Privacy
What the game uses, why, and the choices you have.
This policy explains what information 10 Million Cells uses, why, who else is involved, and the choices you have. The game is published by The Next Beacon (“we”), which is responsible for the information described here. You can reach us at hello@thenextbeacon.com.
What we collect
The game never asks for your name, and there is nowhere in it to type one. What it does handle falls into these groups:
- Game data — your worlds, chapters, settings and progress, so your game can be backed up and restored.
- Device information — a device identifier that is limited to apps from this developer, a random installation ID, whether you are on a phone or tablet, the system and app version, your language and time zone.
- Usage information — when the app is opened and for how long, which screens and buttons are used, progress through the game, and errors. Only collected while usage analytics is switched on.
- Account information — only if you sign in with Apple: Apple’s identifier for you in this game and, if you choose to share it, your email or an Apple relay address.
- Purchase information — which items you own, as confirmed by the App Store or Google Play. We never see your payment details.
- Advertising information — handled by Google when an ad is shown, as described below.
We do not collect your location, contacts, photos, files, microphone, camera or health data.
How we use it
- To back up and restore your game. Every player gets a cloud account with no name, tied to the device identifier. Signing in with Apple lets you restore the same game on another Apple device.
- To unlock what you bought and restore purchases on a new device.
- To find faults and improve the game, using usage analytics if you allow it.
- To show chapter ads to players who have not bought Remove Ads.
Your choices
- Usage analytics has its own switch in Settings. In the European Union, the EEA, the United Kingdom and Switzerland it starts off, and you decide whether to turn it on. Elsewhere it starts on. Turning it off stops collection and deletes reports not yet sent.
- Ads. Where the law requires it, Google asks for your consent before personalised ads are shown. Ad privacy options in the shop lets you change that answer. Remove Ads stops ads altogether.
- Sign in with Apple is optional, and you choose whether to share your email.
- Delete account in Settings → Account erases your cloud account and its backups.
Legal basis
For players in the EU, the EEA, the UK and Switzerland, we rely on:
- Performance of our agreement with you for cloud backup, restoring your game, sign-in and purchases.
- Your consent for usage analytics and personalised ads. You can withdraw it at any time with the settings above.
- Our legitimate interest in keeping the service secure and working, for basic technical records needed to run the cloud backup.
Who else is involved
We do not sell your information. We share it only with services that help run the game:
- Cloudflare hosts our cloud backup and analytics servers.
- Google (AdMob) serves and measures chapter ads. Google may use device information, including the advertising identifier, according to your consent. See how Google uses information from apps that use its services.
- Apple and Google Play process purchases and, on Apple devices, Sign in with Apple, under their own privacy policies.
Some of these providers process data outside your country, including in the United States. Where that happens, transfers are covered by safeguards such as the EU–US Data Privacy Framework or the European Commission’s standard contractual clauses.
How long we keep it
- Cloud backups are kept until you delete your account in Settings.
- Usage analytics is kept while it is useful for finding faults and balancing the game, and is deleted on request.
- Purchase records are kept by Apple or Google.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you can ask to access, correct, delete or receive a copy of your information, to restrict or object to how it is used, and to withdraw consent. Many of these you can do yourself in the game. For anything else, write to us; include the installation ID shown in Settings, because there is no name to look you up by. If you are in the EU, the EEA, the UK or Switzerland, you also have the right to complain to your local data protection authority.
Children
The game is not directed at children under 13, or under the age of digital consent in your country, and we do not knowingly collect information from them.
Changes
If this policy changes, the date at the top changes with it, and significant changes will be explained on this page.