Privacy Policy

Hi, I'm Thomas A Johansen, the solo developer behind Atten. I wrote this policy myself in plain English because I want you to actually understand what the app does (and doesn't do) with your data. If anything here is unclear, email me: support@thomasaj.com.

TL;DR: Atten stores your game progress locally on your device. There is no Atten server. Optional features — Apple Game Center, StoreKit purchases, and Google AdMob ads — send data to Apple or Google under their own policies. Atten runs no custom analytics and does not sell your data.

1. Who we are

Atten is developed and published by Thomas A Johansen (an individual / solo indie developer). The app's bundle identifier is com.thomasaj.Atten. For any privacy question, contact support@thomasaj.com.

2. What data Atten stores on your device

The following is stored locally on your iPhone or iPad and is never transmitted to any server I operate (I don't operate one):

Game state: current run, score, board, queue, and locked tiles.
Lifetime stats: totals like games played, eighteens created, longest cascade, and Daily streak.
Preferences: theme (Midnight Forge or Studio Daylight), sound, haptics, left-handed mode, board sliding, and the Daily reminder hour.
Personal best score and recent game records.
Daily Puzzle history: the most recent Daily ID you completed, your last Daily score, and your current and best streaks.
The Remove Ads entitlement (a simple "purchased: yes/no" flag, mirrored from Apple's StoreKit so the app boots fast).

This data lives in UserDefaults and SwiftData inside the app's sandbox. It is included in your iCloud device backup only if you have Apple's device backup enabled — that's an Apple feature, not an Atten feature.

3. What data Atten does not collect

No account system. No email, password, username, or sign-up.
No contacts, photos, microphone, camera, location, calendar, or health data.
No custom analytics SDK (no Firebase Analytics, Mixpanel, Amplitude, etc.).
No crash reporter that sends data off-device. System diagnostics stay on your device (see §4.4).
No social-login or friends graph. No newsletter signup.

4. Third-party services

Atten integrates four Apple and Google services. Each only runs when the conditions below are met, and each is governed by the third party's own privacy policy.

4.1 Apple Game Center (optional)

If you are signed in to Game Center on your device, Atten submits your scores and achievement progress to Apple via GKLeaderboard and GKAchievement. The Classic high-score and Daily Puzzle leaderboards both run on Game Center. Apple handles that data under the Apple Privacy Policy. If you aren't signed in, no scores or achievements are submitted.

4.2 Apple StoreKit (for the "Remove Ads" in-app purchase)

Atten offers one non-consumable purchase: Remove Ads ($2.99 USD, or the local equivalent set by Apple). Apple processes the transaction end-to-end; Atten receives only a non-revealing entitlement confirming the purchase. Apple's handling is governed by the Apple Privacy Policy.

4.3 Local notifications (optional)

If you enable the Daily Puzzle reminder in Settings, Atten schedules a local notification on your device at the hour you choose. This notification fires entirely on your device — no remote push server, no APNs, no analytics. The reminder is automatically suppressed for the rest of the day after you complete that day's puzzle.

4.4 Apple OSLog (on-device diagnostics)

Atten uses Apple's OSLog to record local diagnostic signals (purchase failures, ad-load errors, save failures) under the subsystem com.thomasaj.Atten. These are written to the system log on your device and are not exfiltrated to any server I run or to any third-party analytics vendor. If you choose to share diagnostics with Apple in iOS Settings, Apple may receive them under its own policy.

4.5 Google AdMob (ads between rounds)

Atten shows interstitial ads on some game-overs (roughly every 2–3) and optional rewarded ads when you choose to watch one — for example, "Watch ad to continue" after a game-over. Both formats are served by the Google AdMob SDK. AdMob receives information from your device necessary to serve ads — for example approximate device type, OS version, coarse country, and ad interaction signals. With your permission via Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt (see §6), AdMob may also use your device's Advertising Identifier (IDFA) to show personalized ads. Without that permission, AdMob serves contextual (non-personalized) ads only.

Google's handling of ad-network data is governed by the Google Privacy Policy and the Google Ads & Measurement policy. If you purchase "Remove Ads," no interstitial ad requests are made. Rewarded ads remain available for opt-in use only.

5. Google User Messaging Platform (UMP) consent

For users in the EU/EEA, Switzerland, the UK, and other regions covered by GDPR, Atten presents Google's standard UMP consent form on first launch (and again if your responses expire). The form lets you decide whether AdMob and its partners may use your data for ads measurement, personalized advertising, and related purposes. You can re-open this consent flow any time from Settings → Manage Consent inside the app.

6. App Tracking Transparency (ATT)

After UMP consent (above), iOS shows Apple's standard App Tracking Transparency prompt. It asks whether you allow Atten (and its ad partner, Google AdMob) to track you across apps and websites owned by other companies using your device's IDFA.

If you allow: AdMob may use your IDFA to show personalized ads.
If you ask app not to track: AdMob serves contextual (non-personalized) ads. Ads still appear; they just aren't targeted using your identifier.

You can change this any time in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking.

7. Your rights

Because Atten stores game data locally and operates no server, most privacy requests map cleanly to actions you control from your device. Depending on where you live, you may also have additional rights under GDPR (EU/UK), CCPA/CPRA (California), or similar laws.

Access: All Atten data I hold is already on your device. I have no additional copy.
Deletion / erasure: Deleting the Atten app from your device erases all locally stored game data. Settings → Reset All Data inside the app does the same without deleting the app. To delete Game Center scores and achievements, use the Game Center resetting options in iOS Settings or contact Apple. To reset your ad profile with Google, see the Google Ads Settings.
Opt-out of ad tracking: Use the iOS Tracking setting above, the in-app Manage Consent flow, or purchase "Remove Ads" to disable interstitials entirely.
Portability / rectification / objection: Because no server-side profile exists, these don't practically apply to data held by Atten. For data held by Apple or Google, use their respective tools.
Do Not Sell or Share (California): Atten does not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising in the CCPA/CPRA sense, other than the AdMob ad requests you control via the UMP and ATT prompts.

To exercise any right or ask a question, email support@thomasaj.com. I'll reply personally, usually within a few business days.

8. Children

Atten is rated 9+ on the App Store and is designed to be family-friendly. Atten does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone, including children under 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your jurisdiction). If a parent or guardian believes a child has interacted with Atten in a way that warrants review, please contact me at the address above and I'll act promptly.

9. Data retention

Atten itself retains nothing server-side (no server). Locally, game data persists until you delete the app or reset it from Settings → Reset All Data. Apple (Game Center, StoreKit) and Google (AdMob) retain data under their own policies linked above.

10. International data transfers

Atten does not transfer personal data internationally. Apple and Google operate globally; when they process data on your behalf (Game Center sync, ad serving, payment processing), that data may be handled in data centers outside your country under those companies' own safeguards (e.g., Standard Contractual Clauses and equivalent mechanisms).

11. Changes to this policy

If this policy changes materially — for example, if I add a new SDK or a new data flow — I'll update the effective date at the top of this page and, where practical, flag the change in the app's release notes. Minor wording edits won't always bump the effective date.

12. Contact

Email support@thomasaj.com. I read everything, and as a solo developer, I'm the person who replies.