Privacy Policy

1. About this policy

This Privacy Policy explains how Richard Athey, operating as Chipboard (“we,” “us,” or “our”), handles information in Sphubble for Android and on this privacy-policy webpage.

Sphubble is a bubble-popping game with solo modes, optional online multiplayer, lobby chat, and Google advertising. Solo play does not require you to register. Multiplayer uses an automatically created Unity player account and a generated display name; you do not need to provide an email address or real name.

2. Data stored on your device

Sphubble stores game records and preferences locally, including:

• high scores for each solo and multiplayer mode, total bubbles popped, maximum combo, and achievement progress;
• music and sound levels, mute state, aiming controls, and the profanity-filter preference;
• your generated multiplayer name, locally blocked player identifiers, and Unity authentication credentials used to reconnect to your player account; and
• advertising privacy choices maintained by Google’s consent tools.

We do not operate a cloud backup of your solo scores or achievements. Your operating system may back up app data according to your device and backup settings. Information needed for a multiplayer match is shared as described below.

3. Multiplayer and lobby chat

When you open multiplayer, Sphubble uses Unity Authentication, Lobby, and Relay to identify players, find rooms, connect devices, and synchronize matches. Unity processes a persistent player identifier and the connection and technical information needed to operate these services, such as IP addresses, session identifiers, device or application information, and service diagnostics.

Public room listings show the room name, host’s generated name, selected mode, player count, and whether the room is password-protected. A password limits joining; it does not hide the room listing. If you choose a room password, a derived representation is sent to Unity’s lobby service to enforce access.

Room participants receive generated names, join/leave notices, chat messages, and gameplay information such as shots, board state, scores, and bubbles popped. The host’s device coordinates the shared match. Player identifiers are also used for room membership and mute/block functions. Chat is visible to other room participants; do not share personal or sensitive information.

The app keeps a bounded recent chat history in memory for the room, including across matches and ad breaks. It clears that history when you leave. We do not operate a separate persistent chat-log database. This does not prevent other players from recording messages or affect Unity’s own service or security records.

Chat is text-only. The app includes a local profanity filter, spam limits, and mute/block controls. Filtering changes what you see on your device; it does not make a message private or prevent it from being transmitted.

Learn more in Unity’s Game Player and App User Privacy Policy and its Authentication privacy overview.

4. Advertising and consent

Sphubble uses Google AdMob to show interstitial ads at gameplay breaks and optional rewarded ads that let you continue a match. In multiplayer, the host coordinates ad breaks so the shared game can wait for participants.

Google’s User Messaging Platform checks privacy requirements when the app starts, displays a message when required, and remembers your choices. The app requests ads only when that platform indicates that ad requests are permitted. Depending on your region, settings, consent, and ad availability, ads may be personalized, non-personalized, or limited.

Google’s Mobile Ads SDK collects and shares information for advertising, measurement, and fraud prevention, including IP addresses (which can indicate approximate location), app/ad interactions, performance diagnostics, and device or account identifiers such as the Android advertising ID and app set ID. We do not include your lobby chats or locally saved game records in our ad requests.

Google and participating advertising partners handle this information under their own policies and the applicable choices presented to you. Advertising-related processing may be treated as “sharing” or “targeted advertising” under some privacy laws. We do not sell your locally stored gameplay records.

• Google Privacy Policy
• How Google uses information from apps that use its services
• Google Mobile Ads data disclosures

5. Why information is used and shared

We use information to run the game, remember progress and preferences, operate multiplayer and chat, provide advertising and earned continues, apply privacy choices, prevent abuse, and troubleshoot issues. Data needed for online features is processed by the relevant service provider and, for multiplayer, shared with other participants as described above.

If you email us, we receive your email address, message, and any information or attachments you choose to provide. We use them to respond and investigate your request. Our email provider processes these communications. We may also disclose information where reasonably necessary to comply with law or a valid legal request, protect rights, or prevent fraud or harm.

Where a legal basis is required, we rely on providing the service you request, consent where required for advertising or device access, legitimate interests such as maintaining security and responding to support requests, and applicable legal obligations. Consent can be changed using the controls described below.

6. Retention and deletion

• Local progress and preferences: retained until you reset the relevant data, clear the app’s storage, or uninstall it. Operating-system backups may remain or restore data according to your backup settings.
• Chat history: recent messages are held in room participants’ app memory and removed from your app when you leave the room. Other participants’ copies may remain until they leave; we cannot delete copies they independently record.
• Multiplayer service records: room/session data, authentication records, and service diagnostics are handled by Unity according to its service policies. Leaving a room or resetting your local progress does not delete the Unity player account.
• Advertising and consent data: retained by Google and any applicable advertising partners according to their policies and your choices.
• Support messages: retained as needed to respond, resolve the issue, maintain appropriate support records, protect the service, and meet legal obligations.

To request help accessing or deleting server-held information, contact us below, preferably before clearing app storage so we can help identify the relevant player account. We may need enough information to verify and locate the request. Clearing local storage does not itself erase information held by service providers.

7. Your controls and privacy rights

• Use Settings > Reset progress to clear saved scores, statistics, and local achievement progress. This does not delete your multiplayer account or all app preferences.
• Use Settings > Ad privacy to review advertising choices when Google requires that option for your region.
• Use Android’s privacy controls to manage or delete your advertising ID, and its app-storage and backup controls to manage local data.
• Choose whether to enter multiplayer, send chat, or watch a rewarded ad. Use the profanity-filter setting and chat mute/block controls as desired.

Depending on your location, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or receive a copy of personal information, restrict or object to certain processing, withdraw consent, or opt out of targeted advertising or legally defined sharing. Contact us for requests relating to information we handle; use the providers’ privacy controls for information they independently control. You may also have a right to complain to your local data-protection authority.

8. Permissions, security, and international processing

The game uses internet/network access for advertising, consent, and online play. Advertising services may use the Android advertising ID where available and permitted. Sphubble does not request access to your contacts, precise device location, camera, or microphone, and lobby chat does not support uploading images or files.

We use the access controls and transport protections provided by the game’s service providers. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure. Lobby chat is shared with participants and is not a private communication channel.

Google, Unity, GitHub, and our email provider may process information in countries other than where you live, under their applicable privacy policies and transfer safeguards.

9. Children

Sphubble is not directed to children under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal information through the game or to us, contact us so we can investigate and address it. Do not include personal information in public room names or lobby chat.

10. This webpage and policy updates

This policy page is hosted on GitHub Pages. It contains no analytics scripts, ads, forms, or browser-storage features, and loads its styling locally. GitHub may process technical request data, including your IP address, to deliver and secure the site. See the GitHub General Privacy Statement. External links are governed by the destination service’s policies.

We may update this policy when the app or its data practices change. The revised policy will be posted here with an updated effective date. Where appropriate, significant changes may also be communicated in the app or its store listing.