Privacy Policy

Last updated: August 12, 2026

PuzzPic ("PuzzPic," "we," "us," or "our") makes a photo-puzzle app for iOS and Android. You can turn your photos into puzzles, share and gift them, and solve puzzles other people make. This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, who we share it with, and the choices you have. By using PuzzPic you agree to this policy.

Information we collect

Information you provide

Account information — when you create an account we collect your email address and a username. If you use Sign in with Apple, we instead receive the account identifier Apple shares with us and an email address, which may be an Apple private relay address.
Photos and puzzles — the photos you upload to create puzzles, along with the puzzle configuration and any caption you add. These are stored on our backend and object storage so they can be shared and solved.
Notes on a gifted puzzle — these are handled differently and are not uploaded or stored. A gift note travels inside the link you send, as part of the web address, and the recipient's browser draws it when they finish the puzzle. Because it is part of the address, it does reach our server in the request when the link is opened; we do not log it and we do not retain it. It is not attached to the puzzle, not shown on your profile, and not visible to anyone who does not hold the link.
Social activity — follows, hearts, puzzles you gift, and reports or blocks you submit.
Support messages — if you email us, we keep your message and contact details to respond.

Information collected automatically

Usage and device analytics — via Firebase Analytics we collect app events (for example, opening the app, creating or solving a puzzle), along with device and app details such as device model, operating system version, app version, and general region. Our analytics events are designed to record the shape of activity (counts, durations, and identifiers) and do not include your photo contents, note text, captions, email, or passwords.
Crash and diagnostic data — via Firebase Crashlytics we collect crash reports and diagnostic breadcrumbs so we can find and fix problems.
Push notification tokens — a Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) token so we can send you notifications (for example, when someone sends you a puzzle). You can turn notifications off in your device settings.
Ad request data — if you see ads, our advertising partner (Google AdMob) receives the data needed to serve, frequency-cap and measure an ad and to prevent fraud, which includes a device identifier and your IP address. We do not request Apple's advertising identifier (IDFA), and every ad request is marked non-personalized. See below.

How we use your information

To provide the core service: creating, sharing, gifting, and solving puzzles.
To operate accounts and authenticate you (email or username with a password, or Sign in with Apple).
To power social features such as following, hearts, and gifting.
To send notifications you have enabled.
To understand how the app is used, measure performance, and fix crashes and bugs.
To keep PuzzPic safe — reviewing reports, enforcing our Terms, and preventing abuse.
To show ads (unless you purchase the ad-free option) and support the app.

Advertising and the ad-free option

We show ads through Google AdMob. Every ad request PuzzPic makes is flagged non-personalized, so ads are chosen from context rather than from a profile of you. We do not request Apple's advertising identifier (IDFA), we do not show an App Tracking Transparency prompt, and we do not track you across other apps or websites. AdMob still receives the data needed to deliver, cap and measure an ad and to detect fraud, such as a device identifier and your IP address. PuzzPic offers a one-time "Remove Ads" in-app purchase; after buying it, no ads are requested at all. You can learn about Google's advertising practices at policies.google.com/technologies/ads.

Third parties and service providers

We share information with the following providers only to run the service:

Our backend (Parse Server on Linode) — hosts your account, puzzles, and uploaded photos, and stores images in object storage. This is our own infrastructure operated on a Linode server.
Google / Firebase — Analytics, Crashlytics, and Cloud Messaging, as described above. See firebase.google.com/support/privacy.
Google AdMob — advertising.
Apple — Sign in with Apple and App Store in-app purchases.

We do not sell your personal information. We may disclose information if required by law, to protect our rights, or to investigate abuse or safety issues.

Photos and content you share

Puzzles you share or gift are viewable by the people you send them to, and puzzles you post publicly may be visible to other PuzzPic users. Please only upload photos you have the right to share. You can delete puzzles you have created from within the app.

Data retention

We keep your account information and content for as long as your account is active or as needed to provide the service. When you delete a puzzle, we remove it from the app; backups and logs may persist for a limited period before being overwritten. Analytics and crash data are retained according to Firebase's default retention settings. When you delete your account, we delete or de-identify your personal information within a reasonable period, except where we must keep it to comply with legal obligations or resolve disputes.

Deleting your account and data

You can request deletion of your account and associated data at any time. Use the in-app account deletion option if available, or email us at dark2torch@gmail.com from the email address on your account and we will process your request. You may also request a copy of the personal information we hold about you.

Children's privacy

PuzzPic is not directed to children under 13, and you must be at least 13 years old (or the minimum age of digital consent in your country, if higher) to use it. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.

Your choices and rights

Notifications — turn push notifications on or off in your device settings.
Advertising — PuzzPic serves only non-personalized ads. We do not request the iOS advertising identifier (IDFA), we do not show an App Tracking Transparency prompt, and we do not track you across other apps or websites — so there is no ad-personalization setting to turn off. You can still limit ads generally in your device settings, and the one-time Remove Ads purchase removes them from the app entirely.
Access and deletion — contact us to access or delete your data.

Depending on where you live (for example, the EEA/UK or California), you may have additional rights over your personal information, such as the right to access, correct, or delete it. To exercise any of these, contact us using the details below.

Data transfers and security

Our servers and service providers may process data in the United States and other countries. We use reasonable technical and organizational measures to protect your information, but no method of transmission or storage is completely secure.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date above, and significant changes may be announced in the app.

Contact us

Questions about this policy or your data? Email our support contact: dark2torch@gmail.com.

This policy is provided in good faith for a small independent app and is not legal advice. We recommend having counsel review it before a large-scale launch.