Mobile Game Privacy Policy — Required by Apple App Store and Google Play

You cannot publish a mobile game on the App Store or Google Play without a privacy policy. This was always true for apps that collected user data, but as of recent updates, both stores require a policy for every game and app — even ones that "don't collect anything."

The reason: even minimal SDKs (ads, crash reporting, analytics) collect device-level data that triggers privacy obligations. You may not be intentionally collecting user data, but the third-party libraries you compile in are doing it on your behalf.

What Mobile Games Actually Collect

Even a "simple" indie game typically includes:

• Device identifiers (IDFA on iOS, AAID on Android) used for ads
• IP address (logged by ad networks and backend services)
• Device info (model, OS version, screen size, language)
• Crash reports via Crashlytics or Sentry
• Game analytics via Unity Analytics, GameAnalytics, Firebase
• Ad impressions and clicks via AdMob, Unity Ads, ironSource, AppLovin
• Purchase data via App Store / Play Store (if you have IAPs)
• Player ID if you have leaderboards or saves

Each SDK comes with its own data flow. Your privacy policy must mention them.

How to Generate a Mobile Game Privacy Policy

1. Open the privacy policy generator
2. Enter your game/studio name
3. Enter your studio website URL (or use your itch.io / Google Play / App Store listing URL if no website)
4. Enter a contact email (must be reachable — both stores will use it for compliance contact)
5. Check data types: IP Address, Device Info, Usage Data. Add Cookies if you have a website. Add Payment Information if you have IAPs.
6. Add third-party services: Google Analytics (if used), or list ad networks in a custom paragraph after generation
7. Enable GDPR (mobile games are global)
8. Enable COPPA (Children's Online Privacy) if your game targets or appeals to children
9. Generate, host on a public URL, paste URL into both store dashboards

Apple App Store Specific Requirements

Apple requires you to fill out the App Privacy section in App Store Connect, which asks specific questions about what data your app collects and how it is used. Your privacy policy must align with these answers.

Apple's data categories include:

• Contact Info (name, email, phone)
• Health & Fitness
• Financial Info
• Location
• Sensitive Info
• Contacts
• User Content (photos, videos, gameplay)
• Browsing History
• Search History
• Identifiers (Device ID, User ID)
• Purchases
• Usage Data
• Diagnostics

For each category you use, you must specify the purpose (Analytics, Product Personalization, App Functionality, Advertising, etc.) and whether the data is linked to the user or used for tracking.

Google Play Specific Requirements

Google Play has a similar Data Safety section with overlapping but slightly different categories. Both stores increasingly enforce that your privacy policy and store disclosures must match. Discrepancies can lead to suspension.

Where to Host the Privacy Policy URL

You need a publicly accessible URL. Options:

Host	Cost	Setup	Best for
Free static host (GitHub Pages, Netlify)	Free	15 min	Indie devs
Carrd	Free tier	5 min	Single page
Your studio website	-	-	Established devs
Cloudflare Pages	Free	10 min	Fast global CDN
itch.io page	Free	5 min	Devs already on itch

The URL must remain accessible. If your hosting expires or the URL breaks, both stores will flag your app for review.

COPPA Compliance for Kids' Games

If your game targets children under 13 (rated 4+, kid-friendly themes, etc.), COPPA applies and adds strict requirements:

• You cannot collect personal information from children without verifiable parental consent
• You cannot use behavioral advertising (only contextual ads)
• You must use COPPA-compliant ad SDKs (some networks have kid-safe modes)
• You must allow parents to review and delete their child's data
• You must provide a clear notice of your data practices in plain language

Enable the COPPA flag in the privacy policy generator to include the required language. Also enable "kid-safe" mode in your ad SDKs (AdMob has "Tag for child-directed treatment" and Unity Ads has similar settings).

SDK List — Things to Mention in the Policy

Common SDKs and what they collect:

SDK	What it collects	Mention in policy
AdMob	IDFA/AAID, IP, ad interactions	Yes - "AdMob for ads"
Unity Ads	Device ID, IP, engagement	Yes
ironSource	Device ID, IP, ad data	Yes
AppLovin MAX	Device ID, ad metrics	Yes
Firebase Analytics	User properties, events, install source	Yes
Crashlytics	Crash data, device info	Yes
Unity Analytics	Event data, sessions	Yes
GameAnalytics	Player behavior, retention	Yes

For each SDK you ship, name it in the privacy policy and link to the SDK provider's own privacy policy.

Common Mobile Game Compliance Mistakes

1. "My game doesn't collect anything" — but it has ad SDKs. Ads = data collection. Always.
2. Privacy policy URL returns 404. Apple and Google check this. Make sure it works.
3. Game targets kids but doesn't enable COPPA mode in ad SDKs. Major violation.
4. App Store privacy answers don't match the privacy policy text. Both stores cross-check.
5. No link to the policy from inside the app. Best practice: include a "Privacy Policy" button in the settings menu linking to your hosted policy.

The 30-Minute Compliance Setup

1. Generate privacy policy with the free tool (5 min)
2. Host it on a free static page (15 min)
3. Add the URL to Apple App Store Connect and Google Play Console (5 min each)
4. Add a Privacy Policy button to your in-game settings menu

Done. Your game is store-compliant.