. information you send us
if you email us for support, we receive your email address and the contents of your message so we can respond. we retain it only as long as needed to help you and keep reasonable records.
8. sharing
we do not sell your personal information in exchange for money. the AdMob data collection described in section 2 may count as "sharing" for targeted advertising under some state privacy laws (for example the California Consumer Privacy Act). on iOS you can decline tracking in the permission prompt or in system settings, you can reset or limit your advertising ID in your device settings, and if you are in the EU or UK you can make a consent choice as described in section 3. beyond that, we do not share personal information with third parties except service providers acting on our behalf (for example email hosting and Sentry for crash reporting), when required by law, or to protect our rights.
9. children
fireflies is not directed to children under 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your country) and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. ads are served by Google AdMob under Google's policies, which do not allow personalized ads for users known to be under the applicable age. if you believe a child has used the app, email us at the address below and we will help, including pointing you to Google's controls for the data it holds.
10. your rights
depending on where you live (for example under GDPR or CCPA), you may have the right to access, correct, or delete personal information we hold about you, and to object to certain processing. to make a request, email us at the address below. data held by Google through AdMob is governed by Google's own policies and controls.
11. changes to this policy
we may update this policy from time to time. we will post the revised version here and update the "last updated" date above.
12. contact
questions about this policy? email support@pongsixtyfourstudios.com.