Privacy policy

1. Who this policy covers

This policy applies to the Pocket Cosmo game, its online game services and this privacy page. Pocket Cosmo is operated by HeliumLight, the controller responsible for the personal information described here. You can contact us at shamashov.stepans@gmail.com.

2. Information we use

Local progress and settings

The app stores game progress, your chosen cosmos name, game settings and identifiers on your device. This includes objects, upgrades, currencies, rewards and preferences such as sound and haptics. Local credentials and saved progress let the game resume between sessions.

With your permission, supported versions schedule reminder notifications on your device when you leave the game, for example when offline storage fills or a stage is within reach. Reminders are created and delivered locally by your device; no notification token or schedule is sent to our servers. You can turn reminders off in Settings → Preferences or in your device's notification settings. When online features are active, telemetry records whether the permission was granted and whether a session started from a reminder.

Player identity and gameplay activity

The game creates a random installation credential and player identifier. Our server stores a hash of that credential, rather than the credential itself. This identity is pseudonymous: it does not require your real name or email, but it can connect activity from the same installation.

When online features are active, requests can include platform and app/build versions, event and session identifiers, timestamps, session length, gameplay events, settings changes and error counts. Events include progression, purchases made with in-game resources, reward claims, menu interactions and cloud-sync outcomes. Game-state snapshots include your cosmos name, appearance, stage, resource totals, upgrades and lifetime statistics. Our gameplay telemetry does not send error messages or stack traces, your email, or an advertising identifier as event properties.

Leaderboards and player profiles

When online features are active, your player identifier, chosen cosmos name, rank, best mass and shared game statistics may be shown to other players through leaderboards and profiles. Profile information can include your cosmos appearance, current progress, upgrades and lifetime totals. Choose a cosmos name you are comfortable sharing, and avoid adding your real name or contact details. Cloud-save contents and sign-in credentials are not public profile data.

Friends and friend requests

When you send a friend request, the service stores the two player identifiers, who sent the request, its time and whether it was accepted. Your friends list and requests are visible to you; the other player sees the relationship with you. These records stay with your online installation identity. Cancelling or declining a request, removing a friend, blocking the player or erasing either player's online data removes the relationship.

Optional Apple sign-in and cloud saves

If you choose Sign in with Apple, we receive an Apple identity token to verify the sign-in and store Apple's app-specific user identifier, an account identifier and hashed session tokens. We do not request your name or email through Apple sign-in. Cloud sync stores a copy of your game save, cosmos name, save revision and update time so you can restore progress on your devices. The service links online identities used with your signed-in account so they can be deleted together. For account deletion, it verifies a fresh Apple sign-in and uses encrypted Apple authorization information to revoke access. You can play without signing in.

In-app purchases

Versions of Pocket Cosmo with a Shop offer optional consumable packs of cooldown reset tokens and memories. Tokens reset one ability cooldown without a rewarded ad. Older ad-free purchases remain supported. Apple processes the payment; we never receive your payment card or Apple account details. To deliver purchases and restore supported entitlements, the app sends Apple's signed transaction to our server, which verifies it and keeps a purchase ledger: the App Store product identifier, transaction and original transaction identifiers, purchase environment (sandbox or production), signing time, any refund or revocation time, and the pseudonymous player identifier that unlocked it. The signed transaction itself is not stored. Purchase records and reward balances are also saved on your device. If you use cloud sync, your saved progress includes these balances. Confirmed consumables are recovered through saved progress, rather than Apple’s Restore Purchases.

Player reports and blocks

When you report or block another player, the service stores the involved player identifiers, reported name, selected reason, time and review status. Reports are available to the developer for moderation, rather than other players.

Network and support information

Our hosting provider receives the IP address and technical request information needed to deliver the service. Our application uses a keyed hash of an IP address or player identifier to limit abusive requests; it does not add raw IP addresses to gameplay-event properties. Hosting infrastructure may process connection and diagnostic logs. If you contact us, we receive the contact details and information you choose to provide.

3. Why we use information

We use this information to save and restore progress, calculate online and offline rewards, provide profiles and leaderboards, authenticate accounts, resolve save conflicts, protect the service, diagnose errors and understand how the game is used so we can improve it.

Where European or similar privacy laws apply, our legal bases are providing the game features you request, our legitimate interests in operating, securing and improving the game, compliance with legal obligations, and consent where required for advertising or access to information on your device. You can object to processing based on legitimate interests and withdraw consent as described below.

4. Rewarded ads and privacy choices

Versions of Pocket Cosmo that include rewarded advertising use Google AdMob only in the production app installed from the App Store. Earlier versions without the advertising integration do not use AdMob. Ads are disabled in TestFlight and development builds. Ad loading begins only after the app's installation check passes and Google's consent system permits ad requests. Ads may be prepared in advance of a tap on a reward button.

When AdMob is active, Google and participating advertising partners may process IP addresses and approximate location derived from them, device or app identifiers permitted by your device settings, app/device information, diagnostic and performance data, ads displayed and interactions such as video views or taps. They use this information to deliver and measure ads, prevent fraud and improve their services. Depending on your choices and applicable rules, data may also be used to personalize ads.

Ad services may use SDK storage, identifiers, cookies or similar technologies, including within ad content. When the iOS app starts, it asks for App Tracking Transparency permission. If you allow tracking, Google AdMob may use your device's advertising identifier (IDFA), and the TikTok Business SDK sends TikTok your install, app launches, game milestones, App Store purchases and ad views with device identifiers, so we can measure which of our TikTok ads bring new players. If you do not allow tracking, the TikTok SDK does not run and no ad SDK receives the IDFA. Every installation also keeps an Apple SKAdNetwork conversion value on the device, a number from 0 to 63 that summarizes early progress; Apple reports it to the advertising network without identifying you and sends us a copy for winning ads. You can change your choice at any time in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking. This does not prevent all other ad-related data processing. The iOS app also sends our server an attribution token from Apple's AdServices framework. We use it to ask Apple whether an Apple Ads advertisement led to the download and, if so, which campaign, ad group, keyword and ad, whether it was tapped or viewed, and in which country or region. Apple answers without identifying you, and we keep the answer with your pseudonymous player ID to measure our advertising. This needs no tracking permission and does not use your advertising identifier.

Where required, Google's User Messaging Platform presents privacy choices before ads can be requested. You can revisit the choices through Settings → Ad privacy choices when that option is available. Withdrawing consent affects future processing and does not undo processing already carried out. Refusing personalized advertising does not necessarily stop the limited processing needed to serve an eligible non-personalized or limited ad; some ads may be unavailable.

See how Google uses information from apps that use its services, Google's Privacy Policy and Google's ad controls. The consent interface identifies relevant advertising partners and their purposes where applicable.

5. Who receives information

We use Railway to host the game backend and database, Apple to process in-app purchases and to verify optional sign-in, purchases and App Store installation information, Google AdMob and its advertising partners for ads, and TikTok to measure our TikTok advertising for players who allow tracking. These providers receive information needed for their respective services. Google, Apple and TikTok also process information under their own privacy policies. See Railway's Privacy Policy and Apple's Privacy Policy.

We may disclose information when required by law, to protect players and the service, or to a successor if the game changes ownership, subject to applicable privacy protections. The public profile information described above is shared with other players. We do not sell our player database. Advertising disclosures may be treated as “sharing” or a “sale” under some privacy laws; applicable advertising choices and rights remain available.

Providers may process information outside your country, including in the United States and Europe. Where required, cross-border transfers rely on a lawful transfer mechanism, such as an adequacy decision or approved contractual safeguards. Contact us for information about applicable safeguards.

6. How long information is kept

Local progress stays on your device until you reset it or remove the app's data, subject to your device's backup and credential-storage behavior. Signing out stops cloud syncing on that device but does not erase a cloud save, player profile or gameplay history. Resetting game progress also does not automatically erase server records.

Detailed gameplay events and session records are removed after 90 days. The latest shared game state, leaderboard score and cloud save remain while the corresponding online identity or account exists. Purchase ledger entries remain while the purchase can be restored; refunded or revoked purchases stay recorded as revoked so an old receipt cannot reactivate them. Closed player reports are removed after 30 days; open reports remain until reviewed or the associated player data is deleted. Support correspondence is kept as needed to resolve your request. We may need to retain limited records for security, legal obligations or resolving disputes. Backups can retain earlier copies until they expire through the backup cycle. Acquisition records (install source, tracking answer, SKAdNetwork value and Apple Ads attribution) remain while the corresponding online identity exists and are deleted with it.

Deletion removes active server records. The service keeps non-reversible hashes of revoked online credentials and random deletion receipts to prevent old devices from re-uploading deleted data and to confirm requests. These records contain no cosmos name, gameplay history or Apple account identifier.

Cloud sign-in sessions expire after 30 days; expired sessions and short-lived sign-in challenges are cleaned up periodically. Request-limit records expire and are cleaned up periodically. Google, Apple and hosting providers apply their own retention rules to information they control.

7. Your choices and rights

• Online features: in versions with Settings → Privacy & help, turning off Online features stops online gameplay uploads and clears unsent events. It does not delete existing server records. Older versions may not have this control.
• Cloud saves: Apple sign-in is optional. Use the sign-out control in Settings to stop syncing on the current device.
• Public profile: you can change your cosmos name in the game. Contact us to request removal of public profile information.
• Ads: use the in-game ad privacy choices where available, and the privacy controls supplied by Google and your device. Turn tracking off at any time in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking.
• Purchases: Restore purchases in Settings → Preferences re-checks ownership with the App Store. Refunds are requested from Apple; a refund removes the benefit.
• Erase online player data: where available in Settings → Privacy & help, this removes the installation's server-side gameplay history, public profile, score, offline rewards, reports and blocks, and turns online features off. Device progress and the separate Apple cloud save remain.
• Delete account: where available in Settings → Privacy & help, confirm with the same Apple account to revoke Apple authorization and delete the account, cloud save and linked online identities. The requesting device clears game progress; other devices may retain offline copies. If an online identity was shared by several accounts, that identity is erased too. Temporary service failures are retried and deletion status is shown in the app.
• Access or deletion: email us to request access, correction, deletion or a copy of your personal information. Depending on your location, you may also have rights to restrict processing, object to it or opt out of certain advertising-related sharing.

Include your cosmos name and whether you use Apple sign-in so we can help identify the relevant records. We may ask for further information to verify your request and protect other players. Never send a password, sign-in token or device credential. Some guest records cannot be linked to a person without information from the relevant installation.

We will respond as required by applicable law. You may also complain to your local data protection authority; if you are in the EEA, this can be the authority where you live, work or believe an infringement occurred. Withdrawing consent does not affect the lawfulness of earlier processing. We do not make decisions with legal or similarly significant effects about you through automated profiling.

8. Children’s privacy

The game does not ask for a date of birth. A parent or guardian who believes a child has provided personal information without appropriate permission can contact us to request review and deletion. Please do not place a child's real name or contact details in a public cosmos name.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the game and its services change. The current version and effective date will appear on this page. Where required, we will provide additional notice or request renewed consent before a material change takes effect.