Privacy Policy

Runi — Word Search ("the App") is a word-connect puzzle game for iOS, developed by Claudiu Sararu ("I," "me," or "the Developer"). The App is available on the Apple App Store. This Privacy Policy explains how your information is handled when you use Runi.

I built Runi with privacy as a core principle. The App is designed so that your gameplay data stays on your device and, optionally, in your own iCloud account under your control. I do not operate servers, do not collect personal data, and have no way to access your puzzles, progress, or settings.

1. Information I Collect

I do not collect any personal information.

Runi does not require you to create an account, provide an email address, or share any personally identifiable information. There are no analytics tools, crash reporting services, advertising frameworks, or third-party tracking SDKs integrated into the App.

When you use Runi, the App generates data about your gameplay (puzzles you've started or completed, your best times, your favourite words, your daily streak, your hint and skip wallet, and your settings). All of this data is created by you and stored on your device and, if you have iCloud Drive enabled for the App, mirrored to your own iCloud account. I have no access to it in either location.

2. How Your Data Is Stored

On-Device Storage

All of your gameplay data is stored locally on your device using Apple's standard UserDefaults mechanism. This includes:

• Your settings (appearance, haptics toggle, sound-effects toggle, word-definitions toggle, default difficulty, input mode, kids-mode toggle, onboarding-seen flag).
• Pack-level progress (which levels you have cleared or skipped, in both Adult and Kids modes).
• Your favourite words.
• Your daily-puzzle streak and the list of dates you have completed.
• Your hint and skip wallet counts and the timestamp of the last daily wallet refresh.
• Aggregate play statistics (best times per puzzle, total seconds played per mode).
• An "in-progress puzzle" snapshot per mode so you can resume if you background the App mid-game.
• A flag indicating whether you have purchased Runi Pro (the in-app purchase described in Section 4).

iCloud Sync

Runi uses Apple's iCloud Key-Value Storage service to mirror your progress and most of your settings between Apple devices signed into the same Apple ID. This means that, for example, levels you clear on your iPhone will appear as cleared on your iPad, and your favourite words will follow you across devices.

The sync uses your own iCloud account. The data is stored by Apple inside your iCloud, not on any server operated by me. I do not have access to it, cannot read it, and cannot modify it. The container is bundle-id-scoped and is automatically managed by iOS.

The items synced through iCloud are:

• Your settings (appearance, haptics toggle, sound-effects toggle, word-definitions toggle, default difficulty, input mode).
• Pack-level progress (cleared and skipped levels, in both Adult and Kids modes).
• Your favourite words.
• The list of completed daily puzzles and your hint/skip wallet counts.
• Aggregate play statistics (best times, total seconds played).
• The flag indicating whether onboarding has been completed.

The items that do not sync (and stay device-local by design) are:

• The mid-puzzle resume snapshot ("where I left off") — kept per-device because resuming mid-game is more useful on the device you started on.
• The Adult / Kids mode preference — kept per-device so a shared family iCloud can use Adult on one device and Kids on another.
• Your Runi Pro purchase state — reconciled by Apple's StoreKit against your Apple ID, not by the App.

You can disable iCloud sync for Runi at any time through iOS Settings → [Your Apple ID] → iCloud → Apps Using iCloud. Disabling it stops new changes from syncing; data already in iCloud remains under your control through the same settings panel.

Device Backup

If you have iCloud Backup enabled in iOS Settings, Apple may include Runi's local data in your encrypted device backup, alongside data from other apps. These backups are managed entirely by Apple under your Apple ID; I have no access to them. You can manage backup settings through iOS Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → iCloud Backup. Apple's handling of your backup data is governed by Apple's Privacy Policy.

3. Third-Party Services

Runi connects to exactly two Apple services and no other third party:

• StoreKit, which handles the in-app purchase described below.
• iCloud Key-Value Storage, which mirrors your progress across your devices as described in Section 2.

Runi does not connect to any dictionary API, any analytics service, any ad network, or any external API. The word lists shipped with the App are bundled at build time and require no network access.

In-App Purchases (Apple StoreKit)

Runi offers a single one-time, non-consumable in-app purchase called Runi Pro (US $5.99 or local equivalent) that unlocks the full pack catalogue. All payment processing is handled entirely by Apple through StoreKit. I do not receive, process, or store any payment information, credit card details, or billing data. The only thing the App stores locally as a result of a purchase is a single boolean flag indicating that Pro is unlocked.

Apple records the transaction against the Apple ID used at the time of the purchase so that you can restore Runi Pro on your other Apple devices via the "Restore Purchase" button in the App's Settings. For details on how Apple handles your payment data, see Apple's Privacy Policy.

4. Device Permissions

Runi requests no system permissions. The App does not access your camera, microphone, photos, contacts, calendar, location, motion sensors, health data, or any other sensitive iOS subsystem. There is no NSCameraUsageDescription, no NSLocationWhenInUseUsageDescription, and no other permission prompt of any kind. The App does not request notification permissions; if a future version adds optional reminder notifications, this Policy will be updated accordingly and the prompt will appear in the App at the moment you opt in.

5. Data I Do Not Collect

To be explicit, Runi does not collect, store, transmit, or have access to any of the following:

• Names, email addresses, phone numbers, or any contact information.
• Account credentials — there are no accounts.
• Location data.
• Device identifiers (IDFA, IDFV, advertising IDs).
• Usage analytics or behavioural data.
• Crash reports or diagnostics.
• Health, fitness, or biometric data.
• Browsing history.
• Financial or payment information.
• Photos, contacts, or any other device data beyond what is described in this Policy.

6. Children's Privacy

Runi is rated 4+ on the Apple App Store and contains no age-restricted content. The App includes a "Kids mode" with shorter, gentler word packs designed for young spellers; this mode adds no data collection of any kind. Because Runi collects no personal information from anyone — children included — the App complies with the U.S. Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), the GDPR's provisions regarding children's data, and equivalent regulations elsewhere.

7. Your Rights Under GDPR

If you are located in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or Switzerland, the GDPR grants you certain rights regarding personal data. Because Runi does not collect or process any personal data, these rights are satisfied by the App's design:

• Right of Access: All your data is on your device (and, optionally, in your own iCloud account). You can review it directly within the App or through iOS Settings.
• Right to Rectification: All gameplay state is editable inside the App (replay puzzles, change settings, manage favourites).
• Right to Erasure: Deleting Runi from your device removes its locally-stored data; iCloud-synced data can be removed through iOS Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → Manage Account Storage → Runi.
• Right to Data Portability: Runi does not currently offer an export feature. Because no data is held by me or by any third party on your behalf, there is no portable data set held outside your device and your own iCloud account.
• Right to Restrict Processing: No processing occurs outside your device and your own iCloud account.
• Right to Object: There is no profiling or automated decision-making.

8. Your Rights Under CCPA / CPRA

If you are a California resident, the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) and the California Privacy Rights Act (CPRA) grant you certain rights. Because Runi does not collect personal information:

• Right to Know: Runi does not collect, use, disclose, sell, or share personal information.
• Right to Delete: All data is on your device and, optionally, your own iCloud account. It can be deleted by you at any time by removing the App and clearing the App's iCloud data through iOS Settings.
• Right to Opt-Out of Sale or Sharing: Runi does not sell or share personal information with anyone for any purpose.
• Right to Non-Discrimination: You receive identical functionality regardless of any privacy choices.

9. International Data Transfers

Your gameplay data is stored locally on your device and, if you have iCloud sync enabled for Runi, also in your own iCloud account. Apple may store iCloud data in data centres outside your country, managed by Apple under their privacy practices. I do not initiate any international data transfers and have no access to where Apple stores the data.

10. Data Retention and Deletion

• Your data exists on your device for as long as you choose to keep it.
• You can delete individual progress (e.g. a puzzle's best time) by replaying it; you can clear the in-progress puzzle by abandoning the game and starting another.
• You can delete all of Runi's data on a device by deleting the App from that device. iOS will remove all of its locally-stored data along with it.
• iCloud-synced data can be removed through iOS Settings → [Your Name] → iCloud → Manage Account Storage → Runi.

11. Security

Your on-device data is protected by iOS's built-in security features, including device encryption, the Secure Enclave, and the application sandbox. iCloud Key-Value Storage data is encrypted in transit and at rest by Apple. Because there is no server-side component to Runi operated by the Developer, there is no Developer-side attack surface for your data.

12. Changes to This Privacy Policy

I may update this Policy to reflect changes in functionality or applicable laws. Material changes will be noted by updating the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page. Your continued use of the App after a change constitutes acceptance of the updated Policy. The current version is always available at sararu.net/runi/privacy-policy.html.

13. Contact

14. App Store Privacy Declarations

On the Apple App Store, Runi's privacy label declares "Data Not Collected." This Policy is consistent with that declaration: iCloud sync uses Apple's own service writing to your own iCloud account, which Apple's own guidance treats as user storage rather than developer collection. The Developer never receives, accesses, or processes any of the data.