Privacy Policy

1. Who provides CachePal Watch

CachePal Watch is provided by Big Bwain (“CachePal,” “we,” “us,” or “our”), the developer name used for this game. Questions about this policy can be sent to support@cachepal.com.

The optional tip checkout currently displays Big Bwain, the public business name associated with the developer's Stripe payment account. It identifies the payment as an optional CachePal creator tip.

2. Information used by the watch app

Local game state

CachePal stores game state on your watch so the game can continue between sessions. This can include Pal identity and immutable DNA, name, species and traits, care and life state, age, items, Pal Points, Strength, milestones, game results, journal history, app settings, and notification preferences.

Wear OS files use Android app-private storage. Android cloud backup and device-to-device restoration are disabled for this version. Access is controlled by the operating system's application isolation and device-security controls. Apple Watch saves game state in app-private files. CachePal provides no cloud sync; any system-managed backup follows Apple's settings and policies.

Optional daily steps on Wear OS

If you turn on Trail Bond and grant Android's ACTIVITY_RECOGNITION permission, CachePal uses Wear OS Health Services to read your daily-step total. The watch app processes that total on device to award step milestones and permanent Strength to the eligible active Pal.

Trail Bond is optional. CachePal does not use inactivity to reduce care, health, points, or Strength.

Optional daily steps on Apple Watch

Trail Bond is off until you enable it. CachePal asks Apple Health for read access only to Steps, then reads the current local day's cumulative total while the app is active. It does not request access to workouts, heart rate, location, or other health data, and never writes to HealthKit. Readable totals award the same local milestones and permanent Strength. Denying access or having no readable data leaves ordinary gameplay available. You can change read access in Health settings.

Local notifications

If enabled, CachePal stores your alert settings locally and creates local notifications for game reminders. These notifications do not require a CachePal account or a CachePal server.

3. What the native watch app does not transmit

The watch app has:

• no CachePal account or sign-in;
• no advertising or cross-app tracking;
• no analytics or crash-reporting SDK;
• no cloud sync or remote game database; and
• no Android INTERNET permission on Wear OS, and no game-state networking on Apple Watch.

CachePal does not send game state, exact step totals, Strength, or notification preferences to us or to an advertising or analytics service.

4. Trail Bond retention and control

On Wear OS, while Trail Bond is enabled, CachePal can keep pending platform observations until they are processed and can keep the current processed day's highest step total in the local game snapshot. Exact totals are replaceable working data, not permanent progress events. Apple Watch keeps the current processed day's highest total in its local snapshot and has no pending background HealthKit observations.

Turning Trail Bond off stops new readings and clears unprocessed or pending platform observations. The local game snapshot can retain the current processed day's highest step total until a later observed day replaces it. Permanent progress and events retain the milestones reached and Strength earned, not exact step totals. Strength already earned is not removed when Trail Bond is turned off.

5. CP1 Pal DNA sharing

Sharing is explicit: CachePal only prepares a share when you choose Share DNA. The CP1 code and its watch.cachepal.com/p/… link represent immutable Pal DNA. They do not include care state, age, Pal Points, items, game history, Strength, exact steps, notifications, or device information.

You choose the recipient and the app or service used to send that code. Their privacy practices apply after you share it. Anyone with a valid CP1 code can use it to recreate the same immutable Pal identity traits, so share it only when you intend to.

6. Optional creator tips and Stripe (Wear OS only)

Apple Watch has no tip checkout or payment flow.

Optional, with no game benefits

CachePal is free to play. A tip is a voluntary one-time payment supporting the independent developer for the free game already provided. It is not a charitable donation, is not represented as tax-deductible, and does not purchase or unlock Pals, content, items, badges, Pal Points, Strength, status, features, recognition, or gameplay advantages. CachePal remains fully playable whether or not you tip.

What the watch sends

Only after you tap Open tip page does Wear OS ask your paired phone to open a fixed Stripe-hosted Payment Link. The native watch app passes only that fixed URL. It does not append your Pal, CP1 DNA, step total, game state, device identifier, chosen amount, or other personal information.

The native watch app has no Android INTERNET permission, does not create or process a payment, stores no transaction state, and never receives your payment details or learns whether you paid or cancelled.

Information handled by Stripe

Stripe—not the native watch app—operates the checkout. When the page opens, Stripe can receive ordinary browser, device, request, security, and Payment Link usage information. If you continue, Stripe can collect the amount and currency you choose, your email address, payment-method and payment credentials, billing details needed for the selected method, and transaction, authentication, fraud-prevention, and security information. Stripe may collect information entered into checkout even if you do not finish the payment.

If you choose to save information with Link, Stripe or Link can also collect and retain information such as your phone number and payment method under their own terms and privacy practices. The payment methods and fields shown can vary by device, location, and Stripe configuration. Review the Stripe Privacy Policy and Stripe Consumer Terms before paying.

Information available to us

Stripe makes a merchant-facing payment record available to us. Depending on the payment method and information you provide, that record can include your email address, name or billing information, amount and currency, payment date and status, receipt and transaction identifiers, and limited payment-method information such as its type, brand, and last four digits. We do not receive your full card number, card security code, or bank-login credentials.

We use merchant-facing records only to administer tips, provide receipts and support, process refunds, handle disputes or fraud, and meet accounting and legal obligations. We do not use tip information to change CachePal gameplay, build an advertising profile, or market to you.

Retention, requests, and refunds

Stripe and we retain transaction records for as long as reasonably needed for payment administration, refunds, disputes, fraud prevention, accounting, and applicable legal obligations. Some financial records cannot be deleted immediately even when you request deletion.

If a tip was accidental, request a refund within 30 calendar days by emailing support@cachepal.com from the email used at checkout. Include the payment date, amount, currency, and Stripe receipt number if available. Never email a full card number, security code, bank password, or other payment credential. Refunds are returned to the original payment method. This policy does not limit rights provided by applicable law.

For more information, visit tip, receipt, and refund support.

7. This website

This website has no CachePal account or contact form and does not intentionally set application analytics or advertising cookies. Its hosting and security providers may process standard request metadata or use essential delivery and security mechanisms needed to operate the pages. This can include IP address, browser or user-agent information, request time, and the requested URL. A requested Pal share URL contains its CP1 code. Hosting-provider records are separate from the on-watch game state.

If you email support, your email provider and ours process the message and addressing information so we can reply. Please avoid sending information you do not want included in a support request.

8. Deleting your data

You can turn off Trail Bond in CachePal to stop future step readings and clear pending platform observations as described above. To erase all CachePal data stored by the app—including Pals, game state, Strength, milestones, history, settings, and notification preferences—clear CachePal's storage in Wear OS system settings or uninstall the app. On Apple Watch, remove CachePal to erase its local save.

Data held by Wear OS Health Services, Apple Health, or another system component is controlled through the settings and policies for that component. Transaction information handled through Stripe is governed by the retention explanation above.

9. Children and authorized payments

The native CachePal Watch app does not knowingly collect personal information from children or anyone else. Only an adult or a person authorized to use the selected payment method should submit a tip. If you believe a minor submitted information or a payment without authorization, contact support@cachepal.com promptly.

10. Changes and contact

If CachePal's data practices change, we will update this policy and its “Last updated” date. Material new data use will be described before it is introduced where required.

Privacy or support question? Email support@cachepal.com or visit the support page.