Effective May 26, 2026 · Last updated May 26, 2026
The short version
No accounts. No sign-up, no email, no password — you just pick a name and play.
No ads, no trackers, no data sales. We don't use advertising or third-party tracking SDKs, and we never sell your information.
We keep an anonymous, random ID on your device so we can keep the game safe and understand how it's used — it isn't linked to your real identity.
The names, prompts, guesses, and drawings you create are shared with the other players in your game.
Pictaphone (“Pictaphone,” “we,” “us”) is a multiplayer telephone-style drawing game. This policy explains what information the Pictaphone iOS app and web game collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. By playing, you agree to this policy.
Information we collect
Things you create while playing
Display name: the name you choose when you join a game. It's shown to the other players in that game.
Game content: the prompts you write, the guesses you make, and the drawings you draw. This content is shown to the other players in your game as part of normal gameplay, and selected drawings may appear in an in-app “recent creations” gallery visible to other players.
An anonymous device identifier
The first time you open Pictaphone, the app generates a random identifier and stores it on your device (in browser local storage on the web, and in app preferences on iOS). It is not an account, contains no personal information, is never shown to other players, and is not used for advertising or cross-app tracking. We use it only to (1) keep the game safe — for example, to block a device that repeatedly posts abusive content — and (2) count distinct players for the anonymous usage statistics described below.
Anonymous usage analytics
To understand how the game is doing, we record basic, non-identifying events: that a session started, that a game was started or completed, the number of players in a game, your client type web or iOS, and a timestamp. These events are associated with the anonymous device identifier (not with you personally) and are aggregated into counts such as daily/weekly/monthly active players and retention. We do not use any third-party analytics service for this — it runs on our own server.
Technical and connection data
IP address: processed temporarily to operate the service and to rate-limit abuse. It may also appear in standard, short-lived server logs. We don't use it to build a profile of you.
Client type: whether you're on the web or the iOS app.
Content reports
If you report content as inappropriate, we record the report, a copy of the reported content, and the reporting and authoring devices' anonymous identifiers so we can review it and take action.
What we don't collect
We do not ask for or collect your real name, email address, phone number, password, precise location, contacts, photo library, or any advertising identifier. The iOS app does not track you across other apps or websites.
How we use information
To run the game and show your creations to the other players in your game.
To keep the game safe — automated filtering of names and text for slurs/profanity, plus review and blocking of reported content and the devices behind it.
To understand overall usage through the anonymous, aggregated analytics above.
To protect the service against abuse, spam, and overload (rate limiting).
How information is shared
With other players: your display name and the content you create are visible to the other players in your game (and, for selected drawings, in the in-app gallery).
Service providers: we host the game on Render (servers located in the United States), which processes data on our behalf.
Legal reasons: we may disclose information if required by law or to protect the safety, rights, or property of players or the public.
We do not sell or rent your information, and we don't share it with advertisers.
Data retention
Active game rooms are deleted automatically after a period of inactivity. Completed games and analytics events are kept only up to fixed, capped limits and the oldest are deleted automatically as new ones arrive. Records related to safety (reports and blocked devices) may be kept longer so that moderation remains effective.
Security
Connections to Pictaphone are encrypted in transit (HTTPS/secure WebSockets). No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we take reasonable measures to protect the limited information we hold.
Children's privacy
Pictaphone is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. Because the game includes player-created drawings and text, parents should consider whether it's appropriate for their child. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact us and we'll remove it.
Your choices and rights
Reset your identifier: because the device identifier is stored locally and isn't tied to your identity, you can clear it at any time by deleting the iOS app (or clearing your browser's storage for the web game). A new random identifier is generated next time.
Requests: depending on where you live, you may have rights to access or delete personal information. Since we don't maintain accounts, please email us and we'll do our best to help; note that fully anonymous data may not be linkable back to you.
International users
Pictaphone is operated from, and its data is processed and stored in, the United States. By using the game you understand your information will be processed there.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy from time to time. We'll revise the “Last updated” date above, and significant changes will be reflected here.