The Irish Mini Crossword privacy policy

Last updated 31 July 2026

The Irish Mini Crossword ("the app") is made by Seán Carmody, an independent developer based in Ireland. This page explains what data the app handles and why. Questions or requests: hello@theirishminicrossword.com.

The short version

The app has no accounts and no sign-in. We never ask for your name, email, contacts or location. Your puzzle progress, streaks, statistics and settings are stored only on your device and are deleted when you uninstall the app. The app is free and shows ads; we request non-personalised ads only.

Data stored on your device only

Puzzle progress, solve times, streaks, statistics and settings are saved locally on your device. They are not uploaded anywhere and we cannot see them. Uninstalling the app deletes them.

Data collected through service providers

The app uses Google services to work, be measured and be protected. These are:

• Firebase Analytics - anonymous usage events (for example "puzzle completed" or "share tapped"), device model and operating system, app version and approximate country. We use this to understand how the app is used and to improve it.
• Firebase App Check (Google Play Integrity on Android, Apple App Attest on iOS) - device and app integrity signals used to verify that puzzle requests come from a genuine copy of the app. Not used for advertising.
• Google AdMob - shows the ads that keep the app free. We request non-personalised ads only. AdMob may still process device identifiers for essential purposes such as frequency capping and fraud prevention. See Google's privacy policy and how Google uses data in ads.
• Google Cloud - the servers that deliver the daily puzzle keep short-lived technical logs (such as IP address and request time) needed to operate and secure the service.

Legal basis and sharing

We process this data under legitimate interests: running the app, keeping it secure and understanding usage. Where the law requires consent for advertising technology, the app asks for it. Data is processed by Google as a service provider; we do not sell data, and we do not share it with anyone else.

International transfers

Google may process data outside the European Economic Area. Such transfers are covered by Google's standard contractual clauses and related safeguards.

Retention

Analytics data is retained by Google Analytics for Firebase for up to 14 months. Local game data stays on your device until you uninstall the app.

Children

The app is not directed at children under 13, and ads are limited to content ratings G and PG.

Your rights

Under GDPR you can request access to, correction of, or deletion of personal data, and you can complain to the Irish Data Protection Commission. Since the app holds no account data, most requests concern the Google services above, so contact us and we will help. You can also reset or delete your device's advertising ID in your device settings at any time.

Changes

If this policy changes, the new version will be posted at this address with an updated date.