Mhele Privacy Policy

Information We Store On Your Device

Mhele stores gameplay information locally so the game can remember your settings and progress. This may include:

• Game settings such as sound, haptics, motion, board selection, and token selection.
• Gameplay progress such as achievements, unlocked villages, unlocked boards, unlocked tokens, and collection choices.
• Match statistics and local match history, such as wins, losses, draws, captures, and difficulty progress.
• Optional player names entered for local, Bluetooth, or online match setup.

This local game data is stored using Android app storage on your device. It is not uploaded to Kemlow by the current offline app.

Bluetooth Play

Mhele may use Bluetooth so two nearby devices can connect for a local multiplayer match. Bluetooth is used only to discover or connect to a nearby paired device and exchange game messages needed for the match, such as moves, rematch requests, and resign events.

Bluetooth match data is exchanged directly between the participating devices. Mhele does not send Bluetooth device names, Bluetooth addresses, or Bluetooth match data to Kemlow.

Online Play

Mhele offers optional online multiplayer so you can host, join, or quick-match a live game with another player over the internet. Online play is powered by Google Firebase (Firebase Realtime Database and Firebase Anonymous Authentication). You only use it when you choose an online mode; every other part of the game works fully offline without it.

When you start online play, Mhele signs you in to Firebase anonymously. This creates a temporary, randomly generated player ID for your session. It is not a real account and does not use or collect your email address, phone number, or real name.

While you are in an online match, Mhele exchanges the limited data needed to run that match through Firebase Realtime Database, including: a room code, your temporary anonymous player ID, the game name (a nickname you choose — not your real name), moves, undo/takeback requests, resign and rematch events, and connection status. To personalise the lobby and match, Mhele also shares a small player profile with your opponent: a chosen avatar (a cosmetic in-game emblem), your in-app level, and a coarse country/region. This region is derived from your device's language/region settings — not from GPS or any location permission — and you can override or change it. Your opponent can see your game name, profile, and your moves, as expected in a multiplayer match. The game does not include a chat feature.

When you use Quick Match, Mhele briefly places your nickname, anonymous player ID, and a room code into a temporary matchmaking queue so another waiting player can be paired with you. This entry is transient and is removed once a match is formed or you leave.

If your match uses a coin stake ("winner takes the pot"), the chosen stake amount is shared so both devices apply the same wager. In-app coins are a virtual currency with no real-world value and no cash-out; this is a game feature, not gambling.

This data is used only to operate the live match. The room and its messages are deleted when the match ends or the players leave, and are not used for advertising or profiling. Firebase (Google) processes this data on our behalf as our service provider under Google's Privacy Policy; traffic is encrypted in transit.

Google Play Games Services

Mhele uses Google Play Games Services to offer optional achievements and leaderboards. If you choose to sign in, Google Play Games Services processes the following on our behalf so the feature can work:

• Play Games user ID — your Play Games player identifier, used to associate your achievements and leaderboard scores with your profile.
• Gameplay activity — achievement unlocks and leaderboard scores (such as total wins, mills formed, pieces captured, and win streaks) earned in the game.
• Device or other identifiers — used by Google Play services to deliver Play Games Services.

This data is sent to Google over a secure (HTTPS) connection. Google acts as our service provider for Play Games Services and also handles this data under Google's Privacy Policy. Sign-in is optional — if you do not sign in, no achievement or leaderboard data is sent, and you can still play every offline and Bluetooth mode. We do not use this data for advertising and we do not sell it.

Advertising

The free version of Mhele shows ads through Google AdMob. To serve ads, AdMob may collect and use your device's advertising ID, app interactions with ads, coarse (approximate) location derived from your IP address, and standard device information. AdMob is provided by Google and processes this data under Google's Privacy Policy; see also how Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services.

You can opt out of personalized ads or reset your advertising ID in your Android settings (Settings → Privacy / Google → Ads). Premium (Remove Ads) turns off all ads in the app.

Analytics

Mhele uses Google Analytics for Firebase to understand how the game is used (for example which screens and features are opened) so we can fix problems and improve it. This may include app interaction events, a Firebase-assigned installation/analytics identifier, and general device and coarse-location information. Analytics data is processed by Google as our service provider and is not used to identify you personally or sold.

In-App Purchases

Mhele offers optional purchases through Google Play Billing: a one-time Remove Ads lifetime unlock, a VIP / All-Access subscription (monthly or yearly), and consumable coin packs. Payments are handled entirely by Google Play — Mhele never sees or stores your card or payment details. Google Play provides us with your purchase status so we can unlock what you bought, grant your VIP benefits, and credit purchased coins. In-app coins are a virtual currency used only inside the game; they have no real-world value and cannot be cashed out or transferred. Purchases are governed by Google Play's terms and privacy policy.

Permissions

What We Do Not Collect

Mhele does not collect your precise (GPS) location, contacts, photos, videos, audio recordings, health information, email address, or phone number. Payments are processed by Google Play — we never see or store your card or bank details.

Sharing

We never sell your personal information, and we do not share it with data brokers or social networks.

We do share limited data with Google, which acts as our service provider, so specific features can work: Google AdMob (to show ads in the free version), Google Analytics for Firebase (app usage analytics), Firebase (online multiplayer), Google Play Games Services (optional achievements and leaderboards), and Google Play Billing (purchases). These providers process data under Google's Privacy Policy to deliver those features — never for us to profile or sell you.

The only company that processes the limited data described above is Google, acting as our service provider for Google Play Games Services (achievements and leaderboards) and Firebase (online multiplayer). Bluetooth match messages are exchanged directly between the two players. Online match messages pass through Firebase only to deliver the live match, never for advertising or profiling.

Android Backup

Mhele currently allows Android backup. If backup is enabled on your device, Android may back up and restore app data according to your device and Google account backup settings. This can help restore local progress after reinstalling the app, but it is controlled by Android backup settings rather than a Mhele account.

Data Retention and Deletion

Local game data remains on your device until you delete it. You can remove local Mhele data by clearing the app's storage in Android settings or uninstalling the app. If Android backup restores app data after reinstall, you can clear the restored data from Android settings.

For Google Play Games Services data (your achievements and leaderboard scores), you can delete or reset your Play Games data at any time from the Google Play Games app or your Google Account, and you can request deletion of data associated with Mhele by emailing teraflopspeedapps@gmail.com. You do not need to delete your entire Google Account to do this.

For online multiplayer, live room data in Firebase (room code, anonymous player ID, game name, and match messages) is kept only as long as needed to operate the match. The room is deleted when the match ends or the players leave. Because online sign-in is anonymous, there is no online account profile to delete; you can request deletion of any data associated with Mhele by emailing teraflopspeedapps@gmail.com.

Children

Mhele is a general-audience board game. The app does not knowingly ask children to provide personal information, create public profiles, or publish user-generated content. If a parent or guardian believes a child has provided personal information through Mhele, please contact us so we can review and respond.

Security

We use reasonable safeguards appropriate for a lightweight game app. Online multiplayer runs over Google Firebase, and all online match traffic is encrypted in transit. Purchases are processed by Google Play, and we never receive or store your payment details.

Changes To This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when Mhele adds features, changes how multiplayer works, or updates data practices. The updated policy will show a new "Last updated" date.