Foldlings Privacy Policy

Anonymous play statistics

Foldlings uses Google Analytics for Firebase, a service provided by Google, to understand how the game is played. It sends:

• Game activity: which parts of the game are used, such as folds completed, lanterns opened, games played and their scores, landmarks rebuilt, and cranes earned and spent.
• Purchases: which in-app purchases are made, with their price and currency.
• An app installation identifier: a random number created for this installation of Foldlings. It is not your Apple Account, your device’s advertising identifier, or your name.
• Approximate location: the country, region, and city that Google estimates from the device’s internet connection. Foldlings never uses GPS or precise location, and Google Analytics does not store IP addresses.
• Device and app details: the device model, iOS or iPadOS version, language, and Foldlings version.

These statistics are not linked to your identity. They never include the names you give your Foldlings, your Paper Post nickname, photo captions, photos, or anything else you type. Foldlings does not collect the advertising identifier (IDFA), does not ask to track you, and tells Google Analytics not to use this data for advertising or ad personalization. Google signals is turned off. We use the statistics only to understand how the game is played, find parts that are confusing, and balance the game.

Turning statistics off

In Foldlings, open Journey, choose Privacy, and turn off Share anonymous play stats. Foldlings stops sending statistics from that device and resets its analytics identifier. Deleting the app also removes the identifier.

Game settings

Foldlings downloads game settings, such as prices, rewards, and event messages, from Firebase Remote Config, also provided by Google. These requests include a random installation identifier and basic app and device details, and are used only to deliver the settings. Settings are downloaded even when play statistics are off.

Your Haven and backups

Your Foldlings, progress, and settings are stored on your device. If iCloud is on, Foldlings also backs them up to your own iCloud account with Apple’s iCloud key-value storage, so you can continue on another device. TechNICKal LLC cannot read your device storage or your iCloud data. Deleting the app removes the data stored on that device. The iCloud backup is stored in your iCloud account and governed by Apple’s privacy policy.

Trading with nearby players

Paper Post connects directly to a nearby device over Bluetooth or peer-to-peer Wi-Fi using Apple’s Multipeer Connectivity, with encryption. During a trade or playdate, the two devices exchange the nickname you choose, a random player identifier, and the Foldlings being traded or visiting, including their names, appearance, memories, and passport (the nickname of whoever folded them and the time-zone city where that happened). This information goes only to the other player’s device, never to TechNICKal LLC. iOS asks for your permission before Foldlings uses the local network.

Photos and reminders

Photos you take in Foldlings stay on your device unless you save or share them. Saving to your photo library asks for permission first. Reminders, such as an egg being ready to hatch, are scheduled on your device by Foldlings if you allow notifications. No notification server is involved.

Purchases

Apple processes all purchases through the App Store. We never receive your payment details or your Apple Account. Foldlings verifies purchases with StoreKit on your device. Apple may also send TechNICKal LLC purchase notifications containing the product, transaction identifier, price, and date, which we use for records and support. They contain no name, email address, or Apple Account. Apple’s privacy policy governs App Store transactions.

Children

Foldlings does not ask for a name, age, email address, or any account, and no one has to give personal information to play. The anonymous statistics described above are not linked to any person and can be turned off in the app. If you believe a child has sent us personal information by email, contact us and we will delete it.

Retention and your choices

Google Analytics keeps event-level statistics for up to 14 months, and our BigQuery copy of them for up to 60 days. Aggregated reports, such as daily player counts, may be kept longer. Because the statistics are not linked to your identity, we cannot look up or export a particular person’s data, but you can stop collection and reset the identifier at any time with the switch in the app. Google’s handling of information is described at https://policies.google.com/privacy, and how Google uses information from apps that use its services at https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.

Email and support

If you email nicholas@technickalapps.com, TechNICKal LLC receives your email address, message, and any attachments you choose to send. Our email is provided through Google Workspace. We use correspondence to answer questions and troubleshoot Foldlings, and retain it as needed for those purposes, security, and applicable legal obligations. You may ask that address to delete support correspondence; some records may need to be retained for legal or security reasons.

This website

This page is served by Google Firebase Hosting, which may process standard request information, including IP addresses and request details, to deliver and secure the website. The website requires no account and has no advertising, analytics scripts, or tracking cookies.

Changes and contact

We will update this policy and its effective date if Foldlings’ data practices change. For privacy questions, contact TechNICKal LLC at nicholas@technickalapps.com. This policy is at https://technickalapps.com/foldlings/privacy, and support is at https://technickalapps.com/contact.