Privacy Policy

Sudoku Shelter - Cozy Cats · Last updated: August 24, 2026

This Privacy Policy explains how Sudoku Shelter ("we", "our", or "the app") handles your information. We designed Sudoku Shelter to collect as little data as possible.

1. Guest Play and Optional Accounts

Sudoku Shelter can be played without an account. If you continue as a guest, your detailed game progress is stored on your device and is not uploaded as a cloud save.

You may optionally connect a Google or Apple account to back up and restore your progress. Signing in may create a Firebase-backed Sudoku Shelter account. When you connect an account, the sign-in provider and Firebase Authentication may process an account identifier, a Firebase user ID, and profile or contact information returned by the provider, such as your name, email address, or phone number where available, together with authentication-related technical data. We do not receive your Google or Apple password.

Account identifiers and cloud progress are used for app functionality. We do not use your sign-in profile information to personalize ads or send marketing messages.

2. Cloud Backup

When you use cloud backup, we store a cloud save in Google Firebase Firestore under your Firebase user ID. The cloud save may include coins; puzzle and tutorial progress; saved puzzle state and notes; cats and relationship progress; owned or installed items; unlocked zones; activity or streak information; save revision information; and update timestamps.

We use this information only to provide account connection, backup, restore, save comparison, and conflict resolution. While an account is connected, the app may automatically update the cloud save when progress changes or at app lifecycle checkpoints. Cloud backup is separate from analytics and advertising choices.

3. Basic Installation and App Analytics

We use Google Analytics for Firebase for basic app measurement. When permitted by your regional privacy choices, it may automatically process a pseudonymous app-instance or device identifier, first open and session events, screen and engagement events, app version, operating system, device characteristics, language, app store or acquisition source, and approximate location derived from an IP address.

We use this information to understand aggregate app usage, measure app installations, advertising campaign performance, aggregate advertising revenue and monetization performance, and diagnose the effectiveness of releases. We have disabled Analytics ad personalization signals. This basic installation measurement is separate from the optional “Help Out” choice described below.

For users in the EEA, United Kingdom, and Switzerland, Firebase Analytics collection remains disabled unless the choices collected through Google's User Messaging Platform permit it. In other regions, collection may be enabled after Google determines that the European consent requirements do not apply. Where available, you can review or change Google's choices from Settings > Privacy & Analytics.

4. Optional Gameplay Analytics

After completing the tutorial, we ask whether you would like to share limited gameplay and device information to help us improve game balance and future content. If you choose “Help Out,” we use Unity Analytics and limited custom events in Firebase Analytics. Choosing “No Thanks” does not affect gameplay, rewards, ads, or purchases.

When enabled, Unity Analytics may process pseudonymous installation and device identifiers, standard session events, technical app and device information (such as app version, operating system, and device characteristics), app performance and diagnostic information, and approximate location derived from an IP address. Platform device identifiers may be processed where available and permitted by the platform.

We also send limited custom gameplay events: tutorial completion, puzzle-clear statistics, rewarded-ad completion, in-app purchase product and reward information, item and zone progress, cat discovery progress, and periodic high-level progress summaries. These events use internal game IDs and numbers only. We do not intentionally include your name, email address, payment details, precise location, or the numbers you enter into Sudoku puzzles.

We use this optional data only to understand and improve the game. We do not use it to personalize ads. You can change this choice later from Settings > Analytics Preferences in the app. If your regional Google Analytics choice does not permit collection, Firebase custom gameplay events remain disabled even if you select “Help Out.” See Unity's Privacy Policy for more information about Unity's data practices.

5. Unity Engine Diagnostics

Unity Engine Diagnostics may collect limited software and hardware performance information to help us monitor the stability and integrity of the app. This diagnostic collection is managed separately from the optional Unity Analytics choice and is not used to personalize advertising.

6. Advertising

Sudoku Shelter displays ads served by Google AdMob. AdMob may collect and use device information to provide and improve advertising, including:

When AdMob is linked with Firebase, Google may associate this impression-level advertising data with a pseudonymous app-instance identifier. We use the resulting aggregate information to measure advertising revenue, Ads ARPDAU, lifetime value (LTV), and monetization performance. We do not use this information ourselves to personalize ads.

On iOS, we ask for your permission through Apple's App Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompt before any tracking takes place. If you decline, you will still see ads, but they will not be personalized using cross-app tracking. Where required (e.g., in the EEA/UK), we also show a consent form powered by Google's User Messaging Platform. Where the privacy-options entry point is required, you can revisit those choices from Settings > Privacy & Analytics.

For details on how Google uses data, see How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services and the Google Privacy Policy.

7. In-App Purchases

Sudoku Shelter offers optional in-app purchases (coin packs and ad removal). All payments are processed by Apple (App Store) or Google (Google Play). We never see or store your payment details. Purchase entitlements (such as "Remove Ads") are verified through the store and saved on your device.

8. Children's Privacy

Sudoku Shelter is suitable for general audiences. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. Advertising in the app is provided by Google AdMob in accordance with its policies.

9. Data Retention, Choices, and Account Deletion

Signing out does not delete your connected account or cloud save. Deleting the app removes data stored only on that device, but does not by itself delete a connected account or cloud save. A connected account and its cloud save are retained until you delete the account or request deletion.

You can delete a connected account and its cloud save inside the app through Save Progress > Manage account > Delete account. We ask you to sign in again before deletion. Successful deletion removes the Firebase Authentication account and the Firestore cloud save. If you used Sign in with Apple, the app also requests revocation of the associated Apple token. This deletes the Sudoku Shelter account, not your external Google or Apple account. Progress stored locally on the device intentionally remains unless you separately delete the app or its local data. Service-provider backup copies may be retained temporarily in accordance with the provider's backup and deletion practices.

If you cannot access the app, you may request deletion of your Sudoku Shelter account and connected cloud save by emailing hello.aprilleaf@gmail.com. Please state that the request is for Sudoku Shelter account deletion. We may ask for information needed to verify account ownership before deleting the Firebase Authentication account and Firestore cloud save.

Changing your Analytics Preference stops future optional gameplay analytics. Changing an available Google privacy choice may also stop future Firebase Analytics collection. These actions do not automatically delete information already sent to Unity or Google, which is retained under our service settings and those providers' policies. To request deletion of Analytics data or ask about your privacy rights, contact us at the email address below.

10. Service Providers

For more information about the services used for sign-in, cloud backup, analytics, and advertising, see the Firebase Privacy and Security information, the Google Privacy Policy, and the Apple Privacy Policy.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Changes will be posted on this page with an updated date above.

12. Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at: hello.aprilleaf@gmail.com