This Privacy Policy explains what information the Sift mobile app ("Sift", "the app", "we", "us") collects, how it is used, and the choices you have. Sift is a daily word‑grouping puzzle game published by Seif Eddine.
The short version
Sift has no accounts and asks for no personal details. Your game progress, stats, and settings stay on your device. We use Google Firebase to understand anonymous, aggregated usage and to diagnose crashes so we can improve the game. Advertising is currently turned off; if we enable it later, it is served by Google AdMob and may use an advertising identifier. We do not sell your data.
1. Who we are
Sift is developed and operated by Seif Eddine (the "data controller"). For any privacy question or request, contact us at contact@siftpuzzle.online.
2. Information stored on your device
Sift saves the following locally on your device only. This information is not transmitted to us and is not linked to your identity:
- Your daily and endless puzzle progress, win/loss results, and streaks
- Your statistics (games played, win rate, current and maximum streak)
- Your preferences (selected language, sound, haptics, reduced motion, notification settings)
Deleting the app removes this on‑device data.
3. Information collected automatically
To keep the app reliable and to improve it, Sift uses Google Firebase services. These collect limited technical and usage information:
Analytics (Google Analytics for Firebase)
Aggregated, anonymous usage events such as app opens, puzzles started/solved/failed, hints used, screens viewed, the selected app language, and general device information (device model, operating system version, country/region, and language). This helps us understand how the game is used and where to improve it. It is not used to identify you personally.
Crash and performance diagnostics (Firebase Crashlytics)
If the app crashes or misbehaves, we receive a crash report containing the type of error, the device state at the time (model, OS version, available memory), and a stack trace. This is used solely to find and fix bugs.
Remote configuration (Firebase Remote Config)
The app fetches configuration values from our servers (for example, whether advertising is enabled). This involves a routine network request and does not collect personal information from you.
Advertising (Google AdMob) — when enabled
Advertising is currently disabled in Sift. If we enable advertising in a future update, ads are provided by Google AdMob and may collect an advertising identifier (Apple's IDFA on iOS, the Advertising ID on Android) and ad‑interaction data to show and measure ads. On Apple devices, we will request your permission through Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt before any tracking. In the European Economic Area and the UK, we will request consent through Google's User Messaging Platform consent flow. You can decline, and you can reset or limit your advertising identifier in your device settings at any time.
Local notifications
If you opt in, Sift schedules a daily reminder. These notifications are generated locally on your device. We do not collect data through them and we do not operate a push‑messaging server that targets you individually.
4. Information we do not collect
Sift does not ask for or collect your name, email address, phone number, contacts, photos, precise GPS location, or any account credentials. There is no sign‑in.
5. Identifiers we may process
| Identifier | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Firebase installation ID | Group analytics and crash reports per app install (not per person) |
| Advertising ID (IDFA / Android Advertising ID) | Only if advertising is enabled and you consent — to serve and measure ads |
| IP address | Processed transiently by Google to deliver network requests and derive approximate country/region; not stored by us to identify you |
6. How we use information
- To operate the game and deliver daily puzzles
- To understand aggregate usage and improve features and difficulty
- To detect, diagnose, and fix crashes and bugs
- To configure the app remotely (such as enabling features)
- If enabled in future, to show and measure advertising, subject to your consent
7. How information is shared
We do not sell your personal information and we do not share it for cross‑context behavioral advertising except as described in the advertising section, and only with your consent where required. Information is processed by our service providers acting on our behalf:
- Google — Firebase (Analytics, Crashlytics, Remote Config) and, when enabled, AdMob. See Google's Privacy Policy.
- Apple / Google — as the app store platforms that distribute the app and provide system services on your device. See Apple and Google policies.
We may also disclose information if required by law or to protect our rights, safety, or property.
8. Legal bases (EEA / UK users)
Where the GDPR or UK GDPR applies, we rely on the following legal bases: our legitimate interests in maintaining, securing, and improving the app (for analytics and crash diagnostics, in a privacy‑protective, aggregated form); and your consent for advertising that uses your advertising identifier. You may withdraw consent at any time as described below.
9. Data retention
On‑device data remains until you clear it in the app or uninstall. Firebase Analytics data is retained according to Google's default retention settings, and Crashlytics reports are retained for a limited period for debugging. We keep automatically collected data only as long as needed for the purposes above.
10. Children's privacy
Sift is intended for a general audience aged 13 and older. It is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us at contact@siftpuzzle.online and we will take appropriate steps.
11. Your choices and rights
Depending on where you live (including the EEA, UK, and California), you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or restrict processing of your information, and to object to certain processing. Because Sift does not hold an account or directly identifying information about you, the most effective controls are on your device:
- Delete on‑device data: uninstall the app, or use any in‑app reset option.
- Control advertising identifiers: reset or limit ad tracking in your device settings (iOS: Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking / Apple Advertising; Android: Settings → Privacy → Ads).
- Withdraw advertising consent: via the iOS App Tracking Transparency setting or the in‑app EU consent options (when advertising is enabled).
- Requests: email contact@siftpuzzle.online and we will respond as required by applicable law.
California We do not sell or share personal information as those terms are defined under the CCPA/CPRA, and we do not discriminate against users who exercise their rights.
12. International data transfers
Our service providers (such as Google) may process information on servers located in countries other than your own, including the United States. Where required, these transfers rely on appropriate safeguards such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses.
13. Security
We rely on the security measures of the device platform and of Google's services, and we limit the data the app collects. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we take reasonable steps to protect the information involved.
14. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time — for example, when we enable advertising or add new features. We will revise the "Last updated" date above and, for significant changes, provide notice in the app or store listing. Continued use of Sift after an update means you accept the revised policy.
15. Contact
Questions or requests about this policy or your data: contact@siftpuzzle.online · Seif Eddine.