Privacy Policy for Skyword Isles
Skyword Isles is a word puzzle game made by Sycamore Hill Studios. This policy explains what the game does with information. The short version: the game has no accounts and keeps your progress on your device. Optional rewarded video ads are provided by Google AdMob, and purchases are handled by Google Play. Both are explained below.
What we collect
Sycamore Hill Studios does not collect, receive or store any personal data. We do not ask for your name, email address, phone number, location or contacts. We run no servers for the game, and we operate no analytics or crash-reporting service of our own.
No account and no sign-in
Skyword Isles needs no account, registration or sign-in. There is no cloud save and no social login.
Where your game progress lives
Your game data stays in the app's private storage on your device. That includes level progress, stars, coins, hints, cosmetics, settings, badges, Daily Challenge, event and Sky Pass progress, and the timing of your free gifts and ad limits. We never upload it. Uninstalling the app deletes it, and so does Settings → Reset progress in the game. If Android backup is turned on, Android may include this local data in your device backup. Google manages that backup under your Google account, and we cannot access it.
Advertising (Google AdMob)
The game shows ads only when you choose to watch one. A button labelled "Watch ad" (or "×2") gives you a reward such as a hint, extra coins, an extra try or a doubled gift. There are no banner ads, no interstitial ads and no ads that start on their own.
These rewarded ads come from the Google Mobile Ads SDK (Google AdMob). To serve and measure ads, and to prevent fraud, Google may collect or receive the following:
- Your device's advertising ID.
- Your IP address and approximate location derived from it.
- Device and app information such as model, operating system and language.
- Ad interactions and diagnostics.
Google processes this information under its own privacy policy. We do not receive it in a way that identifies you.
- If you are in the European Economic Area, the UK or Switzerland, or in another region where consent is required, the game shows Google's consent form (the User Messaging Platform) before any ad is requested. You can change your choice at any time in Settings → Privacy options.
- You can reset or delete your advertising ID, or opt out of personalised ads, in your device settings (on Android: Settings → Google → Ads).
- Learn more in Google's Privacy Policy and in How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services.
In-app purchases (Google Play)
Skyword Isles is free to play. Optional purchases (coin and hint packs, the Starter Bundle, the Sky Pass Gold track and VIP) are processed entirely by Google Play Billing. Sycamore Hill Studios never receives or stores your payment card details, billing address or other payment information. Google's handling of a purchase is covered by the Google Play Terms of Service and the Google Privacy Policy. The game keeps a record of what you have bought on your device so it can deliver your items and restore them later.
Reminders (notifications)
If you agree, the game sets reminders on your device: when your free gift is ready, when a new Daily Challenge is out, when an event is ending, and occasionally after a few days away. The game schedules these locally on your phone. No push service is used, and no notification token or other identifier leaves your device. You can turn reminders off in Settings → Reminders or in your device's notification settings.
Ratings
The game may occasionally show Google Play's own review card. If you leave a rating or review, Google Play handles it under Google's terms. The game never sees your rating and never rewards you for leaving one.
Permissions
On Android, Skyword Isles uses these permissions:
- INTERNET and ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE: Google AdMob uses these to load the rewarded ads you choose to watch, and Google Play Billing uses them to show prices and process purchases.
- AD_ID: lets the Google Mobile Ads SDK read the advertising ID, as described above.
- ACCESS_ADSERVICES_AD_ID, ACCESS_ADSERVICES_ATTRIBUTION and ACCESS_ADSERVICES_TOPICS: let the Google Mobile Ads SDK use Android's Privacy Sandbox advertising APIs where your device supports them. You can manage these in your device's privacy settings.
- BILLING: lets Google Play process optional purchases.
- POST_NOTIFICATIONS: shows the reminders you agreed to. Android asks you before granting it.
- RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED, WAKE_LOCK and FOREGROUND_SERVICE: keep scheduled reminders after a restart, and let Google libraries finish short background work.
- VIBRATE: soft haptic feedback, which you can turn off in Settings.
The game does not use your camera, microphone, location services, contacts or files outside its own storage.
Children
Skyword Isles is meant for players aged 13 and over and is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided personal information through the game, please contact us at the address below and we will help.
Your rights
We hold no personal data about Skyword Isles players. That means there is nothing for us to access, correct, export or delete on request. Your game data stays under your control on your device. Requests about advertising data can be made to Google through the links above and through your device's ad settings.
Changes to this policy
If the game changes in a way that affects this policy, we will publish an updated version at this address with a new effective date and describe the change in the release notes. This page always holds the current version.
Contact
Questions about this policy or about privacy in Skyword Isles are welcome at sycamorehillstudios@outlook.com.