Niche Games & Apps

Companion Cat privacy policy

Effective date: October 19, 2026.

Publisher responsible for Companion Cat: Niche Games & Apps. Privacy questions and requests: nichegamesapps@gmail.com.

This policy covers the Android app Companion Cat (dev.nichegamesapps.companioncat). You do not need a Companion Cat account. We do not operate an app analytics, tracking, or crash-reporting backend. However, the app integrates Google AdMob, Google's User Messaging Platform (UMP), and Google Play Billing. These services process data as explained below; the app is not free of third-party data collection.

Information kept on your device

Companion Cat saves your preferences, theme, setup completion, selected sprite pack, pet position and activity, enabled/pause/hidden status, and verified ad-removal status in private app storage. Local diagnostic messages and the last manual-start time may also be saved to support the pet's operation. These records are used to apply your choices and maintain or restore the pet; the app does not send them to a developer-operated server.

When you import a sprite pack, Android's system file picker gives access to the file or folder you select. Companion Cat copies it into private storage for local validation and playback. It does not upload the pack, modify your originals, or request general access to all your files. If you choose a cloud-backed file provider in Android's picker, that provider handles downloading the source file under its own terms.

The app disables Android cloud backup and supplies backup/device-transfer rules excluding its private app directory. We do not provide cloud synchronization of settings or imported packs. Google Play purchase restoration, described below, is separate from a backup of your local app data.

Google advertising and privacy choices

The free version uses Google's Mobile Ads SDK to request and show a bottom banner inside the app and occasional fullscreen interstitials when you explicitly start the cat. Ads never appear in the floating pet window above other apps. A fullscreen ad is shown only if one is available and eligible; if it is not, the cat can start without waiting for an ad. The six-hour fullscreen cooldown is held in process memory and resets when that process restarts.

Companion Cat applies Google's child-directed ad treatment and maximum G ad-content rating to everyone, without asking for a date of birth or offering an adult ad mode. This disables interest-based advertising and remarketing for these requests. The app also removes Android advertising-ID and Android AdServices advertising, attribution, and Topics permissions from its manifest.

Google's SDK can still collect and share information, including:

Google uses this information for advertising, measurement/analytics, and fraud prevention. Child-directed treatment restricts processing; it does not mean that Google receives no data. Google states that the Mobile Ads SDK encrypts transmitted user data using TLS. These practices are described in Google's Mobile Ads SDK disclosure and how Google uses information from apps using its services.

Companion Cat does not use app set ID for personalized advertising or advertising measurement, or link it to other identifiers or personal data for advertising. Google restricts app set ID to essential non-advertising purposes, such as analytics and fraud prevention.

UMP contacts Google to check applicable privacy requirements. Companion Cat always sets UMP's separate under-age-of-consent flag; Google documents that this prevents UMP from asking the user for consent. The app does not ask children to consent to personalized advertising. Release builds wait for UMP to allow ad requests before initializing the ads SDK or requesting ads. If UMP requires a privacy-options entry point, "Ad privacy options" appears in the app. These restrictions apply to all users; they do not depend on a user-selected age or an advertising consent choice.

For consent-based processing, you may withdraw consent without affecting processing that occurred before withdrawal. Google's own legal grounds, recipients, retention, and international processing are explained in Google's privacy policy.

Purchases and permanent ad removal

The optional Ad Removal upgrade is a one-time purchase through Google Play Billing. Google handles checkout, payment details, and your Google Play account. The app does not receive your card details or ask you to provide a Google password.

To provide the upgrade, the app receives purchase records from Google Play, verifies signed purchase information on-device, and sends purchase acknowledgments to Google Play. This includes processing product identifiers, purchase tokens, purchase state, and signatures. We do not send receipts to a developer-operated purchase server. Only the verified ownership flag is saved by Companion Cat for offline use; Google Play maintains the account's purchase record.

Once ownership is verified, Companion Cat stops requesting and showing ads. It continues to use Google Play to check and restore ownership, including across devices and reinstalls using the purchasing Google Play account. A later successful check can update ownership after a refund or account change. An unavailable check keeps previously verified offline ownership. Removing ads does not erase data previously processed by Google or disable Google Play's purchase processing.

The upgrade also unlocks optional automatic pet restoration after a process restart or reboot. This is off by default and requires your opt-in; it does not synchronize your local pet settings between devices.

Permissions and the floating pet

"Display over other apps" allows the pet and optional area preview to appear above other apps. Companion Cat does not read other apps' contents, record your screen, monitor touches outside its own windows, or use an accessibility service. Touches within an interactive pet window are used for dragging and pet controls.

Optional notification permission enables the ongoing pet notification and its controls. The foreground service keeps the pet available while enabled; screen and lock status are used locally to suspend animation. Boot permission allows an attempt to resume an enabled pet after reboot only for verified upgrade owners who have enabled automatic restoration. Network access is used for Google's advertising, privacy-message, and purchase services. You can stop the pet and manage permissions in Android settings.

Retention, deletion, and your rights

Local preferences and imported copies remain until you change or delete them, clear Companion Cat's app storage in Android settings, or uninstall the app. "Delete pack" removes the imported copy and leaves your original files untouched. "Reset settings" resets pet settings; it does not delete all app data or revoke your purchase. Clearing app storage does not cancel or refund an upgrade, and a later Google Play ownership check can restore it.

Google controls the retention and deletion of data held by its services, including purchase records it may need for accounting or legal purposes. Clearing or uninstalling Companion Cat does not delete those records. Google's privacy policy and data retention information explain available controls and retention criteria. Google may process information outside your country; its privacy policy describes the safeguards it uses for international transfers.

If you contact the publisher, the information you choose to send is used to respond to your inquiry or rights request and retained as needed to handle that request and applicable legal obligations. Do not send payment-card details or your Google password.

Where European data-protection law applies, the publisher processes support correspondence to pursue its legitimate interest in answering inquiries and supporting users, and to meet legal obligations when handling statutory requests. Providing contact information is voluntary, but we need a way to reply to answer you. A parent or guardian may contact us about a child's privacy. We do not ask children to send us personal information.

Depending on applicable law, you may have rights to access, correct, erase, restrict, or object to processing of your personal data, receive portable data, and withdraw consent. Contact the publisher using the email above for requests concerning data it holds; use Google's privacy controls for information Google holds. We cannot remotely access or delete the private files stored on your device. You may also complain to your local data-protection authority, including Luxembourg's CNPD.

Visiting the privacy-policy website

The public website hosting this policy uses Cloudflare to deliver its pages over HTTPS and protect them against abuse. Cloudflare processes connection information such as IP addresses, request URLs, browser information, and traffic/security data to provide these services. This is separate from the Android app's local settings and Google's in-app services. We use hosting and security services in our legitimate interest in making this policy available and keeping the website secure.

We do not add advertising, analytics scripts, contact forms, or tracking cookies to the policy page. Cloudflare may use necessary security cookies depending on the security features enabled. Its processing, retention, and international transfer practices are described in Cloudflare's privacy policy. Contact the publisher for requests about this website; clearing the Android app's storage does not delete hosting-provider records.

Policy changes

This policy may be updated when the app or its data practices change. The revised effective date will appear here. The current policy is available inside the app and through its Google Play listing.