Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Puzzle Snap ("we", "our", or "us") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle your information when you use our mobile application.

2. Information We Do NOT Collect

Puzzle Snap does NOT collect, store, or transmit:

• Personal identification information (name, email, phone number, address)
• Location data
• Device identifiers
• Usage analytics or statistics
• Cookies or tracking data
• Any other personal or sensitive information

3. Photo Library Access

The app requests access to your device's photo library to allow you to select photos for creating puzzles.

How Photo Access Works:

• Local Only: Photos are accessed and processed entirely on your device
• No Upload: Photos are NEVER uploaded to our servers during gameplay
• No Storage: We do not store or retain copies of your photos
• Read-Only: The app never modifies or deletes your photos
• User Control: You can revoke photo access anytime in iOS Settings

4. Puzzle Sharing Feature

Puzzle Snap includes an OPTIONAL feature that allows you to share puzzles with others. This feature uses Firebase Cloud Storage provided by Google.

How Puzzle Sharing Works:

1. User Action: You complete a puzzle and tap the "Share" button
2. Confirmation: The app asks you to confirm sharing
3. HTML Generation: The app creates an HTML file containing:
   • Your selected photos (embedded as base64 images)
   • Puzzle game code (JavaScript)
   • No personal information or user identifiers
4. Upload to Firebase: The HTML file is uploaded to Firebase Cloud Storage
5. Link Creation: A unique, unguessable link is generated (using UUID)
6. Link Sharing: You can share this link with anyone via Messages, Email, etc.

Firebase Cloud Storage Details:

• Provider: Google Firebase (Google Cloud Platform)
• What's Stored: HTML puzzle files with your selected photos
• What's NOT Stored: Your name, email, device ID, or any personal identifiers
• Anonymity: Puzzles are uploaded completely anonymously
• Link Security: Each puzzle gets a unique 36-character UUID link that is cryptographically impossible to guess
• Public Access: Anyone with the exact link can view and play the puzzle
• No Directory: There is no public list or search function for puzzles

Important Notes About Shared Puzzles:

Developer Access to Shared Puzzles:

As the app developers, we can:

• See that files exist in Firebase Storage
• View file sizes and upload dates
• Open and view the HTML files (which contain photos)

However, we CANNOT:

• Identify who created or uploaded the puzzle
• Link puzzles to specific users or devices
• Access any personal information about users
• Track who shares or plays puzzles

This is because: No user identifiers or personal data are attached to uploaded puzzles. They are completely anonymous.

Managing Your Shared Puzzles:

The app saves links to your shared puzzles locally on your device. You can:

• View a list of puzzles you've shared
• Re-share links
• Delete puzzles from Firebase (this removes the file and breaks the link)

Note: If you delete the app or clear app data, you will lose access to your list of shared puzzles (though the puzzles will remain in Firebase unless explicitly deleted).

5. Data Storage

Local Storage (On Your Device):

The app stores the following data locally on your device:

• Game progress and best times
• App preferences and settings
• Available puzzle shares count (for in-app purchases)
• Links to puzzles you've shared

This data is stored locally using iOS UserDefaults and never leaves your device.

Cloud Storage (Firebase):

Only used for optional puzzle sharing as described above. No other data is stored in the cloud.

6. Third-Party Services

Firebase Cloud Storage (Google):

We use Firebase Cloud Storage solely for the optional puzzle sharing feature.

• Purpose: Hosting shared puzzle HTML files
• Data Shared: Only puzzle HTML files when you explicitly share
• Google's Privacy Policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy
• Firebase Security: Files are stored on Google's secure infrastructure

We do NOT use:

• Firebase Analytics
• Firebase Crashlytics
• Google Analytics
• Any other tracking or analytics services

7. Children's Privacy

Puzzle Snap is safe for all ages, including children under 13. We do not knowingly collect any personal information from anyone, including children.

The app is designed to be completely safe:

• No data collection
• No in-app messaging or social features
• No advertisements
• No external links (except optional puzzle sharing)
• Compliant with COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act)

8. Data Security

While we don't collect personal data, we take security seriously:

• Photos are processed locally on your device
• Shared puzzles use Firebase's secure infrastructure (Google Cloud)
• HTTPS encryption for all Firebase uploads
• Unique, unguessable UUIDs for puzzle links
• No user accounts or login system (nothing to hack)

9. Your Rights and Choices

Photo Access:

• You can revoke photo access anytime in iOS Settings → Privacy → Photos
• The app will still function, but you won't be able to select new photos

Puzzle Sharing:

• Sharing is completely optional
• You control what photos to share
• You can delete shared puzzles from Firebase via the app
• You can choose not to use this feature at all

Data Deletion:

• To delete local app data: Delete the app from your device
• To delete shared puzzles: Use the "My Shared Puzzles" feature in the app

10. International Data Transfers

If you use the puzzle sharing feature, your shared puzzle files are stored on Firebase Cloud Storage, which may be located in various countries where Google operates data centers.

The files contain only:

• Photos you explicitly chose to share
• Puzzle game code
• No personal information

11. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by:

• Updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this policy
• Posting the new Privacy Policy on this page
• If significant changes are made, we may notify you through the app

12. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, please contact us:

• Email: support@puzzels.xyz
• Website: https://puzzels.xyz
• Support Page: https://puzzels.xyz/support.html

13. Legal Compliance

This Privacy Policy complies with:

• GDPR (General Data Protection Regulation) - EU
• CCPA (California Consumer Privacy Act) - USA
• COPPA (Children's Online Privacy Protection Act) - USA
• Apple App Store Privacy Guidelines