Privacy Policy

Who we are and what this policy covers

WordPulse is published by SideRight Apps, operated by Alexander Bacsa in Scotland, United Kingdom. This policy covers the WordPulse apps for iOS and Android. It replaces the previous externally hosted WordPulse privacy notice.

SideRight Apps is responsible for the choices described in this notice. Independent services used by the app also handle information under their own privacy policies.

Information kept on your device

WordPulse stores the following information locally so the game works between visits:

• Your current Daily puzzle progress, including guesses, results and hints used.
• Your played and won totals, streaks, best streak and guess distribution.
• Your completed Archive puzzles and their results.
• Whether you have seen the introductory walkthrough and an ad-frequency counter.

WordPulse does not send your puzzle boards, guesses, streaks or statistics to a SideRight Apps server. Endless and Word Search round state, and recently fetched definitions, are held only for the current app session.

Local data remains until you clear the app's storage or delete the app. Your operating system may keep store purchase records separately.

Advertising and device privacy choices

The free version of WordPulse uses Google AdMob / Google Mobile Ads for interstitial advertisements and optional rewarded advertisements that can provide hints. WordPulse requests non-personalised ads.

Google and its advertising partners may still process technical information needed to provide and operate advertising, including your IP address, approximate location inferred from network information, device or app identifiers, advertising and app interactions, and diagnostic, performance or crash information. This information may be used for purposes such as ad delivery, measurement, frequency capping, reporting, fraud prevention and operation of the advertising service.

WordPulse uses Google's User Messaging Platform (UMP) to determine whether a privacy message is required in your region and, where applicable, to obtain and store your advertising privacy choices. WordPulse does not maintain a separate copy of your UMP consent decision. Where required, you can reopen these choices from the Privacy choices option within the app.

On iOS, eligible users of the free version may also be asked for permission under Apple's App Tracking Transparency system before access to the advertising identifier is permitted. This identifier may be used for advertising measurement and related advertising functions; WordPulse does not use it to request personalised ads. Declining this permission does not prevent you from playing WordPulse, and advertisements may continue in a non-personalised or limited form without access to the IDFA.

Advertising privacy consent and Apple's App Tracking Transparency permission are separate controls. You can also change relevant permissions through your device settings.

When an active WordPulse Pro entitlement has been confirmed, WordPulse suppresses advertising and does not initialise the Google advertising, UMP or advertising-related ATT flow for that session. Purchasing Pro does not retroactively delete information that may previously have been processed by advertising providers.

Google's handling of information is described in the Google Privacy Policy and its information about advertising technologies.

WordPulse Pro purchases

WordPulse offers a one-time Pro purchase; it is not a subscription. On iOS, purchases are processed through Apple StoreKit. On Android, purchases are processed through Google Play Billing.

Apple or Google handles the purchase transaction and payment information. SideRight Apps does not receive your payment-card details and does not operate a payment-processing backend for WordPulse.

The app receives the product, transaction and entitlement information needed to determine whether WordPulse Pro has been purchased and to restore that entitlement. Apple's and Google's handling of store-account, transaction and payment information is governed by their respective privacy policies.

Definitions, version checks and app updates

• Datamuse: when you open a definition, the relevant solved word is sent to the Datamuse API. Datamuse also receives normal connection information such as IP address and request time. Definitions are cached only in memory. Datamuse says detailed query logs are discarded at the end of each day. See the Datamuse API information.
• GitHub: the app reads a small public version file hosted as a GitHub Gist to check whether a newer store release is available. Your installed version is compared on your device and is not included in that request. GitHub receives normal web request information. See the GitHub Privacy Statement.
• Expo EAS Update: the app checks Expo for compatible software and asset updates. Expo may process your operating system, platform, app and runtime versions, project and update identifiers, a random installation or update token, IP address and update performance information. See the Expo Privacy Policy.

Notifications and sharing

If you allow notifications, WordPulse schedules a repeating 9am Daily puzzle reminder on your device. It does not register a remote push-notification token or send reminder data to a SideRight Apps server. You can withdraw notification permission in your device settings.

Sharing a result is optional. WordPulse prepares the puzzle number, score and emoji grid, then opens your device's standard share sheet. Nothing is sent until you choose an app or person; your chosen destination then handles the shared content under its own terms.

Information you send to us

If you email SideRight Apps for support or a privacy request, we receive the email address, message and any attachments you choose to provide. We use that information to answer you, investigate the issue and keep an appropriate record. Routine correspondence is normally deleted within 24 months after the matter is closed, unless it must be kept longer for a legal, accounting or security reason, or a valid deletion request requires earlier removal. Support email is provided through Google and is subject to the Google Privacy Policy linked above.

What we do not operate

WordPulse has no user account, profile, first-party cloud database or first-party analytics or crash-reporting service. It does not ask SideRight Apps for your name, email address, contacts, photos, files, precise location or payment-card details. Outside services may process their own advertising, purchase and update analytics as described above.

Why information is processed

Where UK or European data-protection law applies, we rely on performance of a contract to provide and restore WordPulse Pro; consent where required for advertising privacy choices, optional notifications and, on iOS, access to the advertising identifier; and legitimate interests in providing, securing and maintaining the game, answering support requests and checking for updates. For advertising, legitimate interests are relied upon only where applicable law permits; where prior consent is legally required, advertising requests remain blocked until the applicable consent requirements are satisfied.

Retention, deletion and your rights

Clear WordPulse's storage or delete the app to remove locally held game data. Session-only information is cleared when the app process ends. Purchase and service records are kept by the relevant store or service for the periods described in its policy, including where needed to restore purchases, prevent fraud or meet legal and accounting duties.

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to ask for access, correction, deletion, restriction or portability of personal information, to object to processing, or to withdraw consent. Email us to make a request. Because WordPulse has no account, we may need limited information about your device platform, purchase or request timing to determine whether a third-party record can be located.

International processing and security

The outside services above may process information in the United States and other countries whose data-protection rules differ from those in the United Kingdom. Their linked policies explain the transfer safeguards they use. Network requests use HTTPS. No internet service can guarantee absolute security, but we limit the services and information used to what the app needs.

Children

WordPulse is a general-audience word game and may be used by children. It does not ask a player's age and does not ask children to create an account or provide contact details. The advertising service may process the limited technical information described above. Parents and guardians can review the advertising and privacy controls on the child's device and store account. If you believe information about a child has been handled through WordPulse, contact us so we can investigate and take appropriate action.

Changes to this policy

We will update the date at the top of this page when the policy changes. Material changes will be reflected here before the relevant app feature is released where practical.

Contact and privacy complaints

SideRight Apps is operated by Alexander Bacsa in Carnoustie, Scotland, United Kingdom. For questions, rights requests or a data-protection complaint, email siderightapps@gmail.com. Use the subject “Data protection complaint” if you want us to treat your message as a formal complaint. We will acknowledge a data-protection complaint within 30 days, investigate it appropriately and explain the outcome.

You can also complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office. See the ICO's complaint guidance.