Privacy Policy

Effective Date: 8 October 2026

1. Introduction

PuzzleBam Ltd ("we", "us", or "our") operates the NERD WORDS mobile application (the "App"). This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and safeguard your information when you use our App.

By using NERD WORDS, you agree to the collection and use of information in accordance with this policy. If you do not agree with this policy, please do not use the App.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Account Information

When you sign in to NERD WORDS using Sign in with Apple or Google Sign-In, we collect your email address and display name. You can also set a custom display name and upload a profile photo within the app. Profile photos are moderated using automated image analysis to ensure they are appropriate.

2.2 Gameplay Data

We collect gameplay statistics to track your progress, match you with players of similar skill, and improve the game experience. This includes:

• High scores and game results
• Win/loss records and win streaks
• Best words played and scores achieved
• Average points per game
• Average move time
• Total games played

2.3 Device Information

We automatically collect certain device and usage information through Mixpanel, our analytics provider, including:

• Device model and operating system version
• App version
• Language and locale settings
• General location (country level, derived from IP address)
• How you use the app, including which screens you visit and which features you use

We also keep a small device record with your account: the version of the App you are using, your device's operating system and its version, and whether notifications are switched on for the App. We use it to help with support requests and to see which versions of the App are in use. It is deleted when you delete your account.

2.4 Our website

When you visit playnerdwords.com we ask whether you consent to analytics. If you accept, we use Mixpanel to record which pages you view and which store links you click, and we share your IP address with Mixpanel so it can determine your approximate location. This information is stored in your browser so we can recognise you on a return visit. If you decline, none of this happens. You can change your choice at any time using the Analytics Choices link in the site footer.

Separately, and regardless of your choice, our servers keep a short-lived record of which page is open so we can count visitors. It is held under a temporary identifier that is never stored on your device, and it is deleted when you leave the page, or within two minutes if your browser does not tell us. To protect this counter from abuse, we also keep a coded version of your IP address, made with a secret key and changed every hour; it is used only to limit excessive requests and is deleted within a few minutes.

2.5 Advertising Information

We use Google AdMob to display advertisements. AdMob may collect device advertising identifiers (IDFA on iOS, GAID on Android) to serve relevant ads. On iOS, we ask your permission through Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt before your device's advertising identifier is used to personalise ads or is shared for advertising. That prompt covers advertising only. It does not control our own in-app analytics, which are described in section 2.3.

2.6 Information We Do Not Collect

We do not collect:

• Your real name (unless you choose to use it as your display name)
• Precise GPS location
• Contacts or address book

3. How We Use Your Information

We use the information we collect to:

• Provide and maintain the game service
• Enable multiplayer functionality and matchmaking
• Display your player statistics
• Process in-app purchases
• Display advertisements (unless you purchase Remove Ads)
• Analyse usage patterns to improve the game
• Detect and prevent cheating or abuse
• Respond to support requests

4. How We Share Your Information

We share your information with the following third parties:

• Firebase (Google) – for data storage and crash reporting
• Mixpanel – for analytics
• Google AdMob – for displaying advertisements
• Apple App Store / Google Play Store – for processing in-app purchases

We do not sell your personal information to third parties.

5. Data Retention

We keep different information for different lengths of time:

• Your account and statistics – kept until you delete your account. We do not currently delete inactive accounts of signed-in players.
• Guest accounts – removed automatically after a period of inactivity, currently around 30 days. See section 3 of our Terms of Service.
• Live games – the record of a game in progress is deleted within 24 hours of that game finishing.
• Game results – the score and outcome of each completed game is kept indefinitely, so that your statistics and your opponents' remain accurate.
• Reports and moderation records – kept indefinitely, so that repeated behaviour can be recognised.
• Crash reports – retained by Firebase Crashlytics under Google's retention policy, and a summary is kept by us indefinitely. To limit excessive crash reports, our servers also keep a coded version of the reporting device's IP address, made with a secret key and changed every hour; it is deleted within a few minutes and is never stored with the crash report itself.
• Analytics – retained by Mixpanel under their retention settings.
• Account deletion – when you delete your account, we keep the analytics identifier of the device you deleted it from for 60 days. We use it for one purpose only: to make sure analytics data from that device is not used to rebuild any record about you. It is not linked to your name or account, and it is deleted automatically after 60 days.

If you sign in, your data remains available when you reinstall the App or change device. A guest account is tied to the device it was created on: reinstalling on Android creates a new guest account, and a guest account that has been inactive for around 30 days is removed automatically. Signing in is what makes your progress durable.

6. Your Rights

6.1 Right to Access

You can request a copy of your personal data at any time by emailing privacy@puzzlebam.com. We will respond within one month, as required by law.

6.2 Right to Deletion

You can delete your account through the App's Settings menu. Deletion is immediate. We remove your profile, statistics, game history, friendships and messages, and any active games are forfeited. After deletion the App on your device starts a new analytics identifier, so later use of the App on that device is not connected to your deleted account.

Records held by other players — their game results, reports they have filed, blocks they have set — are anonymised rather than deleted: your name and photo are removed from them, and the record is kept, because it belongs to that person's own history and erasing it would remove their data as well as yours. Moderation records are retained so that a record cannot be cleared by deleting an account.

6.3 Right to Opt-Out of Tracking

On iOS, you can deny the App Tracking Transparency prompt to opt out of personalised advertising. You will still see ads, but they will be less targeted. You can also purchase Remove Ads to eliminate all advertisements. On our website, you can accept or decline analytics when you first visit, and change your choice at any time using the Analytics Choices link in the footer.

7. Children's Privacy

NERD WORDS is intended for users aged 13 and older. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at support@playnerdwords.com and we will delete such information.

8. International Users

NERD WORDS is operated from the United Kingdom. If you are accessing the App from outside the UK, please be aware that your information may be transferred to, stored, and processed in the UK and other countries where our service providers operate. By using the App, you consent to this transfer.

NERD WORDS is not available in China, Russia, or countries subject to international sanctions (including Iran, North Korea, Cuba, Syria, and Crimea).

9. Security

We implement appropriate technical and organisational measures to protect your personal information. However, no method of transmission over the Internet or electronic storage is 100% secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy within the App and updating the "Effective Date" at the top.

11. Contact Us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:

PuzzleBam Ltd

Email: privacy@puzzlebam.com

Website: https://playnerdwords.com

12. Additional Information for UK/EU Users

If you are located in the United Kingdom or European Union, you have additional rights under the UK GDPR and EU GDPR, including the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. In the UK, this is the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO). Our ICO registration number is C1903124.

The legal basis for processing your data is: (a) performance of a contract (to provide the game service), (b) legitimate interests (to improve our services and prevent abuse), and (c) consent (for analytics on our website, and for personalised advertising where applicable).