Privacy Policy

Effective October 9, 2026

This policy explains what the Paddlewheel app for iPhone, iPad and Android ("Paddlewheel" or "the app"), made by Gelotto ("we," "us"), collects and why. The short version: the game plays offline, has no accounts and no ads, and sends only anonymous gameplay statistics and crash reports, which you can switch off.

Turn statistics off at any time: on the title screen open Options and switch off Share usage stats. This stops both the gameplay statistics and the crash reports, straight away.

1. What we collect

We use two Google services: Google Analytics for Firebase, to learn how the game is played so we can balance it, and Firebase Crashlytics, to find and fix crashes. Together they collect:

Data	Examples	Why
Gameplay events	Run started or ended (deck, stake, result, ante reached); table started, won or lost (score, hands used, boss); Jokers bought or sold; packs opened; tutorial started or finished; items unlocked; whether the full game is owned	Game balance and difficulty tuning
App usage	Screens viewed, sessions, first open, app version, the full-game page being opened, and purchases of the full game (price and currency, as reported by the store)	Understanding which features are used
Device information	Device model, operating system version, language, screen size, and approximate country (worked out from the IP address; Google Analytics does not store the IP address itself)	Supporting the right devices
Crash and performance data	Where in the code a crash happened, device state at the time (such as free memory and orientation), app version	Fixing bugs
App-instance identifiers	Random identifiers created by the Firebase software on your device. They are not tied to you and are replaced if you reinstall the app	Counting installs and grouping crash reports without knowing who you are

2. What we don't collect

Your name, email address, phone number, contacts, photos, or location.
Advertising identifiers. The app does not collect the iOS advertising identifier (IDFA) or the Android advertising ID, and ad personalisation is switched off.
Anything for tracking or advertising. There are no ads, and we don't track you across other companies' apps or websites.
Payment details. Purchases go through Apple or Google; we never see your card or account details.

There are no accounts, so nothing we collect is linked to your identity. We do not sell your data, and we share it only with Google acting as our analytics and crash-reporting provider.

3. Data stored on your device

Your progress (unlocked decks, stakes and Jokers, statistics, the run in progress, your settings, and whether you own the full game) is saved only on your device, in the app's private storage. We do not receive it. Uninstalling the app deletes it.

4. Purchases

The one-time full-game unlock is sold through the App Store or Google Play. Apple or Google handles the payment, and the app receives only a confirmation that the purchase was made, so it can unlock the game and restore it later. Apple's and Google's own privacy policies cover the payment. On Android, the Google Play Billing library also sends technical diagnostics about the billing system to Google.

5. Google Analytics and Firebase Crashlytics

This data is processed by Google LLC on our behalf and may be processed in the United States and other countries. Analytics event data is kept for up to 14 months; crash reports for up to 90 days. You can read how Google handles it in Google's Privacy Policy, How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services, and Privacy and Security in Firebase.

6. Your choices and rights

Opt out: switch off Options › Share usage stats. Your choice is remembered, and nothing more is sent until you switch it back on.
Reset: uninstalling and reinstalling the app creates new app-instance identifiers.
Access or deletion: because we don't know who you are, we usually can't connect analytics data to you. If you live somewhere that gives you rights over personal data (such as the EU, the UK or California), email us and we'll help as far as we can.
Legal basis (EU/UK): we rely on our legitimate interest in keeping the game stable and well balanced, and you can object at any time with the switch above.

7. Permissions

The app asks for no special permissions: no location, contacts, camera or microphone. On Android it uses network access (and the Google Play billing permission) only for purchases, statistics and crash reports. The game itself never needs a connection.

8. Children

Paddlewheel is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone. The data described above does not identify anyone, of any age.

9. Changes

If we change what the app collects, we'll update this page with a new effective date before the change ships.

10. Contact

Questions about this policy: admin@gelotto.io.