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Thumbs privacy policy

Last updated 10 November 2026

Thumbs is a collection of two-player games made by NEXTGEN SOFTWARE LTD ("we", "us"), a company registered in England and Wales. This policy explains what the Thumbs app collects, why, who handles it, and what you can do about it. We are the controller of your data. Questions go to hi@nextgensoftware.co.

The short version

  • There's no sign-up and no account. We never ask for your email, contacts, photos or location.
  • The names you give the players, the cup between them and Hangman's secret words stay on your phone. We don't have a server that stores them, and we never see them.
  • We measure how the games are played, anonymously, to make them better.
  • Ads pay for the games. They only show between matches, and they're only personalised if you allow it.
  • We don't sell your data.

What we collect and why

How the games are used

The app sends events about how the games are played: opening the app, starting and finishing matches (with the game, whether it was two players or against the bot and at which level, whether it was part of a best of 5, the result, how long it took and how many moves were made), best-of-5 series started and finished, the cup's running score (the numbers only, never the names), opening a game's rules, taps on Share, ads shown, watched to the end or failed, your tracking and ad consent choices, and, if your saved games ever fail to carry over to a new version of the app, which part didn't.

These events are tied to a random ID made when the app is first opened, not to you. Our analytics service, PostHog, also records basic device details: device model, iOS version, app version, language and time zone. It may use your IP address to estimate your country and city. We use this to understand which games are played, whether the bots are too easy or too hard, and what to fix.

Ads

Thumbs shows ads through Google AdMob: an occasional full-screen ad between matches, and an optional ad you can choose to watch to unlock the Hard bot in every game until you close the app. No ad ever shows during a match, or between the games of a best of 5. Google may collect information such as your device's advertising identifier, IP address and how you interact with ads.

  • The app doesn't ask about ads, or ask Google for any, until the first match on your phone is finished. Then it shows a short note explaining what comes next.
  • On iPhone, the app asks whether it may track you. If you don't allow it, Google is asked to show only non-personalised ads, and your advertising identifier isn't available to it.
  • In the UK, the European Economic Area and Switzerland, Google's consent form asks for your choice before any personalised ads. You can change it at any time in the app under Settings → Privacy options.
  • Ads are limited to content suitable for a general audience.

Google explains how it uses this data at policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites.

Sharing a result

When you share a result, the app makes the picture on your phone, with the final board, the players' names and the cup's score, and hands it to the iOS share sheet. We don't receive the picture or know where you sent it, only that you tapped Share, for which game and with what result.

On your phone

The players' names, the cup and every result in it, a match in progress (so it can carry on after an interruption), a best of 5 you're playing, your colours, bot levels and other choices, and your settings are stored on your phone. A Hangman word is kept only until its match ends. Nothing about your games is sent to us apart from the usage events above. Settings → Reset cup clears the cup between the two players, and all of it is removed when you delete the app.

Who handles your data

  • PostHog stores usage events, on servers in the EU.
  • Google AdMob serves ads and handles ad consent.

PostHog processes data on our behalf, under contract. Google acts under its own terms for ads. Where data leaves the UK or EU, each provider uses its own legal safeguards, such as standard contractual clauses. We don't sell your data or give it to anyone else, unless the law requires us to.

Why we're allowed to

We run game analytics because we have a legitimate interest in providing and improving the games, and it's what you'd expect from a game you chose to play. Personalised ads and tracking happen only with your consent, which you can withdraw at any time.

How long we keep it

Usage events are kept for as long as they're useful for improving the games. They carry no name or contact details, only the random ID.

Keeping it safe

Everything the app sends travels encrypted (HTTPS).

Your rights

You can ask to see the data we hold about you, to have it deleted, or to receive a copy, and you can object to how we use it. Because usage events carry only a random ID, we usually can't tell which are yours; deleting the app and installing it again gives you a new ID, and the old one is never linked to it. Email us and we'll help as far as we can, within one month.

Depending on where you live, for example California, you may have similar rights. You can stop ads personalised by tracking at any time: on your iPhone, go to Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking.

If you're in the UK, you can complain to the Information Commissioner's Office at ico.org.uk. In the EU, you can complain to your local data protection authority.

Children

Thumbs is made for a general audience and isn't directed at children under 13. We don't knowingly collect personal information from children. If you think a child has used Thumbs and have a concern, email us.

Changes

If this policy changes, we'll update this page and the date at the top.

Contact

NEXTGEN SOFTWARE LTD hi@nextgensoftware.co