FredShift Technologies

Picture Scramble

Privacy Policy

Picture Scramble is designed to work without a FredShift account or developer-operated data server. This policy explains what stays on your device and what Apple, Google, and Cloudflare may process while providing their respective services.

Effective August 7, 2026 · Last updated September 9, 2026

1. Who we are

FredShift Technologies is a U.S.-based company and the developer of Picture Scramble. In this policy, “FredShift,” “we,” and “us” refer to FredShift Technologies.

Privacy questions may be sent to privacy@fredshift.com.

2. Information stored on your device

Picture Scramble stores the following information locally on your device:

  • Photos and square crops you select for puzzles;
  • Puzzle names, missing-tile choices, order, and hidden status;
  • Current board positions, moves, peeks, elapsed time, assistance status, best scores, and solve counts;
  • App settings, music selections, thumbnail cache files, and purchase entitlement status.

FredShift does not receive this information. It remains until you delete the relevant puzzle or app data, or remove the app, subject to any device backups you control through Apple.

3. Photos and shared puzzles

Picture Scramble requests access only to photos you choose through Apple’s photo picker. It does not upload those photos to FredShift.

If you choose to share a puzzle, the app creates a playable HTML file and, for eligible user-created puzzles, a Picture Scramble import file. The app attaches those files to a message you prepare in Apple Mail. Apple Mail and the recipient’s email service then handle the message and attachments under their own privacy practices. FredShift does not receive a copy.

4. Advertising provided by Google

Unless the Remove Ads purchase is active, Picture Scramble may display banner advertisements supplied through Google AdMob and the Google Mobile Ads SDK. Google’s User Messaging Platform is used to request advertising consent where required.

Picture Scramble requests non-personalized advertising, does not request Apple’s App Tracking Transparency permission, does not make Apple’s advertising identifier (IDFA) available, and disables Google’s publisher first-party identifier. The app does not use advertising data for FredShift’s own advertising or marketing and does not operate a first-party analytics service.

When advertising is enabled

Google and participating advertising providers may collect or process the following categories while supplying, securing, and measuring banner advertisements:

  • Coarse location: an IP address may be used to estimate general location for advertising, analytics, and to determine which consent experience applies.
  • Device identifiers: app- or developer-bounded identifiers may be used for third-party ad delivery and analytics. Picture Scramble disables IDFA and Google’s publisher first-party identifier.
  • Product interactions: app launches, taps, ad interactions, or video interactions may be used to operate consent features and measure or improve advertising.
  • Advertising data: information about ads displayed and interactions with them may be used for ad delivery and reporting.
  • Crash data: non-user-related crash logs may be used to diagnose and improve Google’s SDK.
  • Performance data: information such as launch time, hangs, or energy use may be used for advertising, analytics, and operation of Google’s SDKs.
  • Other diagnostic data: technical diagnostics may be used for advertising operation, troubleshooting, and analytics.

These disclosures include Google’s third-party advertising and SDK analytics—not analytics operated by FredShift. Google may link coarse location, device identifiers, product interactions, and advertising data to a device. Crash, performance, and other diagnostic data are disclosed as not linked to the user. Picture Scramble configures these data types as not used for tracking. FredShift receives aggregated advertising reports, not information from Google that directly identifies you.

Learn more at How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services, Google’s Privacy Policy, and My Ad Center.

When Remove Ads is active

Remove Ads significantly reduces information shared with third parties. Banners disappear immediately after the purchase is recognized. On subsequent launches while the entitlement is active, Picture Scramble does not start the Google Mobile Ads SDK or User Messaging Platform and does not request or display Google advertisements. Consequently, the app does not initiate the Google advertising collection described above during those launches. Information previously collected by Google remains subject to Google’s retention and privacy practices, and a request already in progress when the purchase completes may finish.

Remove Ads does not change Picture Scramble’s local storage: puzzles, selected photos, progress, settings, and scores continue to remain on your device. Apple still processes the purchase, restoration, refund, and entitlement information described below. Cloudflare may process ordinary connection and security information when you visit the FredShift website or when Picture Scramble checks for or downloads puzzle-pack content. FredShift receives information only if you voluntarily contact us.

Where Google requires a revisitable consent choice while ads are enabled, Picture Scramble displays Advertising Privacy Choices in its Settings screen.

5. Purchases provided by Apple

Apple processes app downloads, in-app purchases, restorations, refunds, payment information, and Apple Account information. Picture Scramble uses StoreKit to determine available products and whether a purchase entitlement is active. FredShift does not receive your payment-card details or Apple Account password.

Apple may provide FredShift with transaction and sales reports. Apple handles its information according to App Store & Privacy and Apple’s Privacy Policy.

6. FredShift website and puzzle-pack delivery

This website does not currently use advertising, behavioral analytics, mailing-list forms, or nonessential cookies. It is delivered through Cloudflare, which also hosts Picture Scramble’s puzzle-pack information and downloadable pack files. Cloudflare may process IP addresses, request details, and security information necessary to deliver and protect the website and puzzle-pack content. See Cloudflare’s Privacy Policy.

Picture Scramble contacts this service to check the available puzzle-pack catalog and to download or restore packs, including when Remove Ads is active. These requests do not upload your selected photos, puzzle progress, or scores.

If you voluntarily email FredShift, we receive your email address and the information you include. We use it to respond, provide support, protect our rights, and maintain reasonable business records. We do not sell this information.

7. Children’s privacy

Picture Scramble is a general-audience app and is not directed specifically to children under 13. FredShift does not knowingly collect personal information from children—or any other app user—through a FredShift account or server. Parents and guardians can manage advertising and privacy controls on the device or use the Remove Ads purchase.

8. Your choices and deletion

  • Delete individual puzzles from within Picture Scramble.
  • Remove the app to delete its local data, subject to your Apple-managed backups.
  • Use Advertising Privacy Choices when shown in Settings.
  • Manage Apple and Google privacy or advertising choices through their respective services.
  • Contact Apple or Google directly regarding data controlled by those companies.

Because FredShift does not maintain user accounts or an app-data server, we generally have no Picture Scramble user record to access, export, or delete.

9. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as Picture Scramble, its service providers, or applicable requirements change. The revised policy will be posted here with a new “Last updated” date.

10. Contact

FredShift Technologies
U.S.-based company
privacy@fredshift.com