Privacy Policy for Hue

1. Who we are

Hue is a sensory memory game for iOS. It is developed and operated as an independent application. For any privacy-related questions, requests, or concerns you can contact us at:

Email: info@novelverseapp.com

2. Information we collect

We have designed Hue to minimize the personal information it handles. We do not ask for your real name, email address, phone number, photos, contacts, calendar, microphone, camera, or precise location.

2.1 Information you provide

Nickname (display name): A name you choose for yourself. It is stored on your device and on our backend so it can be shown next to your scores in leaderboards and online matches. You can change it at any time from the in-app settings.
Optional sharing actions: If you use the system Share Sheet to send a room code to a friend, that action is handled entirely by iOS and the third-party app you choose. We do not see who you shared with.

2.2 Information we generate or collect automatically

Anonymous device identifier: When you first launch the App, we generate a random UUID and store it on your device. It is used to attribute your scores and online matches to a consistent player without using your Apple ID or Advertising Identifier. This UUID resets if you reinstall the App.
Player tag: When you first connect to the online service, our backend assigns you a short random tag, for example "K3F7P", so that players with the same nickname can be distinguished. The tag is stored together with the device identifier above.
Gameplay results: Round-by-round and set-by-set results, including color/sound/duration/shape accuracy, timestamps, and mode, are saved locally on your device. When you submit a daily challenge score, the resulting score, nickname, tag, and device identifier are sent to our backend so it can be ranked on the daily leaderboard. When you play an online match, similar match data is stored on our backend so we can show your match history and operate the duel feature.
Settings and preferences: Difficulty, visual mode, audio/haptics preferences, and similar choices are stored locally on your device using iOS UserDefaults. They do not leave the device unless they are part of a gameplay payload, such as a daily score.
Diagnostic/usage data: We do not run third-party analytics SDKs. Apple may collect crash and performance data through standard iOS frameworks if you have opted in at the system level; that data goes directly to Apple under their privacy policy.

2.3 Information collected by third-party SDKs

The App uses Google Mobile Ads (AdMob) to display interstitial and rewarded advertisements. Google may collect certain information through the AdMob SDK, including:

A device advertising identifier, only if you allow tracking; otherwise Google receives an anonymized signal.
Coarse device and connection information, such as model, OS version, language, and IP-derived approximate region.
Ad interaction signals, such as impressions, taps, and completions.

Google uses this information to deliver, measure, and prevent fraud in advertising. By default, Hue requests non-personalized ads and does not display the App Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompt at this time. If we ever enable personalized advertising in a future release, we will request your consent through the system ATT prompt first and will update this Policy accordingly.

For details on how Google processes data through AdMob, please review:

3. How we use the information

We use the information described above only to:

Provide the core gameplay experience, including running rounds, computing scores, and persisting your progress.
Operate the online duel feature, including matchmaking, in-room messaging over WebSocket, posting your scores, and surfacing your match history with the opponent's nickname and tag.
Operate the daily challenge leaderboard by ranking your daily score against other players.
Display advertisements in the App to support its continued development.
Investigate problems, prevent abuse, and improve the App.

We do not sell your personal information. We do not use the information you provide to advertise unrelated products to you.

4. How we share information

We share information only with the limited parties that help us operate the App:

Cloud hosting (Railway): Our backend runs on Railway. Your nickname, tag, anonymous device identifier, daily scores, and online match records are stored in a PostgreSQL database hosted on Railway's infrastructure.
Google AdMob: Used to serve ads, as described in Section 2.3.
Apple: As the operating system and distribution platform, Apple handles crash reporting and App Store purchase mechanics under its own privacy policy.

We may also disclose information if required by law, valid legal process, or to protect the rights, property, or safety of users, the public, or us.

We do not transfer information to data brokers, advertising networks other than AdMob as described, or unrelated third parties.

5. International data transfers

The backend infrastructure that stores your data may be located in countries outside your country of residence, including the United States and the European Union. By using Hue, you understand that your information may be transferred to and processed in those countries. We rely on industry-standard safeguards offered by our hosting providers to protect data in transit and at rest.

6. Data retention

Local data on your device: Persists until you delete the App or reset it from iOS Settings.
Daily challenge scores: Retained on the backend indefinitely so historical leaderboards remain consistent.
Online match records: Retained on the backend for operational and statistics purposes. We may periodically delete or anonymize older records to manage storage.
Nickname/tag mapping: Retained while your player account is active on the backend.

If you want us to delete the records associated with your device identifier, please contact us at info@novelverseapp.com from a recognizable email address and tell us your in-app nickname plus your player tag, visible in the Settings screen and next to your name in online matches. We will process such requests within a reasonable timeframe.

7. Security

We implement reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect the information we hold, including TLS encryption for all network communication, restricted database access, and standard cloud security controls provided by Railway. However, no method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

8. Children's privacy

Hue is not directed to children under the age of 13, or under the age of digital consent in your jurisdiction where higher. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided us with information, please contact us at info@novelverseapp.com and we will take steps to delete that information.

Because the App may show third-party advertisements, parents are encouraged to supervise younger users. We use non-personalized advertising by default, which limits the targeting signals shared with Google.

9. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the following rights regarding your personal information:

The right to access the data we hold about you.
The right to correct inaccurate data, for example by editing your nickname in the App.
The right to delete your data, as described in Section 6.
The right to object to or restrict certain processing.
The right to withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent, for example by uninstalling the App or by opting out of tracking from iOS Settings.
The right to lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority in your country.

To exercise any of these rights, please contact us at info@novelverseapp.com.

10. Advertising choices

You can limit ad personalization at the iOS level:

Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Tracking and disable "Allow Apps to Request to Track" to prevent apps from accessing your Advertising Identifier.
Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Apple Advertising and turn off "Personalized Ads" to reduce ads tailored by Apple.

These controls also affect the signals AdMob receives from the App.

11. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this document and, where appropriate, notify you within the App. Continued use of the App after such changes constitutes your acceptance of the updated Policy.

12. Contact

For privacy questions, data requests, or any other inquiries related to this Policy, please contact:

Email: info@novelverseapp.com

We aim to respond to all reasonable requests within 30 days.