Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Welcome to Word Miner, a mobile word puzzle and trivia adventure game developed and operated by Newgates ("we," "us," or "our"). Word Miner features multiple game modes, including Word Guessing, Word Mine, and Word Chain.

This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, share, and protect information when you use the Word Miner mobile application (the "App"). By downloading, installing, or using Word Miner, you acknowledge that you have read and understood this Privacy Policy.

We are committed to protecting your privacy and handling your data transparently. This policy is designed to meet the requirements of the Google Play Developer Program Policies and applicable privacy regulations.

2. Information We Collect

Word Miner is designed to minimize data collection. We do not require you to create an account, sign in, or provide any personal information such as your name, email address, or phone number to use the App.

2.1 Information Collected Automatically

When you use Word Miner, certain information is collected automatically through integrated third-party services (Firebase). This includes:

2.2 Information Stored Locally on Your Device

The following data is stored only on your device and is never transmitted to us or any third party:

• Game progress (completed levels, current stage, unlocked hints, revealed letters)
• In-game currency balance (coins, premium spins)
• User preferences (vibration, notification settings, language)
• Onboarding and tutorial completion status
• Lucky wheel spin timestamps (for daily cooldown)
• In-app review prompt timing

2.3 Information We Do NOT Collect

Word Miner does not collect:

• Your name, email address, phone number, or any contact information
• Location data (GPS, network-based, or approximate)
• Photos, videos, audio recordings, or files
• Contacts, calendar, or call log data
• Financial or payment information
• Health, fitness, or biometric data
• Browsing history or web activity
• SMS, chat, or messaging content

3. How We Use Information

We use the automatically collected information solely for the following purposes:

• Improve the game experience — Analyze gameplay patterns to understand which features players enjoy, identify difficulty balance issues, and guide future content development.
• Fix bugs and improve stability — Use crash reports and error logs to diagnose and resolve technical issues affecting the App.
• Optimize performance — Monitor app performance metrics to ensure the App runs smoothly across different devices and network conditions.
• Send push notifications — Deliver re-engagement reminders and game-related notifications to your device, if you have granted notification permission.
• Understand aggregate usage — Review aggregated, non-identifying statistics about how the App is used overall.

We do not use collected data for advertising, user profiling for marketing, or selling data to third parties.

4. Information Sharing

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to any third parties.

Information collected through the App is shared only with the following categories of service providers that process data on our behalf:

• Google/Firebase — As the provider of our analytics, crash reporting, performance monitoring, and push notification services. Google processes this data in accordance with Google's Privacy Policy and the Firebase Data Processing Terms.

We may also disclose information if required to do so by law or if we believe in good faith that such disclosure is necessary to comply with a legal obligation, protect our rights, or ensure the safety of users.

5. Third-Party Services

Word Miner integrates the following third-party services. Each service may collect data as described below, subject to its own privacy policy:

Word Miner does not currently integrate any advertising SDKs, social media SDKs, authentication providers, payment processors, or backend servers beyond the Firebase services listed above.

6. Advertising

Word Miner does not currently display any advertisements. No advertising SDKs or ad networks are integrated into the App.

The Android Advertising ID (AD_ID) is collected by Firebase Analytics as part of its standard functionality for analytics audience features. It is not used for serving or personalizing advertisements.

If advertising is introduced in a future version of the App, this Privacy Policy will be updated accordingly before any ads are served, and you will be notified of the changes.

7. Analytics

We use Google Firebase Analytics to understand how players interact with Word Miner. This helps us improve the gameplay experience, balance difficulty levels, and prioritize new features.

Types of Analytics Events Collected

• Screen navigation — Which screens are visited and in what order
• Game progress — Stages started, completed, or abandoned; difficulty levels; chapters
• Hint and economy events — Hint usage, in-game coin earnings and spending patterns
• Lucky wheel interactions — Wheel spins and rewards received
• Engagement events — Onboarding completion, review prompt interactions, notification interactions

All analytics events relate to in-game actions and do not contain personal information such as names, email addresses, or real-world identifiers. Analytics data is processed by Google in accordance with Google's Privacy Policy.

You can opt out of Firebase Analytics data collection by resetting or deleting your Android Advertising ID in your device settings under Settings → Privacy → Ads.

8. Data Security

We take the security of your data seriously and implement appropriate measures to protect it:

• Encryption in transit — All data transmitted between the App and Firebase services is encrypted using HTTPS/TLS protocols.
• Minimal data collection — We collect only the data necessary for the purposes described in this policy.
• Local data storage — Game progress and settings are stored locally on your device using Android's DataStore Preferences, which are sandboxed and accessible only to the App.
• No sensitive permissions — The App does not request access to your camera, microphone, location, contacts, files, or any other sensitive device permissions.
• Third-party security — Google Firebase, our sole third-party data processor, maintains robust security standards. See Firebase Security & Privacy documentation for details.

While we strive to use commercially acceptable means to protect your data, no method of electronic transmission or storage is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

9. Data Retention

Locally Stored Data

Game progress, settings, and preferences are stored locally on your device and persist as long as the App is installed. This data is permanently deleted when you uninstall the App or clear the App's data through your device settings.

Firebase Analytics Data

Analytics event data is retained by Google Firebase according to Firebase's default data retention settings. Aggregated analytics reports may be retained for longer periods. For details, see Firebase's data retention policies.

Firebase Crashlytics Data

Crash reports are retained by Firebase Crashlytics for 90 days. Aggregated crash statistics may be retained for longer periods.

Firebase Cloud Messaging Tokens

FCM registration tokens are managed by Google and are automatically invalidated when the App is uninstalled or the token is rotated by the system.

10. Children's Privacy

Word Miner is intended for a general audience aged 13 and older. The App is not directed toward children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect, solicit, or maintain personal information from children under 13 (or the applicable minimum legal age in your country/region).

The App does not require user account registration, login, or the submission of personal contact information (such as real names, email addresses, phone numbers, or physical addresses) from any user.

We do not knowingly target children with any features, content, or data collection. If you are a parent or guardian and believe that your child under 13 has accessed the App or that we have inadvertently collected personal information from a child under 13 without verified parental consent, please contact us immediately at newgates.developer@gmail.com.

Upon receiving notification or discovering that personal data belonging to a child under 13 has been collected, we will take prompt, reasonable steps to delete that information from our records and any integrated service providers (such as Google Firebase). Parents and guardians can also permanently remove all locally stored game data at any time by uninstalling the App or clearing app data in the device settings.

11. Your Privacy Rights

Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have certain rights regarding your data. You can exercise the following controls:

• Opt out of analytics — You can reset or delete your Android Advertising ID by going to your device's Settings → Privacy → Ads. On Android 12 and later, you can delete your Advertising ID entirely, which prevents Firebase Analytics from associating events with your device identifier.
• Control push notifications — You can disable push notifications at any time through the App's settings or through your device's notification settings (Settings → Apps → Word Miner → Notifications).
• Delete local data — You can clear all locally stored game data by going to your device's Settings → Apps → Word Miner → Storage → Clear Data, or by uninstalling the App.
• Request information or deletion — You can contact us at the email address below to request information about any data associated with your device, or to request deletion of such data from Firebase services.
• Google account controls — You can manage data that Google collects across its services through your Google Account privacy settings.

We will respond to all legitimate privacy requests within a reasonable timeframe and in accordance with applicable laws.

12. Account and Data Deletion

Word Miner does not require or support user account creation. There is no account registration, login, or authentication system in the App.

Deleting Local Data

All game progress and settings are stored locally on your device. You can permanently delete this data by:

• Uninstalling the App from your device, or
• Going to Settings → Apps → Word Miner → Storage → Clear Data on your device.

Deleting Data from Firebase Services

Analytics and crash data collected by Firebase is associated with anonymous device identifiers, not user accounts. To request deletion of this data from Firebase services, please contact us at the email address provided in the Contact Us section. We will process your request in coordination with Google Firebase.

13. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time to reflect changes in our practices, the App's functionality, or applicable legal requirements. When we make changes:

• The "Last updated" date at the top of this page will be revised.
• Material changes, such as the introduction of new data collection practices or advertising services, will be communicated through a notice in the App or other appropriate means.

We encourage you to review this Privacy Policy periodically. Your continued use of Word Miner after any changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Privacy Policy.

14. Contact Us

If you have any questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

• Developer: Newgates
• Email: newgates.developer@gmail.com

We will make every effort to respond to your inquiry within a reasonable timeframe.