Legal · Games

Privacy policy for “Woof Island”

For all games

Last updated: October 11, 2026

Contents

1. Controller

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

Under the brand “grubenhund games” 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 the game “Woof Island”. The version for all games is at games.grubenhund.com/en/privacy.

What happens when you visit this website (games.grubenhund.com) is described in the section “Visiting this website”. The dog training website grubenhund.com has its own privacy policy (in German).

3. In short

  • You don't need to register – no name, no password.
  • Your progress is stored on your device.
  • Your progress is also backed up under a random, anonymous ID in a data center in Frankfurt, Germany.
  • We only process an e-mail address if you enter one yourself – to link it or to load your progress.
  • We use no analytics or tracking tools of our own.
  • Ads are served by Google AdMob – personalized only with your consent.
  • Purchases are handled by Apple and Google; we never see payment details.

4. Progress on your device

The game stores progress, settings, unlocked and purchased content locally on your device. The game automatically backs up a copy of your progress to the cloud (see below). 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

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. Anonymous accounts not linked to Apple, Google or an e-mail address are deleted automatically, together with their save, after 24 months without use (no backup and no sign-in). 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)

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 whose birth year means they turn 16 or younger this year cannot link an e-mail address.

7. Restore without sign-in

Woof Island creates a random recovery key 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.

8. In-app purchases

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.

9. Advertising (Google AdMob)

Woof Island shows ads via Google AdMob: optional reward videos and occasional ad breaks. Players who turn 13 or younger this year see no ads, and no ad service is loaded for them.

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: personalized 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 under “Ad 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 personalized 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.

10. Children and teens

Woof Island asks for the birth year at first launch. If your birth year means you turn 13 or younger this year, you see no ads and a parental gate appears before every purchase. If you turn 16 or younger: no personalized 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.

Minors need parental consent for purchases. We recommend protecting purchases in the device settings (Screen Time or Google Family Link).

11. Reminders and photos

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.

12. Visiting this website

This website (games.grubenhund.com) sets no cookies, uses no analytics or tracking tools and embeds no third-party content; fonts, images and videos come from the same server. Links to the App Store, Google Play or other websites only transfer data to those providers once you click them.

When you open a page, the host processes technically necessary data in server logs: IP address, date and time, requested address, amount of data transferred, browser and operating system. This is required to deliver the website, detect attacks and fix errors (Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR; legitimate interest in secure and reliable operation). The site is hosted by Vercel Inc., 650 California St, San Francisco, CA 94108, USA, as processor; transfers to the USA are covered by the EU Standard Contractual Clauses and Vercel's certification under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. Logs are kept only as long as needed for operation, security and troubleshooting, usually no longer than 30 days.

If you send me an e-mail, I process your details in order to reply (Art. 6(1)(b) or (f) GDPR).

13. 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 this website games.grubenhund.com (processor, see “Visiting this website”)

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

14. 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 are stored on servers in Frankfurt, Germany.

15. 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.

16. 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.