Privacy

Last updated: October 11, 2026

Contents

1. Scope and controller

This policy covers the BARK: Last Line iPhone/iPad app and its beta state. Controller: Patrick Gruben, Rolandstraße 14, 40476 Düsseldorf, Germany. Email: info@grubenhund.com. Further publisher details are in the legal notice.

What happens when you visit this website is described in the privacy policy for the games, section “Visiting this website”. BARK requires no separate game account and operates no game or analytics server of its own. Optional Apple services are separate. The Google advertising information below concerns earlier test builds with ads enabled; ads are disabled in beta 1.1 (19).

2. Saves and preferences on your device

The app stores campaign progress, medals, experience, cosmetics, tokens, contracts, run results, active solo or host co-op checkpoints and preferences in its local app storage. These data enable resuming, unlocks and your accessibility choices. BARK does not automatically upload them to its own server. This processing is necessary for the requested game features (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR).

Your own export files contain campaign and long-term progress. They are shared only through the destination you select in the share sheet; imports merge progress. Active battles remain on each device. Operating-system backups depend on your Apple settings.

3. Optional local log and support

The event log is off initially. If enabled, it stores up to 2,000 events locally: timestamp, event name, mission and brief status values, for example for training, waves, runs, shop/purchase/restore status, ad requests, ad status and rewards. Old entries are replaced at the limit. It contains no Apple ID, purchase receipts, advertising ID, location coordinates or free-form chat text. There is no automatic upload.

You can inspect, disable and delete the log. A report you choose to share adds app version/build, device class, iOS version, mission, wave and game phase. Your consent is the basis for the optional log and its sharing (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR); you may withdraw it for the future. Disabling stops new entries; deleting removes existing entries.

If you contact support, your email address, message and voluntary attachments are processed to handle your request (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR for game-related requests, otherwise Art. 6(1)(f): responding to enquiries). We remove support data once no longer needed for handling the request and possible follow-up, unless legal obligations or necessary legal claims require retention. Delete copies on your device or with your chosen sending service separately.

4. Local co-op and Game Center

Local co-op uses Apple’s Multipeer Connectivity. After your action and required network permission, nearby sessions are discovered. Display name, connection state, invitations, roles, short tactical signals, game commands and game states are exchanged between participating devices. The host can save the current co-op run locally for resuming. There is no free-form player chat or BARK game server. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR for your requested multiplayer mode.

Game Center online co-op and online leaderboards are disabled in beta 1.1 (19). BARK does not offer Game Center sign-in or leaderboard score submission in this build. For general information about Apple’s service, see Apple’s Game Center privacy information.

5. Optional private iCloud sync from version 1.1

From version 1.1, you can enable Automatically save with iCloud in Settings. Sync starts off. Once enabled, BARK syncs progress automatically at app launch, when progress changes and when you return to the app. Sync with iCloud now also lets you start a sync manually. This description applies to version 1.1; older TestFlight builds, including build 5, do not include automatic sync yet.

The app places a copy of campaign and long-term progress (Journey), such as medals, unlocks and earned cosmetics, in your Apple Account’s private CloudKit area and merges it with local progress. Active solo and co-op runs are not synced. BARK creates no separate account and uses no cloud save server of its own.

To prevent progress from being linked to another account without your knowledge, the app stores a hash of an opaque account identifier supplied by CloudKit locally. No email address is read or stored for this purpose. Changing accounts disables automatic sync; you must explicitly enable it again for the intended account. Turning sync off stops synchronization but does not delete data already stored in iCloud.

Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR for your requested synchronization. Storage continues until the respective cloud data are deleted; see Delete data. Availability and Apple’s processing also depend on your account and Apple’s privacy information.

6. Cosmetic purchases through Apple

Optional one-time style purchases use Apple’s App Store and StoreKit when products are available in the respective build and store. The app checks product identifiers, verified transactions and current entitlements to unlock styles, restore purchases and reflect refunds. BARK receives no credit-card or bank details and operates no receipt server. Legal basis: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR. Apple manages transactions and their retention under its own terms; deleting the app does not delete Apple purchase history. See Apple privacy.

7. Optional ads and privacy choices

Beta 1.1 (19): ads are disabled. The app’s advertising service does not start the Google ads SDK or the UMP consent request and does not request ads. The Google libraries are still included in the app package. This statement describes the app calls that are blocked; it is not a guarantee that every library or Apple service processes no network data.

Earlier test builds with ads enabled: The following information describes their advertising feature. Ads were prepared only after your action. Google’s User Messaging Platform first requests the required privacy choices. No ad is requested without the required permission. Those earlier test builds used AdMob test ads; these can still transmit data to Google. You can play without requesting ads. Where offered, Settings → Change privacy choices reopens the dialog.

The earlier advertising test builds described here requested only non-personalized ads. Before starting the Google ads SDK, the app disables its personalization treatment and publisher first-party ID; every ad request also includes the non-personalized ads signal (NPA). This does not mean anonymity or no data processing: Google may still use data to deliver ads, limit their frequency, produce aggregated reports and process your privacy choices. Even checking consent status can transmit data to Google. Required privacy choices therefore still apply. See Google’s explanation of ad serving modes.

With these settings, Google still describes possible processing of IP address, device identifiers, ad interactions, diagnostics and performance data. An approximate region may be derived from the IP address. BARK does not request precise location. The SDK privacy declarations also list potential tracking uses; actual processing depends on the SDK, request and privacy choices. BARK does not request Apple ATT tracking permission in the current beta. See Google Mobile Ads data information and Google privacy. Processing requiring consent relies on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR; for relevant device access, section 25(1) TDDDG). Available choices and provider details appear in the respective dialog. Withdrawal applies for the future.

8. Apple diagnostics and TestFlight

Depending on device settings and the testing programme, Apple may process diagnostic, crash and TestFlight feedback data and provide them to the developer. These can include build, device/system details, crash information, and screenshots or comments you submit. This is separate from BARK’s local log. See Apple’s notices in TestFlight and Apple privacy; manage the relevant choices with Apple.

9. Recipients and international processing

Besides the co-op partner or export recipient you choose, Apple may receive data. Google could also receive data from earlier test builds when ads were requested; the advertising service is disabled in beta 1.1 (19). Support messages are processed through the email services used for that communication. These services may process data outside the EU/EEA. The linked provider notices and consent dialogs explain the relevant entities, retention and transfer safeguards. Exclusively European processing is not promised for these services. BARK does not automatically transmit local gameplay logs to them.

10. Delete data

Local event log: Settings → Save data, diagnostics & support → Delete log. Local app data: delete BARK in iOS/iPadOS, rather than merely offloading it. Delete your export files separately in Files or your chosen storage service. Request deletion of support data you have already sent at info@grubenhund.com.

If you used iCloud sync, also delete BARK’s data in your Apple Account’s iCloud storage management; otherwise the next sync may load it again. Apple backups, Game Center data and purchase history are separate records governed by Apple’s settings and rules. We cannot remotely erase private data from your device or Apple Account.

11. Your rights

Subject to legal conditions, you have rights to access, rectification, erasure, restriction and data portability. You may withdraw consent for the future and object to legitimate-interest processing on grounds relating to your particular situation. Contact info@grubenhund.com. You may also complain to a data protection authority, in particular North Rhine-Westphalia’s authority. No automated decisions with legal or similarly significant effects are made about you. Support information and the additional services described above are voluntary; local solo play needs no separate account.