Privacy policy

Effective from 3 November 2026

This policy explains what information Sort Storm uses, and why. It covers the Sort Storm game for iPhone and Android, and this website, sortstorm.com.

Who we are

Sort Storm is made by Gary Monger, an individual in the United Kingdom. In this policy, “we” and “us” mean Gary Monger. Under UK data protection law (the UK GDPR and the Data Protection Act 2018), he is responsible for any personal data described here.

For anything about your privacy, email support@sortstorm.com.

The game today

• Your progress (your scores, coins, characters, outfits and settings) is saved only on your phone, in the game’s own storage.
• There are no accounts, and there is nothing to sign in to.
• Nothing is sent to us. The game itself has no analytics, and it doesn’t need the internet to play. The only part that uses the internet is the optional ads, which come from Google (below).
• The game makes a random number on your phone to keep its saves together. It never leaves your phone.

Ads

The game has optional rewarded ads from Google AdMob, in three places only: a second chance when a run ends, double coins after a run, and starting a Classic run with a Shield. You choose to watch one for that reward. You never have to watch an ad to play, and there are no other ads: none while you play, no banners, and none that pop up by themselves.

• The reward comes only when an ad has been watched to the end. If you close it early, nothing changes and you can try again.
• The game asks Google for an ad only on the home screen and the results screen, never while you are playing. If no ad is available, it says so and you carry on.
• We ask Google to show only ads suitable for teenagers and older (Google’s “Teen” rating).

To show ads and to check that they work, Google (which runs AdMob) collects information from your phone, including:

• your phone’s advertising ID (on iPhone, only if you allow it);
• your IP address, which can show your rough location;
• how you interact with ads, such as which ads were shown, whether you watched them and whether you tapped them;
• basic details about your phone, such as its model and operating system, and crash and performance information about the ads.

Google uses this to show ads, to stop you seeing the same ad too often, to count views, to prevent fraud and, only if you agree, to show ads based on your interests (personalised ads). The game itself never sees or keeps any of this. We only see totals in AdMob, such as how many ads were shown and what they earned, never who watched them.

• Google’s consent message. Players in the UK and the EU see Google’s consent message when they first open the game, just after the flashing-lights warning. The game asks for no ads at all until it has been answered. If you don’t agree to personalised ads, you may still see ads, but they won’t be personalised (they are chosen from things like the game itself and your rough location).
• Apple’s question about tracking (iPhone). After your first game, your iPhone asks once whether Sort Storm may track you. The game’s message says: “Allows more relevant ads, which helps keep Sort Storm free.” If you choose Allow, Google can use your phone’s advertising ID to show more relevant ads and to measure them. If you choose Ask App Not to Track, it can’t.
• You can change your mind at any time. In the game, open Settings, then Privacy choices: in the UK and the EU it opens Google’s choices again. On iPhone, tracking is in your iPhone’s Settings, Privacy & Security, Tracking. On Android, you can reset or delete your advertising ID in your phone’s Settings, under Google (or Privacy), then Ads.

Google explains how it uses this information here: How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services.

Leaderboards and cloud saves (coming later)

A later update will add leaderboards and cloud saves through Apple Game Center (on iPhone) and Google Play Games (on Android). These are run by Apple and Google under their own privacy policies, and only work if you are signed in to them. To show the leaderboards, we receive your game name (the nickname you use there) and your scores. Cloud saves are kept by Apple or Google with your account, so your progress can move to a new phone.

Crash reports

If your phone’s settings allow it, Apple (on iPhone) and Google (on Android) may share crash reports and basic app statistics with us, to help us fix problems. They don’t tell us who you are. You can turn this off in your phone’s settings: on iPhone, in Settings, Privacy & Security, Analytics & Improvements, Share With App Developers; on Android, in your phone’s Google settings, Usage & diagnostics.

Emails to us

If you email us, we receive your email address and what you write. We use them only to answer you, and keep them only for as long as we need to help you.

This website

• sortstorm.com uses no cookies, no analytics and no trackers, and loads nothing from other websites.
• It is hosted by Cloudflare, which handles technical information such as your IP address to deliver the pages and to protect the site from attacks, under Cloudflare’s privacy policy.
• The test copy of the game on the web is only for people we invite. Signing in to it uses Cloudflare Access, which emails you a one-time code and sets a cookie to keep you signed in.

Why we’re allowed to use it

• Answering your emails: our legitimate interest in helping you.
• Personalised ads: your consent, which you can withdraw at any time.
• Showing and checking ads that aren’t personalised: our legitimate interest in paying for the game with optional ads, as set out in Google’s consent message.

Where it goes

Apple, Google and Cloudflare may handle information in other countries, including the United States, with the protections UK law requires.

Children

Sort Storm is for players aged 13 and over. It is not aimed at children under 13. If you think a child under 13 has sent us personal information, email us and we will delete it.

Your rights

Under UK data protection law you have the right to:

• ask for a copy of the personal information we hold about you;
• ask us to correct it or delete it;
• object to, or ask us to limit, how we use it;
• withdraw your consent at any time (for example, to personalised ads);
• ask for your information in a form you can take elsewhere.

To do any of these, email support@sortstorm.com. We will reply within one month.

Deleting your data

Everything the game keeps is on your phone, so uninstalling the game deletes it. The game stores nothing anywhere else. You can reset or delete your advertising ID in your phone’s settings (Google keeps ad information under its own policy, linked above); when leaderboards arrive, you can manage your Game Center and Google Play Games information through Apple and Google.

Complaints

If you are unhappy with how we handle your information, please tell us first so we can put it right. You also have the right to complain to the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), the UK’s data protection regulator: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint, or call 0303 123 1113.

Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we will update this page and the date at the top. If a change matters, such as when leaderboards arrive, we will also say so in the game’s update notes before it takes effect.