Privacy Policy
Last updated: September 10, 2026
This Privacy Policy explains how the Aphelion mobile game (“Aphelion”, “we”, “us”) handles information when you play. Aphelion is a single-player gravity puzzle game. You do not create an account or use credentials, but the app automatically creates an anonymous Firebase identity to provide Challenge Mode worldwide-clear features.
1. Information we collect
Game progress. Campaign level completion, attempt counts, hint-unlock state, and Challenge Mode completion state are stored locally on your device. Local game data is removed when you uninstall the app or clear its data.
Challenge Mode worldwide clears. When Challenge Mode loads worldwide clear counts or records a clear, Firebase Authentication automatically signs the app in anonymously. Cloud Firestore stores an anonymous Firebase user ID and a private clear receipt containing the challenge mission ID, mission revision, worldwide clear number, and completion time. It also stores an aggregate clear count and update time for each challenge. This prevents duplicate counts and lets the app show worldwide totals and your confirmed pilot number. No name or email address is attached to the anonymous identity.
Analytics events. We collect usage events such as starting, solving, or missing a level or challenge, viewing screens, unlocking hints, and using the share option. These events may include an app-instance identifier and basic device, operating-system, language, and region information.
Advertising identifier. Google Mobile Ads and Firebase Analytics may access your device’s advertising identifier and limited ad-interaction data.
Push-notification token. If you allow notifications, Firebase Cloud Messaging assigns your installation a token so we can send occasional new-level announcements.
We do not collect your name, contacts, photos, precise location, microphone audio, or health data, and we do not sell your personal information.
2. Permissions
| Permission | Why |
|---|---|
| Internet | Load ads, send analytics, receive push notifications, and load or record Challenge Mode worldwide clears. |
| Notifications | Show optional new-level announcements. You can decline or revoke this permission. |
3. Advertising
Aphelion offers optional rewarded ads through Google AdMob. Watching an ad may unlock a level hint, but ads are never required to progress. AdMob may use your advertising identifier and ad-interaction data to serve and measure ads and, depending on your settings and region, personalize them. Google’s handling of this data is governed by the Google Privacy Policy and Google’s partner-sites policy.
You can opt out of personalized ads in your device’s privacy and advertising settings. Where required, including in the EEA and UK, ad personalization is subject to applicable consent requirements.
4. Third-party services
- Google AdMob
- Google Analytics for Firebase
- Firebase Authentication
- Cloud Firestore
- Firebase Cloud Messaging
- Amplitude
- Google Play Services
These providers process data on our behalf—or, for advertising, as independent controllers—under their own privacy and security commitments.
5. How we use information
- Save puzzle progress on your device.
- Show Challenge Mode worldwide clear counts, assign a confirmed pilot number, and prevent duplicate clears from the same anonymous identity.
- Show and measure optional rewarded ads.
- Send optional new-level notifications.
- Understand how levels and features are used so we can improve the game.
6. Data retention
- Game progress remains on your device until you uninstall the app or clear its data.
- Challenge Mode records and aggregate counts are retained in Cloud Firestore to preserve worldwide totals and prevent duplicate clears. Uninstalling or clearing the app removes local data but does not remove a previously submitted anonymous clear record.
- Analytics events are retained according to Firebase Analytics and Amplitude retention policies.
- Advertising data is retained by Google according to its policies.
- Push tokens persist until you disable notifications or uninstall the app.
7. Children’s privacy
Aphelion is intended for a general audience and is not directed to children under 13, or under 16 in the EEA and UK. We do not knowingly collect names, contact details, or other information directly identifying children. If you believe a child has provided personal information, contact us so we can review the request.
8. Your choices
- Reset or delete your advertising ID in your device’s privacy settings.
- Disable notifications in your device or app settings.
- Delete local game data by clearing the app’s data or uninstalling it. A previously submitted anonymous Challenge Mode record remains on our server to preserve the worldwide count.
- EEA, UK, and California residents may request access, correction, or deletion and may contact their local data-protection authority.
Much of Aphelion’s data is pseudonymous analytics, an anonymous challenge identity, or on-device progress. We will act on requests to the extent the data can be identified.
9. Security
Data sent to Firebase, analytics, and advertising providers is transmitted over encrypted HTTPS connections. Firestore access rules limit each private clear receipt to its anonymous owner while allowing aggregate clear counts to be displayed. No transmission or storage method is perfectly secure.
10. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as Aphelion evolves. Material changes will be reflected by the date above and, where appropriate, announced on the store listing.
11. Contact
Email: wjim8957@gmail.com
Developer: Wave / Aphelion