1. Controller and contact

This edition of Ninefold Sudoku (“the App”) is developed and operated by Lu Liang (developer brand: Gentleflow), the controller for the practices described here. Contact gentleflowoverseas@gmail.com. We normally respond within 15 business days.

2. Scope

This policy applies only to the HarmonyOS App with bundle name tech.gentleflow.ninefold. The iOS edition has a separate policy.

3. Data handled by the App

Apart from the leaderboard you choose to join (section 3.1), the App does not collect identifiable personal information or transmit it to a developer server. No name, phone number, email, device identifier, contacts, photos, precise location, clipboard, camera, or microphone data is requested.

When you buy Premium, the transaction is completed by AppGallery in-app purchase (IAP Kit) using the HUAWEI ID already signed in on your device. Huawei processes the account, order, and payment information needed to complete the purchase and manage the subscription under its own policy. The App does not receive your HUAWEI ID profile and never handles your card number or payment credentials.

The App locally stores game progress and statistics, unfinished puzzles, preferences, the accepted-policy version, and your Premium plan and entitlement status. This information is used only to save games, show statistics, restore play, apply your settings, and remember your privacy choice. It remains in the App's private on-device storage and is not uploaded by the App.

3.1 Hell leaderboard (optional)

When: only after you tap “Join” on the leaderboard page. If you don't join, none of the following happens; you can still browse the board.

• HUAWEI ID credential: when you join and before each score upload, the App uses HUAWEI Account Kit to obtain a sign-in credential (ID token containing the user identifier Huawei issues for this App) for the HUAWEI ID signed in on the device. Only that identifier is requested — no nickname, avatar, phone number, or email. No screen appears if a HUAWEI ID is signed in; otherwise the system shows the HUAWEI ID sign-in page, which you can cancel.
• What is uploaded and stored: our cloud function verifies the credential, then derives an irreversible player number from the account identifier with a secret key and stores only that number; the credential and the raw identifier are not stored. Stored with it: best Hell score, floor reached, best combo, flawless flag, week, update time, your system region setting (two-letter code, not currently shown), and your board name.
• Board name: generated from the App's built-in word list (e.g. “Silent Raven”). You can reshuffle it but cannot type text; the server stores only word-list indices.
• Visibility: other players see your name (or a four-character code), rank, score, floor, and flawless mark — never your HUAWEI ID details.
• Purpose: keep you on the same row across devices and reinstalls, and prevent impersonation and forged scores.
• Stored on device: your player number, name indices, and this week's uploaded best, used to mark your own row and avoid duplicate uploads.

4. Permission and system capabilities

• Vibration: ohos.permission.VIBRATE provides haptic feedback according to your in-App setting.
• Network: ohos.permission.INTERNET is used by AppGallery in-app purchase (IAP Kit) to load products and prices, start payment, verify purchases, and manage subscriptions. It also loads AppUnions recommendations, icons and details and reports impressions and clicks after you open the feature, and reads the leaderboard and, after you join, uploads the data described in section 3.1. Otherwise the App uploads no game data or personal information to a developer server. Legal and contact links are handed to your system browser or mail app, which handles any later connection.

Network state permission (ohos.permission.GET_NETWORK_INFO) supports network capabilities used by recommendations and AppGallery and requires no runtime permission prompt.

5. SDKs and disclosure

AppUnions: This optional feature connects directly to AppUnions (appunion.chiyoushu.com) to recommend other independent HarmonyOS apps. Requests for this feature start only after you open its entry in Settings. Recommendation and detail requests include this App's ID and the harmonyos platform. Impressions and clicks additionally send the recommended app's ID, a locally generated and persisted random client_id (UUID), and a random event identifier for deduplication; impressions include visibility status. The client_id is not a device identifier and is not linked to your account or game progress. Clearing App data or uninstalling removes the local identifier. The service also receives connection information such as your IP address and handles received data under its own rules. No game progress, purchase records, device identifier, or HUAWEI ID is sent. There is no personalized advertising or cross-app tracking. No AppUnions SDK, banner, or interstitial is integrated. Download buttons open the system store or destination website. You can avoid this feature's transmissions by not opening it.

HUAWEI Account Kit and AppGallery Connect cloud services: the Hell leaderboard uses Account Kit to obtain the credential in section 3.1, and stores leaderboard data with AppGallery Connect Cloud Functions and Cloud DB (provided by Huawei, data processing location: China). We use these services as the developer and control the leaderboard data; Huawei processes it as the service provider under its service terms.

The App integrates AppGallery in-app purchase (IAP Kit, provided by Huawei) for Premium subscriptions, one-time purchase, restore, and subscription management. Using it transmits the information required to complete a transaction, such as product identifiers, orders, purchase tokens, and the signed-in HUAWEI ID; Huawei's own privacy statement governs that processing. Apart from that, the App contains no advertising, analytics, crash-reporting, or other third-party SDK that transmits personal information. Apart from the optional feature transmissions described above, we do not sell, rent, publicly disclose, or use personal information for cross-app tracking or personalized advertising.

The App uses HarmonyOS system storage, vibration, backup/restore, and external-link capabilities. Huawei or the device system operator may process information needed for distribution, security, backup, or diagnostics under your settings and their own policies. That platform processing is outside the App's control.

6. Storage, security, and retention

App data is protected by HarmonyOS app-private storage and sandbox controls. If system app backup is enabled, HarmonyOS may back up and restore this data under your system settings; we cannot read that backup. Local data remains until you reset it, clear App data, or uninstall the App. System backup retention is controlled through your device and Huawei services.

Leaderboard data is stored in AppGallery Connect Cloud DB (China), can be written only through our cloud function, and is encrypted in transit. Weekly rows are deleted automatically after about 8 weeks; all-time rows and names are kept while the leaderboard operates and can be deleted on request (section 7). If the leaderboard is discontinued, we delete all its data.

7. Your choices

• Review these documents anytime under Settings › About.
• Use Settings › Data › Reset progress to delete progress and gameplay statistics.
• Use Settings › Data › Withdraw privacy consent. The App closes and asks again at the next launch; withdrawal does not automatically delete local game data.
• Clear App data or uninstall to remove the App's private on-device data.
• Leaderboard: not tapping “Join” means not participating. After joining, clearing App data or uninstalling stops uploads until you tap “Join” again. To delete uploaded leaderboard records, email us with the name shown for you on the board; after verification we delete all records and the name for that player number.
• Email us to request access, correction, deletion, explanation, or to complain. Apart from leaderboard data, nothing is uploaded, so we normally hold no other server record that can be retrieved by identity.

8. Children

The App does not build advertising profiles or seek children's personal information. Children under 14 should use it with a parent or guardian. We will provide a new notice and obtain legally required guardian consent before any future processing of children's data.

9. International transfers

Leaderboard data is stored in AppGallery Connect's China data processing location and is not transferred abroad. If you open this page in a browser, GitHub Pages may process connection data under its own terms. The principal game can be used offline after the first consent.

10. Updates

We will update this policy and the AppGallery privacy declaration before changing data practices, permissions, or third-party SDKs. Material changes will be prominently disclosed, and fresh consent will be requested before processing where required.

11. Contact

Controller: Lu Liang (Gentleflow)
Email: gentleflowoverseas@gmail.com
App: Ninefold Sudoku for HarmonyOS (tech.gentleflow.ninefold)