Privacy policy for the games

Last updated: 25 September 2026

1. Controller

Patrick Gruben
Rolandstraße 14
40476 Düsseldorf
Germany
E-mail: info@grubenhund.com
Phone: +49 160 94857908

Under the brand “grubenhund” I develop and publish games for smartphones and tablets. I am not required to appoint a data protection officer; if you have questions, write to me directly.

2. Scope

This policy covers all games by grubenhund: Woof Island, Pawshift, Doggo Dive, Don't bark, Runaway Tail, Cardogo and Hundeleben. Each section states which games it applies to.

Visiting the website grubenhund.com (cookies, contact form, statistics) is covered by the website privacy policy (in German).

3. In short

• You don't need to register – no name, no password.
• Your progress is stored on your device.
• Where there is a cloud backup, your progress is also stored under a random, anonymous ID in a data centre in Frankfurt, Germany.
• We only process an e-mail address if you choose to link one.
• Hundeleben publicly enters every run with your nickname and score in the monthly leaderboard.
• We use no analytics or tracking tools of our own.
• Ads are served by Google AdMob – personalised only with your consent.
• Purchases are handled by Apple and Google; we never see payment details.

4. Progress on your device

Applies to: Woof Island, Pawshift, Doggo Dive, Don't bark, Runaway Tail and Cardogo

The games store progress, settings, unlocked and purchased content locally on your device. This data does not reach us unless one of the backups described below is active. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (providing the game) and § 25(2) no. 2 TDDDG (storage on the device that is strictly necessary).

Note on device backups: if iCloud Backup on your iPhone or Android backup in your Google account is switched on, it may also back up the game data and restore it after a reinstall. Apple's or Google's privacy terms apply; we do not receive this data.

5. Cloud backup of your progress

Applies to: Woof Island and Runaway Tail

Purpose: so your progress is not lost – for example when you delete the app or switch to a new device – it is backed up to our cloud storage. The game creates an anonymous account for this automatically, without a name or password.

Data: a randomly generated account ID, your save (including your purchases), backup timestamps and, for each sign-in session, the IP address and device or browser information (user agent) that our provider stores to secure the session. Woof Island additionally stores a short summary (island name, level, number of dogs, currencies, play time), the device type (e.g. “iPhone”) and the game and language on the account (for matching e-mails); its save also contains the age information (birth year) and purchases with product and transaction IDs.

Processor: Supabase, Inc. (USA) as processor under Art. 28 GDPR. The data is stored on servers in Frankfurt, Germany (EU).

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (providing the game with backup) and Art. 6(1)(f) (secure, abuse-protected operation).

Retention: save and account until you delete the cloud data in the game or ask us to, at the latest when the game is discontinued. Session data (IP address, user agent) is kept while the sign-in is valid and deleted with the account at the latest. See Delete data. In Woof Island you can switch the backup off under “Settings → Cloud save”.

6. E-mail linking (optional)

Applies to: Woof Island

When you link an e-mail address or load your progress on another device, we send you a 6-digit code. Your e-mail address and the message are processed. We use the Resend service of Plus Five Five, Inc. (USA) as processor; messages are sent via servers in Ireland (EU). We send no advertising and no newsletters. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR. The e-mail address stays linked to your account until you delete it; Resend keeps sending logs (recipient, time, delivery status) for 30 days. Players who entered an age under 16 at first launch cannot link an e-mail address.

7. Linking with Apple or Google (optional)

Applies to: Runaway Tail

You can choose to link your anonymous cloud account to take your progress to a new device – with your Apple account on iPhone and iPad, with your Google account on Android. We then receive the account identifier, the provider name and the e-mail address (with Apple, an anonymous relay address if you choose), and with Google also your name and profile picture as far as your Google account shares them. The sign-in itself happens at Apple or Google, whose privacy terms apply. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR. Deleting the cloud account also deletes the link.

8. Restore without sign-in

Applies to: Woof Island

Woof Island creates a random recovery key once and keeps it in your device backup (iOS: iCloud Keychain of your Apple ID; Android: Android backup of your Google account). Our cloud storage only holds an irreversible hash of this key, so the game can find your progress after a reinstall or on a new device. Apple's and Google's privacy terms apply to the device backup.

9. Copy in your iCloud (iPhone and iPad)

Applies to: Runaway Tail and Cardogo

On iPhone and iPad the game keeps a copy of your progress in the iCloud storage of your Apple ID so it is available on your other Apple devices. This copy is held only by Apple in your account; we have no access to it. Apple's privacy terms apply. You can turn off iCloud for the game in the iOS settings.

10. Apple Game Center

Applies to: Cardogo

On iPhone and iPad, Cardogo silently signs you in to Game Center if you are signed in there. We receive no data from this. Apple's privacy terms apply to Game Center.

11. In-app purchases

Applies to: Woof Island, Pawshift, Doggo Dive, Runaway Tail and Cardogo

Purchases are handled entirely by the Apple App Store or Google Play, who are separate controllers for this. We never receive payment details. The game only receives a purchase confirmation and records in your save which content you bought, so it stays unlocked. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.

12. Advertising (Google AdMob)

Applies to: Woof Island, Pawshift and Runaway Tail

Some games show ads – as optional ad videos with a reward or as ad breaks between levels. They are served by Google AdMob, a service of Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland. Google may process in particular the advertising ID (IDFA or Android advertising ID), the IP address and the approximate location derived from it, device and OS information, ad interactions and diagnostic data.

Consent: personalised ads and access to the advertising ID and device storage require your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR, § 25(1) TDDDG). We ask for it via Google's consent dialog before any ads are loaded; you can change or withdraw it any time in the game's settings. On iPhone and iPad we also ask via Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt. If you do not consent, Google shows limited ads at most: not personalised and without access to the advertising ID or device storage. To deliver them, Google technically processes the IP address (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR; our legitimate interest is funding the free game).

No Ads: where a game offers a “No Ads” purchase, you will no longer see ad breaks afterwards; optional ad videos remain available.

Transfers to the USA are based on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework or Standard Contractual Clauses. More: policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.

13. Children and teens

Woof Island asks for the birth year at first launch. Under 13: ad requests are tagged as child-directed (non-personalised, “G”-rated ads only) and a parental gate is shown before purchases. Under 16: no personalised ads, no tracking prompt and no e-mail linking; progress is only backed up anonymously. The birth year is stored in the save – on the device and, while the cloud backup is on, in the cloud as well – and is only used to choose suitable settings.

Our games are not specifically directed at children under 13. Minors need parental consent for purchases. We recommend protecting purchases in the device settings (Screen Time or Google Family Link).

14. Reminders and photos

Applies to: Woof Island

Reminders (e.g. “Your crops are ready”) are scheduled only with your permission and only on your device. Photos from photo mode are saved or shared only when you choose to; we never receive them.

15. Hundeleben in the browser and leaderboard

Applies to: Hundeleben

Hundeleben runs directly on grubenhund.com. The game stores progress and settings in your browser's storage (localStorage); they do not reach us. The website privacy policy (in German) applies to the page visit (hosting by Vercel).

Leaderboard: before your first run you pick a nickname (up to 10 letters). After every run the game automatically enters it with your score and the time of the run in the public monthly list. Please pick a nickname, not your real name. To prevent cheating, each run gets a technical session token, which is deleted after one day. Data is stored with Supabase, Inc. (USA) as processor in Frankfurt, Germany (EU). Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (the leaderboard is part of the game) and Art. 6(1)(f) (preventing cheating). Retention: entries remain visible in the monthly archive for as long as the leaderboard exists; I delete your entry on request.

16. Recipients and service providers

• Supabase, Inc. (USA) – cloud storage and database, servers in Frankfurt, Germany (processor)
• Plus Five Five, Inc. (USA), Resend service – sending confirmation codes via Ireland (processor)
• Google Ireland Limited – advertising via AdMob (separate or joint controllership under Google's terms)
• Apple and Google – app stores, payment processing, accounts and device backup (separate controllers)
• Vercel Inc. (USA) – hosting of the website grubenhund.com (processor)

Beyond that we do not share personal data, and we never sell data.

17. Transfers outside the EU

Some service providers are based in the USA. Where data is transferred there, this is based on the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (adequacy decision of the European Commission) or EU Standard Contractual Clauses (Art. 46(2)(c) GDPR). Cloud saves and leaderboard entries are stored on servers in Frankfurt, Germany.

18. Your rights

You have the right of access (Art. 15 GDPR), rectification (Art. 16), erasure (Art. 17), restriction of processing (Art. 18), data portability (Art. 20) and objection (Art. 21), and you may withdraw consent at any time with effect for the future (Art. 7(3)). Write to info@grubenhund.com.

Right to object

Where we process data on the basis of legitimate interests (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR), you may object to this processing at any time on grounds relating to your particular situation (Art. 21 GDPR). Write to info@grubenhund.com.

How to delete data yourself is explained under Delete data.

You may also lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority, for example the data protection authority of North Rhine-Westphalia (LDI NRW), Kavalleriestraße 2–4, 40213 Düsseldorf, Germany.

19. Changes

When a game changes – for example with new features or service providers – I update this policy. The version published here applies. If this English version differs from the German one, the German version prevails.