Pocket Patterns is developed under the UNIXTECHLAB / unixtechlab.dev brand. Contact us about privacy at [email protected]. This policy describes the privacy-enabled build of Pocket Patterns. Platform-specific services apply only where enabled and available; the iPhone/iPad version is still being prepared.
Game progress and backups
The game stores puzzle completions, partial boards, medals, points, Challenge Run state, festival history, galaxy choices and settings on your device. A galaxy name is optional; use a nickname if you do not want personal information in a save.
If you enable cloud saves, game progress is sent to the platform service associated with your account: Google Play Games Saved Games on Android, or private iCloud storage on configured iPhone/iPad builds. These saves are associated with a platform account identifier and are not a public leaderboard or public profile. Local recovery copies may be retained so a conflicting save can be reviewed. Cloud services remain subject to their providers' terms and privacy policies.
If you export a progress backup, a JSON file is written to the destination you choose. Anyone you give that file to may read its game data. Backup files exclude purchase ownership and unused consumable balances. Google Play Games and iCloud do not automatically share a save slot; cross-platform progress transfer currently uses a backup file.
Purchases
Google Play or the App Store handles checkout, payment methods and payment authentication. The app receives product and transaction information needed to verify delivery and restore eligible purchases; it does not receive your full payment-card number or your platform-account password. Product ownership, delivery identifiers and unused consumable runs or hints are stored on the device. Store providers also process transaction information under their own policies.
Permanent items restore through the same platform/store account. Consumable balances are device-local and are not included in portable progress backups. Purchases made through Google Play do not become Apple purchases, or vice versa.
Children, teens and shared devices
The privacy-enabled build asks for an age group using a neutral choice: under 13, 13–17, 18 or older, or not now. It does not ask for a birth date. The choice is used for the current app session and is not an advertising profile or part of an exported game save.
For under-18 or unknown-age sessions, the app does not initialize or request advertising and does not start new purchases. Regular free puzzles remain available, and existing unlocked game content can still be used. An adult must manage new purchases. On a shared device, choose the correct age group for the current player. Platform account and family controls are managed by Google or Apple.
Advertising and Google's services
Adult sessions may use Google AdMob for optional rewarded videos and occasional ads between completed puzzles. Google’s User Messaging Platform manages applicable consent and privacy messages before live ad requests are permitted. Test builds may use Google sample ads instead of live advertising.
Google's Mobile Ads SDK may collect and share the following information for advertising, measurement, diagnostics and fraud prevention:
- IP address, which may be used to estimate approximate location.
- Device, app-set, advertising and applicable account identifiers.
- App interactions, including launches, taps and video views.
- Performance and diagnostic information.
This processing is performed by Google and its advertising partners, as described in the Google Privacy Policy and Google advertising information. The game does not request camera, microphone, contacts, precise GPS location or broad file-storage permissions for normal gameplay. File access is limited to the backup files and destinations you select through the system picker.
Declining advertising personalization does not lock regular puzzles. Where permitted by Google's SDK and your choices, limited or non-personalized ads may still be served. Removing automatic ads through an eligible purchase does not disable optional rewarded videos you choose to watch.
Your choices and deleting data
- Age and ad choices: open Settings → Player privacy and Settings → Ads & privacy. You can change the current session's age group. Google's privacy-options form is available where required and supported.
- Local saves: operating-system app storage controls can remove local game data. Back up progress first if you intend to keep it. Removing local data does not necessarily remove a cloud save.
- Cloud saves: manage game data through the relevant Google Play Games or iCloud account controls. A retained cloud save may restore progress later.
- Exported files: delete or manage backup files at the destination where you saved them.
- Platform purchases and identifiers: use the Google Play, App Store and operating-system account/ad controls. Removing local game data does not cancel or refund a store purchase.
Depending on where you live and the data involved, you may have rights to access, correct or delete personal information, withdraw consent, or object to certain processing. Contact [email protected] with your request. We can address information within our control and explain when a request must be made to Google, Apple or the service holding your backup. Do not send passwords, full payment-card details or private keys.
Retention and security
Local game and purchase-delivery data remains until removed by the app, operating system or user. Cloud saves and exported backups remain with their respective services until removed there. Google and Apple apply their own retention rules to platform, advertising and transaction information. If you contact support, we receive your address and message and may retain the correspondence to respond and resolve the issue. Visiting this policy page may also create ordinary access/security logs on our web host.
The app uses platform storage protections and encrypted network connections for supported online services. A portable backup is an ordinary readable file, so store and share it carefully. No method of storage or transmission is guaranteed to be completely secure.
Policy changes
We may update this policy when the app or its services change. The date above identifies the latest version. Material changes will be reflected in the policy and, where appropriate, in the app's notices or platform disclosures.