Privacy policy

Overview

This policy covers Doodle Golf for iPhone, iPad, and Android, the browser game, and the Daily and moderation services operated by Polished Play. Players do not need to sign in. Administrator accounts are separate.

We do not sell personal information or use advertising trackers. Information used for app analytics is separate from the per-result receipts used for Daily scoring.

What stays on your device

The app stores your holes, imported artwork, editing data, settings, course progress, ball achievements, and Daily history locally. The website stores Daily scores, pending score receipts, and hidden-hole preferences in your browser. These records do not sync between browsers, devices, and the app.

Photos are selected through the system picker. Taking photos or scanning drawings requires camera permission. The app uses the selected picture to create your hole; it does not upload your photo library. Saving, editing, or playtesting a hole does not submit it.

Daily results

When you complete a Daily for the first time, we receive its date index, your stroke count, and a random result receipt. We store that result to prevent duplicate retries and calculate the community count, average, best score, and score distribution. A receipt identifies one result, not a player account. Replays update your local personal best without adding a second community result.

Daily score requests do not include the contribution credential used for submissions and reports, or the app transaction identifier used by app analytics. Hosting providers still process network information when delivering these requests.

Holes you choose to submit

Submit for Daily opens a preview in the app. Uploading begins only after you tap Submit for review. We receive a rendered PNG of the hole, including any photo you used, its dimensions, ball and cup positions, and, for traced paths, the playable-area map needed to reproduce its walls. We also store a content hash to identify duplicate submissions and a hashed contribution credential for moderation and abuse prevention.

Submitted holes remain pending until reviewed. Approved and scheduled artwork, marker positions, and playable-area data can be delivered publicly in the app, browser, and Daily link previews. A pseudonymous creator identifier may accompany a hole so players can hide future holes from the same contributor.

Only share artwork and photos you have permission to publish. Do not include names, faces, addresses, or other private information you do not want made public. Deleting a local hole does not remove a submitted copy.

Contribution credentials, reports, and safety

For submissions and reports, the iOS app creates a random contribution credential in the device Keychain; the Android app stores one encrypted with a key protected by Android Keystore; the browser creates one in local site storage. It is sent with those requests. The server stores its hash, not the original credential. The hash lets us rate limit requests, connect submissions from the same contributor, and block abuse. It is not a verified identity. A Keychain credential may remain after the app is deleted.

A report contains the hole identifier, Daily date, reason, any details you enter, and the reporter’s credential hash. Reports and moderation decisions are available to administrators. Locally hidden holes and blocked-creator preferences stay on your device or browser. Sending a report also hides the hole locally after successful delivery; choosing Just hide does not send a report.

App usage and operational information

The iOS app sends first-launch and app-launch session events to Polished Play’s own analytics service. These events include the app and version, iOS version, device type, event time, and a session identifier. They can also include an Apple-provided app transaction identifier when available. This identifier can associate app usage with the same app acquisition; it is not your name or email address. We use this information to understand app usage and troubleshoot reliability.

The Android app does not send app-launch analytics or an Apple app transaction identifier. Its Daily scores, optional hole submissions, and reports use the shared services described above.

Our website and backend providers process network requests and may keep operational logs containing IP addresses, browser information, request times, and errors. Daily and submission records may also be used to understand usage, maintain the service, and tune challenges. We do not use third-party advertising or analytics SDKs in the game.

If you contact us, we receive your email address and whatever information you include. We use that correspondence to provide support, investigate reports, and handle removal requests.

Service providers and public sharing

We use these providers to operate Doodle Golf:

• Apple distributes the app, provides system photo/camera features, and supplies app transaction information.
• Google distributes the Android app through Google Play and provides Android system services such as the photo picker. The Android app does not include an advertising or third-party analytics SDK.
• Vercel hosts the website and associated operational services.
• Convex stores and serves Daily artwork, geometry, schedules, score receipts, aggregates, submissions, and moderation records.
• Clerk authenticates administrators. Players do not need a Clerk account.

Polished Play operates the app analytics service. Providers process information as needed to deliver their services. We do not sell or share information for advertising. Approved Daily artwork and community aggregates are public; reports, pending submissions, and support correspondence are not public listings.

When you use Share, the app or browser passes the score invitation and Daily link to the destination you choose. That destination handles the message under its own policies.

Retention and deletion

• Local progress and creations: remain until removed locally. Deleting the app or clearing browser site data can remove them. Device backups and Keychain storage are managed separately by the operating system.
• Daily receipts and aggregates: are retained for historical comparisons and duplicate-score prevention.
• Submitted artwork and geometry: are retained for moderation and Daily use, including when withdrawn from public display.
• Reports, contributor hashes, blocking and rate-limit records: are retained to review concerns and prevent abuse. A rate-limit window ending does not automatically delete its record.
• Raw iOS app analytics: have a 90-day retention window. Scheduled cleanup removes older events and older sessions that no longer contain retained events.
• Support correspondence: is retained to provide support and follow up on requests.

Other than the app analytics cleanup described above, we do not currently apply a fixed automatic deletion period to these server-side records. Hosting providers manage their own operational-log retention. Clearing local data does not delete server records or copies of public artwork already downloaded or shared by others.

Contact privacy@polishedplay.com to request removal of submitted artwork or information you sent us. Include the submission receipt, Daily date/link, or enough detail to locate it. Because there is no player account and Daily receipts are per result, we may need more information to identify the relevant records. We may retain information needed for abuse prevention or legal obligations.

Children’s privacy

On Android, uploading a hole or sending a written report requires adult setup and a parent PIN. The adult’s birth date is checked locally during setup and is not saved or transmitted. Only a salted PIN verifier and sharing-control settings are stored on the device. An adult can disable online sharing in Settings. Local drawing and play, reporting without written details, and hiding a hole remain available. The first completed Daily score is still sent for the anonymous community comparison.

Doodle Golf can be played without entering personal details. A photo or report can still contain personal information. Parents and guardians should help children choose what to submit. If a child’s personal information appears in submitted artwork or a message, contact us so we can investigate and remove it.

Security and policy changes

App, website, and backend requests use encrypted HTTPS connections. Administrative tools require authenticated administrator access. We may update this policy as the app changes and will update the effective date on this page.

Contact us

For privacy questions or removal requests, email privacy@polishedplay.com. For instructions on playing, creating, or reporting a hole, see Help & support.