Privacy Policy

Word Master

Effective date: September 17, 2026
Last updated: September 17, 2026

1. Who we are and the scope of this policy

TimeShift Games (“we”, “us” or “our”) operates Word Master. We are responsible for the personal data processing that we determine in providing the game. You can contact us about privacy at chutz@foxmail.com.

This policy explains how personal information is handled when you use Word Master, including gameplay, sign-in, cloud saves, achievements, leaderboards, rewarded advertising, in-app purchases and support.

This policy explains our practices. Reading it or continuing to play does not, by itself, constitute consent to personalised advertising or other processing that requires separate consent.

2. Information processed and why

Game progress and settings

The game stores progress, save slots, player display names, game and word records, statistics, unlocked content, preferences and relevant purchase-entitlement status on your device. It also keeps technical state needed for features such as synchronisation and privacy choices. This enables gameplay, remembers your settings and allows you to resume a game.

If you use cloud saves, the saved-game bundle is sent to Google Play Games. It includes game progress and records contained in your saves, player profiles, settings, a player identifier, app version and synchronisation timestamps. Cloud saving can run automatically after sign-in while you play or when the game is paused. Therefore, data included in a cloud save does not remain only on your device.

Google Play Games sign-in, achievements and leaderboards

When this integration is available, Google Play Games handles authentication. Depending on your Google Play Games settings, sign-in may occur automatically. The game receives your sign-in status, game-specific player ID and display name. We do not ask you to give the game your Google password, phone number or email address for this sign-in.

The game submits achievement progress and numeric leaderboard scores associated with your player identity. The leaderboard submission does not include the text of words you spell. Your gamer profile and scores may be visible to other players according to Google's profile and visibility controls. This is separate from the contents of your cloud saves.

Google Play Games also processes service analytics and diagnostic information for stability and product improvement. Its handling of your Google account and gamer profile is described in the Google Privacy Policy.

Rewarded advertising and privacy choices

We use Google AdMob through the Google Mobile Ads SDK to offer rewarded video ads. You choose whether to watch an available ad to receive the reward described in the game. The game processes the ad result to determine whether to grant that reward.

Google's advertising services may collect and share your IP address and approximate location inferred from it; device, advertising, app-set and applicable account-related identifiers; app and ad interactions such as launches, taps and video views; and performance or diagnostic data. These support ad delivery, measurement, service operation and fraud prevention. Ad selection may be personalised when permitted by your choices and applicable requirements.

Google's User Messaging Platform (UMP) manages the applicable privacy message and choices. We check whether it permits ad requests before initialising the advertising SDK through the consent flow. When permitted, ads may be loaded in advance, before you press a watch-ad button. Choosing not to watch a video is therefore different from managing advertising data permissions.

Where consent is required, the privacy message asks for your permission before the relevant advertising processing, including applicable storage or access on your device and personalised advertising. You may refuse consent or later withdraw it through the available privacy controls. Withdrawal does not affect processing that was lawful before you withdrew consent. Where the law instead provides an opt-out right, you can exercise that right through the applicable controls described below.

You can manage applicable advertising choices using Ad privacy options in the game's Settings when that option is available. Where offered, select Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information to opt out of the advertising uses covered by that choice. The privacy message communicates your selection to Google. You can also contact us at chutz@foxmail.com about exercising an applicable opt-out right.

An opt-out does not necessarily stop all ads or all data processing. Information may still be processed to serve contextual ads, maintain security, prevent fraud or complete a transaction, as permitted by law. Choosing to watch an ad does not waive an applicable privacy right. If no eligible ad can be provided, an ad-dependent reward may be unavailable.

See How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services for Google's explanation of processing and controls. Any additional advertising partners and their applicable purposes are identified in the advertising privacy message.

In-app purchases and restoring purchases

Google Play Billing processes purchases of upgrades offered in the game. The game checks the product, purchase state, purchase token and acknowledgement status as needed to recognise and acknowledge purchases, grant access and restore eligible purchases. It may check existing purchases when billing connects, as well as when you request a restoration, and stores entitlement status locally.

Google processes payment and transaction information through its payment services. We do not receive your full payment-card details. Cloud-save contents alone are not treated as proof of purchase; restoring an upgrade depends on the purchase records available through Google Play.

Word pronunciation and device services

If you use word pronunciation, the selected text is passed to your device's text-to-speech engine. Depending on the engine and voice installed on your device, speech synthesis may use local or online processing under that provider's terms. This feature does not record your voice or require microphone access.

The game uses network access for online features and vibration for haptic feedback. It does not request camera, microphone or precise-location access for these features. Advertising services may still infer a general location from an IP address. Android backup and device-transfer features may also retain or restore app data according to your device settings.

Support communications

If you email us, we receive your email address and whatever information you choose to include, such as a description of a problem or a screenshot. We use this to respond, investigate the issue and handle privacy requests. Please do not send passwords, full payment details or information that is unnecessary for your request.

3. Information categories, sources and advertising disclosures

The categories below describe the information involved in the features explained above. Information comes from you, your device and interactions with the game, and the Google services you use. The retention criteria in Section 6 apply to each category.

Sale, sharing and targeted advertising. We do not exchange personal information for monetary payment. However, making identifiers, online activity and approximate-location information available to advertising partners for personalised ads may be considered a “sale”, “sharing” or “targeted advertising” under applicable privacy laws, even without a monetary payment. We therefore describe the relevant advertising choices above rather than treating the absence of payment as an exemption. Advertising recipients include Google and applicable partners identified in the privacy message.

We do not require you to provide sensitive information such as government identification, health information or biometric identifiers for gameplay. Do not include such information in support messages unless it is necessary for the request. Where the law gives you a right to limit sensitive-information processing, you may contact us to exercise that right.

You do not have to use optional online features or make a purchase to use the basic game. If information needed for a particular feature is unavailable, that feature may not work.

Legal grounds, where required

Where applicable law requires a legal basis, we process information as necessary to provide the services you request, such as game progress, account-linked features and purchases; with your consent where required; to meet legal obligations; or for legitimate interests such as proportionate security, fraud prevention, support and the defence of legal claims, where those interests are not overridden by your rights. Legitimate interests do not replace consent where consent is required. Google explains the grounds for processing it independently determines in its own privacy notices.

4. Who receives information

Information is processed by the relevant Google services for Play Games, advertising, consent management and billing. Advertising partners may receive information as explained in the privacy message. Google and other providers may act as independent controllers for processing they determine themselves; their own notices apply to that processing.

Your chosen text-to-speech provider processes pronunciation requests, and email providers process support correspondence. Other players may see the leaderboard or profile information described above. We may disclose information when legally required or when necessary and lawful to protect rights, prevent fraud or address security incidents. The advertising-related meaning of sale and sharing, and your choices, are explained in Section 3.

5. Where information is processed

Google and other service providers may process information outside your country or region of residence. Applicable privacy protections may differ between locations. Google's handling of international transfers is described in its data transfer frameworks notice. Contact us with questions about the processing for which we are responsible.

For international transfers for which we are responsible, we must meet applicable legal requirements, using an adequacy decision, appropriate contractual safeguards or another lawful basis where required. You may contact us to ask about the relevant countries, safeguards and how to obtain a copy where applicable.

6. Retention and security

Local game data is retained until it is replaced, reset or removed from app storage. Cloud saves and Google-held profile, achievement and leaderboard data are retained under the relevant service's settings and retention rules until replaced or deleted as applicable. Clearing local storage does not automatically delete copies held by Google, device backups or data on another device.

Purchase records may be retained by Google for payment administration, fraud prevention and legal obligations. Deleting game progress does not cancel a purchase, issue a refund or necessarily remove Google's transaction records. Google describes its broader retention practices in How Google retains data.

We retain support correspondence only as long as needed to resolve the request and address related follow-up, disputes or applicable legal duties. Records of privacy requests or consent may be kept as needed to demonstrate compliance. Retention depends on the type of request, whether it remains unresolved and any relevant legal requirement; unnecessary information should be deleted.

We use reasonable safeguards appropriate to the information and processing involved. Google Play Games and Google Mobile Ads document encryption of transmitted data. No storage or transmission method is completely secure; protect your device and Google account against unauthorised access.

7. Your choices and rights

Depending on applicable law and its exceptions, you may have rights to confirm whether we process your personal information; obtain access to information about its collection, use and disclosure; receive a portable copy; correct inaccuracies; request deletion; and opt out of sale, sharing, targeted advertising or certain profiling. Where applicable, you may also request restriction of processing, object to processing based on legitimate interests, request limitations on sensitive-information processing or withdraw consent. We do not use your information to make solely automated decisions that produce legal or similarly significant effects on you.

Send requests to chutz@foxmail.com, identifying the game and the right you want to exercise. For requests that require verification, we may ask for information reasonably necessary to verify your identity and locate the relevant records. We will not require you to create an account to submit a request. Opt-out requests are handled without identity verification where the law so requires. An authorised agent may submit a request on your behalf, subject to any permitted proof of authority or verification.

We respond without undue delay and within the period required by applicable law. Where a one-month response period applies, we normally respond within that period. We explain any legally permitted extension or reason we cannot fulfil a request. If you have a right to appeal a decision, email us with “Privacy appeal” in the subject line. We will review the appeal and provide the outcome and any legally required information about further complaint options. You may also contact the relevant data-protection or consumer-protection authority. You do not have to contact us before making a complaint to an authority.

We will not unlawfully discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights. An optional feature may nevertheless require information necessary to provide it, and a reward contingent on completing an available video requires that video to be completed; this does not remove your right to opt out of covered advertising uses.

Where required by applicable law, qualifying automated opt-out preference signals, such as Global Privacy Control (GPC), must be treated as requests to opt out of the covered processing. We apply this to signals we receive that apply to our processing. A signal sent through a browser may not reach a separate native app or identify all of your devices. You can use the in-game advertising controls for the device on which you play, and contact us if you need help with an opt-out request.

If a request concerns information independently controlled by Google, we will explain the relevant Google route rather than promise deletion of records we cannot control. Resetting app storage, changing devices or changing identifiers may require you to review privacy choices again.

8. Children and young users

Children's personal information requires particular protection. The age at which a young person can consent to processing, and any requirements for parental authorisation, depend on applicable law and the feature involved. Where required, a parent or guardian must receive the necessary notice and give verifiable authorisation before the relevant collection, use or disclosure. A child accepting this policy does not replace that process.

Additional restrictions may apply to personalised advertising, the sale or sharing of information, and other processing involving children or teenagers. Any legally required authorisation must be obtained before that processing; this policy does not itself provide it.

If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child's information has been processed without required authorisation, email chutz@foxmail.com. We will investigate and take appropriate action, including facilitating applicable access or deletion rights and preventing further unauthorised processing. Google's account, purchase and family controls also apply to its services.

9. Updates

We may update this policy to reflect changes to the game, service providers or legal requirements. We will update the date above and provide additional notice of material changes where required. If a change requires new consent, we will request it before carrying out that processing.