Privacy Policy

1. Overview

This Privacy Policy explains how information about you is handled when you download, install, or play Echo (the "App", "Game", "we", "us", or "our"). We built Echo to be fun first and respectful of your privacy by default: you can start playing immediately as a guest without creating an account, and we collect only what we need to run the game, save your progress, and operate the global leaderboard.

By using the App, you agree to the practices described in this policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the App.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Information you choose to provide

Sign in with Apple. If you choose to create an account, we receive a unique, app-specific user identifier from Apple. By design, Apple does not share your real name or personal email with us; if you use Apple's "Hide My Email" feature, only a private relay address is involved, and we do not store your email for marketing.
Public profile. When you create a profile you provide a username, an optional short bio, and a choice of in-game character as your avatar. Please do not include sensitive personal information in these fields.

2.2 Information created through gameplay

Game progress and stats such as your best Endless score, total runs, distance, achievements, and your balance of in-game currency ("acorns") and unlocked cube heroes.
Entitlement status indicating whether you have purchased "Echo Pro" (ad removal). We do not receive or store your payment card details.

2.3 Information collected automatically

Device and technical data such as device model, operating system version, language, and general app diagnostics used to keep the game stable and performant.
Advertising data. For players who have not purchased Echo Pro, our advertising partner may process identifiers and limited device/usage signals to serve and measure ads (see Section 4).

2.4 What we do not collect

We do not knowingly collect your precise geolocation, contacts, photos, microphone or camera input, health data, or browsing history outside the App.

3. How We Use Information

To provide core gameplay, save and sync your progress, and restore purchases.
To operate accounts and the global leaderboard, and to display public profiles.
To maintain security, prevent cheating and abuse, and debug crashes and performance issues.
To show advertising to non-paying players and measure its performance.
To comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Use.

3.1 Legal bases (EEA/UK users)

Where the GDPR or UK GDPR applies, we rely on the following legal bases: performance of a contract (to provide the game and your account), legitimate interests (to secure, improve, and operate the App, and to show non-personalized ads), consent (for personalized advertising and tracking, where required), and legal obligation (to comply with applicable law). You may withdraw consent at any time through your device settings.

4. Advertising

Echo is free to play and supported by advertising for players who have not purchased Echo Pro. We use Google AdMob to deliver ads. Depending on your settings and region, ads may be personalized (based on advertising identifiers and inferred interests) or non-personalized (based on general context only).

On iOS, we honor App Tracking Transparency (ATT). If you do not grant permission to track, you will receive non-personalized advertising.
You can reset or limit your advertising identifier at any time in your device's privacy settings.
Purchasing Echo Pro removes all ads and the associated ad processing.

Google's handling of advertising data is governed by Google's own privacy policy, available at policies.google.com/privacy.

5. In-App Purchases

Echo offers an optional one-time purchase ("Echo Pro") through Apple's App Store. All payments are processed by Apple under its own terms and privacy policy. We never receive your full payment details — we only receive confirmation of your purchase so we can unlock the corresponding features and let you restore them on your devices.

We do not sell your personal information. We share information only as needed to operate the App:

Service providers. We use Apple (Sign in with Apple, App Store, in-app purchases) and Google (Firebase for account, profile and leaderboard storage; AdMob for advertising) to provide essential functionality. These providers process data on our behalf or as independent controllers for their own services.
Legal and safety. We may disclose information if required by law, or to protect the rights, safety, and integrity of our players and the App (for example, to investigate cheating or abuse).
Business transfers. If the App or its assets are acquired or merged, information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to this policy.

7. Information Visible to Other Players

If you create an account and appear on the leaderboard, the following is publicly visible to other players: your chosen username, your optional bio, your selected character avatar, and your scores and ranking. Do not include information you wish to keep private in your username or bio. Players may report profiles that violate our Terms of Use.

8. Data Retention

We keep account and profile information for as long as your account exists. Guest progress is stored locally on your device. When you delete your account (see Section 9), we remove your profile, username reservation, leaderboard entry, and associated cloud data. Some limited records may be retained where necessary to comply with legal obligations, resolve disputes, or prevent abuse.

9. Your Rights & Choices

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, export, or delete your personal information, and to object to or restrict certain processing. You can exercise the core of these rights directly in the App:

Edit your profile at any time from the in-game Account screen.
Delete your account permanently via Settings → Danger Zone → Remove Account. This erases your progress, profile, and leaderboard entry and signs you out.
Control advertising through iOS privacy settings and App Tracking Transparency, or remove ads entirely with Echo Pro.

To make any other request, contact us using the details in Section 12. We will respond within the timeframe required by applicable law. California residents may exercise rights under the CCPA/CPRA, including the right to know and the right to delete; we do not "sell" or "share" personal information as those terms are defined under California law.

10. Children's Privacy

Echo is not directed to children under 13 (or the minimum age required in your country), and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

11. Security

We use industry-standard safeguards, including encryption in transit and access controls through our service providers, to protect information. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security.

12. International Data Transfers

Our service providers may process and store information in countries other than your own. Where required, such transfers are protected by appropriate safeguards, such as Standard Contractual Clauses.

13. 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, where appropriate, provide additional notice within the App. Your continued use of the App after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

14. Contact Us

If you have questions or requests regarding this policy or your information, contact us at contact@taphey.app.