Privacy Policy
Effective 7 October 2026
You do not need to give us a name, an email address, a phone number or any other personal detail to play Backgammon Pearl. This policy describes, in plain language, what we actually collect.
We do not collect: your name, email, phone number, address, precise location, contacts, photos, microphone or camera. We never request access to any of them.
On your device
Your settings, your games against the computer and any game in progress are stored on your own device. Playing the computer needs no account and no connection.
Your account
The first time you use something that needs our server (an online game, or a game with a friend by code), a guest account is created automatically. There is no signup screen. That account holds:
- a randomly generated account id (it contains nothing that identifies you);
- a hashed copy of the secret key stored on your device, so the account can be recognised again. We never hold the key itself;
- the nickname you choose;
- your rating and how many games you have played;
- a short public code used for friend invitations.
You may attach a Google account (and on iPhone an Apple account) so that your progress follows you to another device. When you do, we store only the provider's opaque user identifier. We do not store your email address, your real name or your photo, and we never post anything to those accounts.
Game data
For each finished online game we record the moves, the dice seeds (the server seed and each player's number), the result and the rating change. This exists so your rating can be proven correct and so any game's dice can be checked afterwards, by you or by anyone you show the seeds to.
When you play online, the nickname you chose and your rating are shown to your opponent at the table. If you would rather not be recognised, pick a nickname that says nothing about you: nothing else at the table can identify you.
Technical data
Like any internet server, ours sees your IP address when your device connects. We use it to prevent abuse. We do not use it for advertising or profiling.
Diagnostics
The app may tell our server which screens are opened and when a game starts or ends (for example "a Quick game started"), and if the app crashes it may send a crash report: the device model, the system version, the app version and what the app was doing at the time. This is how we learn which parts of the game are used and where it breaks. It contains no text you typed and nothing about you beyond the app itself. If you have an account, the events are attached to its random id; if not, to nothing. They are never sold or shared, and they are unlinked from your account when you delete it.
Ads
| Who | What for | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| Google AdMob | Advertising after a game or match ends, which keeps the game free | Google's advertising ID and, as Google's SDK requires, an approximate location derived from your IP address. Where the law requires it we ask for your consent through Google's consent form before any ad is shown; you may refuse personalised ads, and the game works exactly the same. |
Ads appear only after a game or a match has ended, never during play.
Purchases
Backgammon Pearl sells nothing inside the app. There are no in-app purchases, no chips and no coins. If that ever changes, this policy will say so first.
Table chat
Messages you send during an online game are kept on the server for 30 days and then deleted. The only reason they are kept is report review: if a message is reported, it and the conversation around it are held until the report is resolved. Chat data is used for nothing else, builds no profile, and is shared with nobody. You can report, block or mute any opponent from the table. Your block list is stored with your account and deleted with it.
We do not sell your data
We do not sell, rent, or share your data for marketing. It lives only with the providers that run the game (server hosting) and the Google services listed above.
Keeping and deleting data
We keep your data for as long as the account exists. You can delete your account from inside the app via Settings → Delete account; if you no longer have your device, email [email protected] with your friend code. Details: Delete Your Account. This cannot be undone.
Age
Backgammon Pearl is not directed at anyone under 18.
Changes
If we update this policy we will change the date on this page, and we will say so in the game if the change is significant.