Privacy Policy: Sudoku Offline

Effective date: 15 October 2026

Sudoku Offline ("the app") is made by Meher Bajjuri, publishing as CleanBuilds, in Ontario, Canada ("we", "us"). Questions about this policy: privacy@cleanbuilds.dev.

The short version

• We have no accounts, no servers of our own and no analytics. Your games, settings and stats stay on your phone. We never receive them.
• The app checks for updates when it starts. That sends a few technical details to our update provider.
• The app shows ads from Google (AdMob) unless you switch them off, and Minimal (banners) is the default. While ads are on, Google's ad software collects some device and usage data to show and measure ads. With ads Off, the ad software is never started.
• Your year of birth (asked once) stays on your phone. It only decides which ads are allowed.

1. What stays on your phone

The app saves these on your device only:

• your settings (theme, sound, text size, gameplay options, ad level);
• the game in progress, your statistics and win streaks;
• your year of birth and your choice about personalized ads (see section 5);
• when full-screen ads were last shown, so the app can limit how often they appear.

We don't receive any of this. If you uninstall the app or clear its data, it's gone.

Backups. If Android Backup is turned on for your Google account, Android may copy the app's saved data (including the items above) to your own Google account, so it can be restored on a new phone. You control this in your phone's settings (Settings → Google → Backup, or similar). We can't see these backups.

2. Update check

When the app starts, it asks our update service, Expo (650 Industries, Inc.), whether a newer version of the app's content is available. The request includes: that the device runs Android, the app's build version, the update channel, the ID of the update you currently run, and a random install ID created by the update software on your phone (it isn't linked to your name, account or advertising ID). Like any internet request, it also reveals your IP address. Expo uses this to deliver updates and to count how many installs run each update. See Expo's privacy policy: https://expo.dev/privacy.

If your phone is offline, nothing is sent and the app works normally.

3. Ads (Google AdMob)

The app is free and supported by ads. You choose the level in the app: Off, Minimal (the default: small banners), More or Extreme (also full-screen ads after finished games). Off is always available and costs nothing.

While ads are on, the app uses the Google Mobile Ads SDK and Google's User Messaging Platform. They collect and send to Google, among other things:

• device and advertising identifiers (such as the Android advertising ID and app set ID);
• your IP address, which can be used to estimate your general location (country or city);
• how you interact with ads (views, taps) and basic app activity needed to show and measure ads;
• diagnostic information (for example crashes and performance of the ad software).

Google uses this to show ads, limit how often you see the same ad, measure ad performance, and prevent fraud and abuse. How Google uses information from apps that use its services: https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites. Google's privacy policy: https://policies.google.com/privacy.

Personalized ads. For players aged 18 or older, ads may be personalized (based on your activity across apps and websites) unless you turn Personalized ads off in Settings → Support. Players under 18 only get non-personalized ads, and every ad request asks for content suitable for a general audience (rated PG or lower).

Consent. In the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom and Switzerland, Google's consent form asks for your choices before any ad is shown. In US states with privacy laws, Google's message lets you opt out of the sale or sharing of your information. Where required, Settings → Support offers Privacy choices to change your answers at any time.

Advertising ID. You can reset or delete your advertising ID in your phone's settings (Settings → Privacy → Ads, or Settings → Google → Ads).

With ads Off, the ad software is never started and the app sends nothing to Google for ads.

4. What we don't do

• No accounts or sign-in. No analytics or tracking of our own. No servers of our own.
• We don't sell your information, and we don't receive the information Google's ad software collects.
• The app doesn't ask for or use your location, contacts, photos, files, camera or microphone.

5. Children and your year of birth

The app isn't directed to children under 13. When you first open it (and again when you switch ads back on), the app asks your year of birth. It's stored only on your phone and is used only to decide which ads are allowed:

• under 13: ads are switched off and stay off;
• 13 to 17: non-personalized ads only;
• 18 and over: personalized ads unless you switch them off.

We don't collect personal information from anyone, including children.

6. Your choices and rights

• Switch ads Off (quick settings on Home, or Settings → Support), or keep ads on and switch Personalized ads off.
• Change your consent choices with Privacy choices in Settings (where offered).
• Delete everything the app saved: Android Settings → Apps → Sudoku → Storage → Clear data, or uninstall.
• For data Google collected through ads, use Google's controls: https://myadcenter.google.com.

Because we don't hold your personal information, there is usually nothing for us to access, correct or delete. You can still write to privacy@cleanbuilds.dev with any question. If you're in Canada and unhappy with our answer, you can contact the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada (https://www.priv.gc.ca).

7. Security

What the app saves stays in its private storage on your phone. The update check and ad requests use encrypted connections (HTTPS).

8. Changes

If this policy changes, we'll post the new version at https://cleanbuilds.dev/sudoku/privacy/ with a new effective date, and point out important changes in the app or its store listing.

9. Contact

Meher Bajjuri (CleanBuilds), Ontario, Canada. privacy@cleanbuilds.dev (support: support@cleanbuilds.dev).