Privacy policy

Last updated: 6 November 2026. This describes the PixelChess app and the server it talks to, as they are built today. If this changes, this page changes first.

In short. No ads. No tracking. No analytics. No third-party SDKs. The app only stores what it needs to run online games, ratings and game backups, tied to a random anonymous ID rather than to your name or email.

Who we are

PixelChess is made by an independent developer. Contact: [email protected].

What stays on your device

Your settings: board theme, 2D or 3D board, display level, computer level, and similar preferences.
The game in progress, so the app can offer to resume it.
Your anonymous player ID and its secret key, kept so the same device is recognised by the server.

What the PixelChess server stores

Online features and game backups use a small service we run on Cloudflare (Workers and Durable Objects). It stores:

An anonymous player ID and a secret used to prove it is you. It is random. It is not linked to your Apple ID, email or phone number, and there is no sign-up.
A display name, only if you enter one (up to 24 characters). It is shown to opponents and on the leaderboard. Do not use your real name if you prefer not to.
Saved games: the move list, clocks, mode and computer level of Computer, Pass and play and Table games that the app backs up so they can be restored. Each is limited in size and only the newest ones are kept.
Ratings and results: your Elo rating, record (wins, draws, losses), peak rating and a short history of recent ranked games, including opponents' display names and ratings.
Online games: the moves, clocks and result of games played with a friend code or through matchmaking, and a temporary entry while you wait in the matchmaking queue.

The service applies rate limits per network address to prevent abuse. Cloudflare, as our hosting provider, processes network addresses to deliver and protect the service, as any web host does. We do not use them to identify you, and we do not build advertising profiles.

What is not collected

No advertising, no advertising ID, no ad networks.
No analytics or crash-reporting SDKs, and no trackers on this website either: the website sets no cookies and loads nothing from other companies.
No location, contacts, photos or microphone.

Nearby play

Nearby games connect two devices directly over Bluetooth or peer-to-peer Wi-Fi. They do not go through our server. iOS asks permission for local network access first.

Camera

The app includes a small on-device test that can start the camera at low resolution to find out whether it affects the phone's outer display. It does nothing with the frames: nothing is recorded, stored or sent anywhere. The camera is off unless you start that test and allow access. Camera features for following a physical board are planned but not available.

Purchases

PixelChess Pro is bought through the App Store. Apple handles the payment and tells the app whether you own Pro. We do not receive your payment details.

Your choices

You can play the computer, pass and play, and Nearby games without using any online feature.
To ask what is stored for your anonymous player ID, or to have it and its saved games and rating deleted, write to the contact address above with your player ID. Deleting the app removes the data on your device but not the server copy.

Children

PixelChess does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone. It asks for no email, birthday or real name. Online play lets players choose a display name and play strangers in ranked matchmaking; a dedicated kid-safe mode does not exist yet.

This website

This website is static pages. It sets no cookies, runs no analytics and loads no third-party scripts, fonts or images. Our host, Cloudflare, may keep standard server logs for security and operation.

Changes

If we change what is collected, we will update this page and its date before the change ships.