Privacy Policy
Teacup Tally
This policy explains how this application handles information and how to contact us about privacy.
Information we process
Teacup Tally stores your level progress, earned stamps, current table, moves, pending daily results and preferences locally on your iPhone. A private random installation secret is stored in the iOS Keychain when a server result is first sent or deleted. The server stores a SHA-256 hash of that secret and its creation time, plus each submitted daily tasting date, win or loss, move count and completion time. It receives the move sequence to verify a result but does not store that sequence. Fetching a daily tasting sends an ordinary HTTPS request. Railway and its network infrastructure receive request information such as IP addresses, requested paths, timestamps and technical connection information. The application uses connection addresses temporarily in memory for rate limiting and does not write them into its database. No name, email address, password, precise location, advertising identifier or contacts are requested. The public contact email is not a registration or email-delivery system.
How we use information
Local storage lets you resume a paused game, undo moves, retain stamps and keep preferences. The daily service provides a deterministic puzzle for the current UTC date. Installation authorization keeps results separate between installations, verifies submissions and enables deletion of your own results. Stored daily results support anonymous game-result statistics; there is no public leaderboard or advertising profile. Technical request information supports delivery, reliability, security and abuse prevention. Optional local reminders are scheduled by iOS on your device; the app does not use a push-notification server.
Service providers and sharing
The backend and PostgreSQL database are hosted on Railway. Railway and its infrastructure providers process network requests, service logs and stored data as needed to operate that hosting. Server application error logs contain request identifiers and technical error codes, not authorization headers or submitted move sequences. The app contains no third-party advertising, analytics, social-sign-in or tracking SDK. Data is not sold. Information may be disclosed where necessary to comply with a valid legal obligation. Opening this public website also sends standard request information to the hosting infrastructure.
Data retention
Local progress remains until you reset it in Settings or remove the app, subject to any device backups you control. Keychain storage can remain after an app is removed; this device-only secret is not intended for transfer to another device. Daily results remain in the server database until you use the deletion control or the service removes them; no automatic retention period is currently configured. The installation hash and its creation time remain after result deletion so the installation can continue to use the service. Public daily puzzle content is retained independently from player results. We do not promise a fixed retention duration for Railway infrastructure logs or provider backups. Backup copies, if maintained by the hosting infrastructure, may remain until that provider removes or replaces them and are not directly edited by the app deletion operation.
Deleting your information
Use Settings → Delete my server tasting results to delete every active database result authorized by your installation secret. A successful response is shown only after the server confirms deletion. That operation clears queued submissions on the device but retains local game progress and the installation authorization hash. Use Reset local progress to clear local levels, stamps, the current table and queued results; it does not delete already submitted server results or reset preferences. Delete server results before losing access to the installation secret. We cannot recover or locate your private results from a name or email address if that secret is lost. You can remove the app and manage device backups separately. Contact lenoramurdock91@icloud.com for privacy questions or requests, without sending your secret.
Permissions and your choices
The only optional permission requested by the app is local notifications, and only when you enable the daily reminder in Settings. You can disable the reminder in the app or withdraw notification permission in iPhone Settings at any time. The game remains playable without notifications or an internet connection; an offline tasting is clearly labelled. The app does not request location, camera, microphone, photos, contacts or tracking permission. Music and sound are played locally and can be disabled in the app.
Your privacy rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete or restrict processing of your data, object to processing or complain to a relevant privacy authority. You can directly delete your installation results and reset local progress from Settings. For other privacy requests, contact lenoramurdock91@icloud.com. We may need information sufficient to identify the relevant data while avoiding disclosure of your installation secret. No user account is required to play or exercise the in-app deletion control.
Security
The app uses HTTPS for server communication, stores the private installation secret in the device-only iOS Keychain and authorizes result access on the server using its cryptographic hash. Database credentials stay on the server. Input validation, bounded request sizes, rate limiting and result replay checks reduce misuse. Local game files use the protections provided by iOS. No network or storage system can be guaranteed completely secure. Protect your device and never share the installation secret; losing it means associated server results cannot be recovered through an account.
Children’s privacy
Teacup Tally is a quiet puzzle intended for a general audience of older teens and adults and is not directed to children under 13. It does not ask for age or personal profile information. If you believe a child has supplied personal information through the service, contact lenoramurdock91@icloud.com so the concern can be reviewed.
Changes to this policy
This policy describes the processing implemented in the current app and service. Changes will be published on this page with an updated effective date. Review the policy when you update the app or before using a changed service. Material changes will be described here. Privacy questions can be sent to lenoramurdock91@icloud.com.