Privacy Policy
Short version: Idle Archaeologist is a single-player idle game. Your save lives on your device. The third-party services we use are limited to what is necessary to run a free, ad-supported, crash-reported mobile game: Google AdMob (ads), RevenueCat (purchase management), Firebase (crash reports, anonymous analytics, remote tuning), and the platform stores (Apple, Google) for payments.
The game keeps your save state — sites, dig progress, artifacts, museum displays, gold, gems, prestige, settings — in a local database on your device. This data lives only on the device and is never uploaded to our servers. From Settings → Backup you can manually export your save as a file (e.g. to share with yourself via email or a cloud-storage app) and import it back later; that file goes only where you send it.
The app generates anonymous installation identifiers used by Firebase, AdMob, and RevenueCat to attribute crash reports, anonymous analytics events, ad delivery, and purchase eligibility to the same install. These identifiers are not tied to your name, email, or phone number.
Purchases (gem packs, "Quiet Museum" no-ads, Patron Pass subscription, cosmetic bundles) are processed by Apple (App Store) or Google (Play Store) under their respective privacy policies. We never see your payment card, billing address, or Apple/Google account email.
To honour Restore Purchases across reinstalls and to verify subscription status, the game uses RevenueCat as a purchase-management service. RevenueCat receives an anonymous app-installation identifier plus the purchase metadata that the platform store sends — product ID, transaction ID, country, currency. RevenueCat acts as our service provider and does not use this data to advertise to you or to track you across other apps.
Idle Archaeologist shows ads from Google AdMob: optional rewarded videos that grant in-game bonuses, and short interstitials at session-close and era-unlock transitions. Players who own the "Quiet Museum" no-ads upgrade or an active Patron Pass subscription do not see interstitials.
AdMob may request the device's advertising identifier (IDFA on iOS, AAID on Android) and basic ad-targeting signals. On iOS, we ask via Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt before this identifier is read; if you decline, ads still serve but are non-personalised. In the EEA / UK, a Google UMP consent dialog runs before the first ad request and lets you choose between personalised and non-personalised ads.
The app uses Firebase Crashlytics to receive crash reports and Firebase Analytics for anonymous, aggregated gameplay metrics (session count, key milestone events). Neither tool collects your name, email, or location. We use Firebase Remote Config to tune game balance without an app update. Re-engagement reminders ("your dig site is full", "an artifact finished restoring") are local notifications scheduled by the app on your device — they are not sent from any server, and disabling notifications in your OS settings or in Settings → Notifications stops them entirely.
Each service receives only what it needs to function. Each has its own privacy policy that governs the data it sees.
Idle Archaeologist is intended for general audiences age 13 and over (16 and over in the EEA / UK). It is not child-directed. The Game does not knowingly collect personal information from children under those ages. Where required by regional law, AdMob and Firebase are configured to apply additional restrictions for users we have reason to believe are under 13 (e.g. non-personalised ads). Purchases require the device's standard parental-approval mechanism. If you are a parent or guardian and believe your child has provided personal information without your consent, please contact us at the address above and we will remove it.
You can clear all on-device data at any time by uninstalling the app. Because we do not hold any cloud copy of your save, uninstalling is a complete deletion. Under GDPR / UK GDPR / CCPA / CPRA, you also have the right to ask what data we hold about you and to request access, correction, deletion, or export. Submit requests to the contact address below.
For users in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, and other GDPR-aligned regions, the legal bases under Article 6 GDPR are:
You can withdraw consent at any time from your device's Settings (notifications, ATT) or from the in-app Settings screen, without affecting processing that already happened.
California residents have the right to know what personal information we and our service providers collect, to request access, correction, deletion, and portability, and to be free from discrimination for exercising these rights. We do not sell personal information for money.
To opt out of cross-context behavioural advertising via Google AdMob: on iOS, decline the App Tracking Transparency prompt or change your choice under Settings → Privacy & Security → Tracking; on Android, enable "Delete advertising ID" under Settings → Privacy → Ads. Both options leave the Game fully playable; only ad personalisation is affected. To submit a verifiable consumer request, email the contact address below.
On-device data is retained until you uninstall the app. RevenueCat retains purchase records for as long as needed to honour Restore Purchases and to meet tax / audit obligations.
Purchases are processed on Apple and Google infrastructure worldwide. Firebase and AdMob run on Google's worldwide infrastructure. RevenueCat operates in the United States. Each provider publishes its sub-processors and processing locations.
Network traffic between the app and our service providers is encrypted in transit (HTTPS / TLS). Despite reasonable safeguards, no system is perfectly secure; please report any suspected vulnerability to the contact address above.
If material changes are made, the "Effective date" above will be updated and a notice will be posted on this page. Minor clarifications may be made at any time.
Questions, requests, or concerns: m.gokhanoguz2@gmail.com.