Effective date: October 6, 2026
Word Sleuth is a mobile word puzzle app operated by Mishmash Labs that offers multiple single-player game modes, local progress saving, advertising in the free version, and an optional in-app purchase for Pro features. This Privacy Policy explains what information is handled when you use the app, how it is used, and what choices you have.
1. Summary
- Word Sleuth does not require you to create an account.
- Word Sleuth does not ask you to submit your name, email address, phone number, or home address inside the app.
- Gameplay progress, statistics, achievements, and settings are stored locally on your device.
- The app uses Google AdMob to show ads in the free version.
- Optional in-app purchases are processed by the Apple App Store or Google Play, depending on your device.
- You can export or restore a local gameplay backup; files you choose to share are handled by the receiving app or service.
- Google Fonts may download fonts, and Android builds may check for updates through Google Play.
- The current app does not include Firebase Analytics or a dedicated remote crash-reporting SDK.
- The app does not request camera, microphone, contacts, or precise location permissions.
2. Information We Handle
A. Information stored locally on your device
Word Sleuth stores gameplay and app-preference data locally so the app can work properly and remember your progress. This may include:
- current and saved puzzle progress
- game statistics, streaks, resets, and completion history
- achievement progress
- theme and gameplay preference settings
- cabinet customization, sound and haptic preferences, and local review-prompt state
- a local cache of Pro entitlement status and purchase timestamp used to restore the app state quickly
This local data is stored on your device through app storage technologies and is not sent to a developer-operated server by the app itself.
B. Advertising-related data
The free version of Word Sleuth may display ads using Google AdMob. When ads are requested, Google and its partners may process information such as:
- device and app identifiers
- IP address
- approximate location derived from IP address
- ad interaction and performance data
- consent and privacy-choice status
This information is used by Google to deliver, limit, personalize where permitted, and measure ads, as well as to support fraud prevention and compliance obligations. Google handles this data under its own terms and privacy policies.
On iOS, the app may request Apple's App Tracking Transparency authorization. If you allow tracking, eligible Google advertising and measurement SDKs may access Apple's advertising identifier (IDFA) for advertising and campaign measurement. If you decline or limit tracking, the IDFA is not available to those SDKs. Apple’s privacy-preserving SKAdNetwork may still provide aggregate campaign attribution without exposing the IDFA.
The Google User Messaging Platform determines whether regional privacy choices are required and supplies those choices to Google Mobile Ads. In regions where no configured privacy message is required, ads can proceed without a consent prompt. On iOS, ATT separately controls access to Apple's advertising identifier. Denying ATT does not remove ads or prevent you from using the app; eligible ads can continue without the IDFA under the applicable UMP privacy signals.
C. In-app purchase data
If you choose to buy Word Sleuth Pro, payment processing and purchase restoration are handled by the relevant app store. The app may receive purchase status information needed to unlock your Pro access, restore it on eligible devices, and remember that status locally.
On iOS, payment processing and purchase restoration are handled by the Apple App Store. On Android, they are handled by Google Play. Word Sleuth does not process your payment card details directly.
Pro suppresses in-app ads while the entitlement is active. It does not disable store purchase services, font downloads, update checks or every consent-SDK interaction.
D. Backup, restoration and sharing
If you export a backup, the app creates a JSON file containing saved puzzles, statistics, achievements and app settings, with a creation timestamp. The file is not encrypted by Word Sleuth. It does not transfer ownership of a Pro purchase; eligible purchases are restored through the relevant store.
The system share sheet lets you send the backup to an app or storage service you select. The recipient may store or transmit it under its own privacy practices. When you restore a backup, the app reads the JSON file you choose through the system file picker and processes it on your device. Word Sleuth does not upload gameplay backups to a developer-operated server.
E. Fonts, app updates and reviews
Word Sleuth uses Google Fonts. If a font is not already available locally, the library may download it from Google's font-hosting services and cache it on your device. Those requests expose technical information such as your IP address; they do not include puzzle progress or statistics.
On Android, the app may check for and download available updates through Google Play's in-app update service. Optional in-app review requests are handled by the relevant app store. These services may process technical and store-account information under their own policies.
3. How We Use Information
Word Sleuth uses information to:
- save and restore your puzzle progress
- create and restore a backup file at your request
- keep score, streak, and achievement records
- remember your settings and preferences
- show ads in the free version
- honor your ad privacy choices where available
- unlock, restore, and maintain Pro access after a valid purchase
- keep the app stable, functional, and secure
4. When Information Is Shared
Word Sleuth does not sell your personal information.
Information may be shared or processed by third-party service providers only where needed to operate app features you use:
- Google AdMob and the Google User Messaging Platform, for ad delivery, consent flow, and ad measurement
- Apple App Store services, for iOS optional in-app purchases and purchase restoration
- Google Play billing services, for Android optional in-app purchases and purchase restoration
- Google Fonts hosting services, when a font download is needed
- Google Play's in-app update service and the relevant app store's review service
- apps, people or storage services you choose when sharing a backup
These providers may process data according to their own privacy notices, terms, and legal obligations.
There is no developer-operated gameplay account, cloud-save service or dedicated Firebase Analytics integration in the current app. Advertising and purchase providers may still process diagnostics and measurement data for their own services.
5. Data Retention
- Local gameplay data remains on your device until you remove it, clear app data, use in-app reset options, or uninstall the app.
- Ad-related and billing-related data retention is determined by the relevant third-party providers.
- Backup files you exported or shared remain wherever you saved or sent them until you delete those copies. Resetting gameplay or uninstalling does not delete them.
- Device backups and cached files are subject to your operating system's backup and storage behavior.
6. Your Choices
You can choose to:
- use the free version without making a purchase
- purchase Pro to remove ads and unlock Pro benefits
- restore prior Pro purchases through your store account when supported
- use the app's in-app reset controls to clear saved progress or stats
- export a backup before removing local data, or delete previously exported backups from their saved locations
- review or change available ad privacy choices from the app's Settings screen when that option is presented
- allow or decline Apple's App Tracking Transparency request on iOS, and change that choice later in iOS Settings
- uninstall the app to remove locally stored app data from your device, subject to any device or platform backup behavior
7. Children
Word Sleuth is a general-audience puzzle game and does not knowingly seek personal information directly from children through an in-app account or profile system. A parent or guardian should manage purchases, advertising permissions and shared files for a child. If you believe information has been handled in a way that raises a privacy concern, contact Mishmash Labs using the address below.
8. Security
Reasonable steps are taken through platform-standard storage and trusted third-party SDKs, but no method of electronic storage or transmission is guaranteed to be completely secure.
9. International Processing
Third-party providers used by the app, such as Google services, may process data on servers located in different countries.
10. Changes To This Policy
This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time. If changes are made, the updated version will be reflected in the policy made available for the app.
11. Contact
For privacy questions or requests about Word Sleuth, contact Mishmash Labs at mishmash.labs@gmail.com. We receive the email address, message and attachments you choose to send and use them to respond to your request. Support records are retained only as long as needed to handle the request and meet applicable legal obligations. Do not send a gameplay backup unless you intend to share its contents.
Depending on applicable law, you may have rights to access, correct or delete personal information we hold, or to complain to a data-protection authority. We cannot access your local gameplay data or delete information controlled by Google, Apple or a service you shared a backup with. Direct requests about their records to the relevant provider.
12. Third-Party Services
Word Sleuth currently relies on third-party services that may have their own privacy terms, including:
- Google AdMob / Google Mobile Ads
- Google User Messaging Platform
- Apple App Store services
- Google Play billing / Google Play services
- Google Fonts hosting services
- apps or storage services you select through the system share sheet
You should review those providers' policies if you want more detail about how they process data on their systems, including:
- Google Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
- Google's partner-services information: https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites
- Apple Privacy Policy: https://www.apple.com/legal/privacy/