Privacy Policy
Gotcha — last updated October 20, 2026. Published by VR Holding.
Gotcha is a party game where your friends bet on what you will answer, played one on one or in a group of up to 10. This policy explains what data the app handles and why. Short version: Gotcha works without an account, we collect as little as possible, we never sell your data, and ad measurement only happens if you allow it.
What stays on your phone
- Your profile — first name and photo. They stay on your device, except in the cases described below.
- Your game history — past games, scores and what you learned about your friends.
- Your settings — language, night or day mode, number of free games played.
What leaves your phone, and why
- Your photo. When you keep a photo, it is uploaded to our storage (Google Firebase) under a random identifier, so the other players can see the face they bet on. It is replaced when you change it and deleted on request.
- Playing a game. Your first name, photo, answers, bets and score go through our game server so the other players can see them during the game. Game sessions are not stored after the game ends. Free-text answers are only shown to the 2 to 10 people who joined that game with its code.
- Invitation links. While a lobby is open, its link (gotchaa.app/j/…) shows the first names and photos of the players already in it, so a friend knows who is waiting. Anyone with the link can see it. The preview disappears with the lobby.
- Friends nearby (iPhone). In a lobby, your phone broadcasts the game code and your first name over Bluetooth so friends in the same room can join without typing. Nothing is sent to our servers for this, and it only works if you allow Bluetooth.
- Notifications (only if you allow them). Your device’s notification token is kept in memory by the game server for the duration of a game, only to call you back if you leave. It is never stored.
- Purchases. Subscriptions are processed by Apple (App Store) or Google (Google Play). RevenueCat checks your subscription status. We never see your payment details.
- Usage data. Events such as “game started”, “offer viewed” or “subscription started”, with a random identifier generated on your phone, your platform, app version, language, country (from your phone’s locale), subscription status and the first name you typed. We use them only to understand how the app is used and improve it.
- Ad measurement. The TikTok Business SDK tells us whether one of our ads brought you to the app and whether it led to a trial or a subscription. On iPhone it only reads the advertising identifier if you tap “Allow” when iOS asks (“Allow Gotcha to track your activity…”). If you don’t, nothing is tracked across apps. On Android it may read the Google advertising ID, which you can reset in your phone’s settings.
- Feedback. If you write to us from the end of a game, we receive your message, your first name, the app version and the random identifier of your app.
- Sharing a story. The image is created on your phone; it only goes to Instagram or your photo library when you choose to.
Who processes this data for us
| Service | What for |
|---|---|
| Colyseus Cloud (Paris) | Game server, live games, invitation previews |
| Google Firebase | Player photos |
| Vercel, Supabase | gotchaa.app, usage events, feedback messages, question bank |
| Expo (EAS) | Delivering notifications and app updates |
| RevenueCat | Subscription status |
| TikTok | Ad measurement, only with your permission |
What we don’t do
- No selling of personal data, to anyone, ever.
- No third-party ads inside the app.
- No access to your contacts, microphone or location. The camera and photo library are only used when you choose your own photo.
Retention and deletion
Game sessions: not kept after the game. Lobby previews: gone with the lobby. Photos: until you replace them or ask us. Usage events and feedback: 24 months. Everything on your phone is removed when you delete the app. You can ask us to delete your data at any time by e-mail; we do it within 30 days.
If you are in the European Union or the United Kingdom, you have the right to access, correct and delete your data, and to object to its processing; you can also complain to your data protection authority. The legal bases are the performance of the service you ask for (games, invitations, notifications, subscription), your consent (ad measurement) and our legitimate interest (usage data, diagnostics).
Children
Gotcha is intended for adults. Some question decks contain mature themes. It is not directed at children.
Contact
Questions or deletion requests: hello@gotchaa.app