← 15 PINES

Privacy Policy — Specimens

Effective May 7, 2026

Specimens (“the app”) is published by 15 Pines. This policy explains what data the app handles and how. It is written to be specific and honest rather than comprehensive — the app does very little with data, and the policy reflects that.

What we don't do

• We do not run analytics or telemetry of any kind.
• We do not use advertising SDKs or third-party trackers.
• We do not require an account, email address, name, or any other identifier to play.
• We do not sell, rent, or share personal data with anyone for marketing purposes.
• We do not collect data from children under 13. The app is rated for ages 13 and up.

Data stored on your device

All gameplay data — your specimens, their genomes, breeding history, field notes, milestones, and settings — is stored locally on your device in the app's private storage area. It is never transmitted to us. If you uninstall the app, this data is deleted.

Data sent to third parties

The app makes two kinds of network requests, both of which involve sending data outside your device. Each is described below.

1. Weather conditions (OpenWeather)

If you grant the app the location permission, the app may request your approximate latitude and longitude from your device's location services and send those coordinates to the OpenWeather API (api.openweathermap.org) to determine the current weather at your location. The weather is used as an in-game environmental condition affecting breeding outcomes.

• What is sent: approximate latitude and longitude (rounded to coarse precision by Android's coarse-location permission), and an OpenWeather API key.
• How often: at most once per hour, and only when the app is running.
• What is not sent: any device identifier, account information, gameplay state, or other personal information.
• If you deny location permission: the app proceeds with default weather conditions and never contacts OpenWeather.

OpenWeather's own privacy policy, which governs their handling of received data, is available at openweather.co.uk/privacy-policy.

2. Google Play Services

The app uses Google Play Services components for two purposes:

• App distribution and updates — handled entirely by the Google Play Store. Standard Play Store data handling applies.
• Play Games Services (achievements) — if you choose to sign in to Play Games inside the app, Google receives your Play Games account identifier and the list of achievements you have unlocked. Sign-in is optional. If you do not sign in, no Play Games data is sent. Google's handling of this data is governed by the Google Privacy Policy.

3. In-app purchases (Google Play Billing)

The app offers an optional consumable in-app purchase called Catalyst. If you choose to buy one, the transaction is processed entirely by Google Play Billing; the app receives only a confirmation that the purchase succeeded and the size of the pack to grant. We do not see, store, or have access to your name, billing address, card number, or any other payment information. Google's handling of this data is governed by the Google Privacy Policy.

Permissions the app requests, and why

• Approximate location (ACCESS_COARSE_LOCATION) — only for the OpenWeather request described above. You can deny or revoke this permission at any time from Android's system settings; the game remains fully playable without it.
• Internet (INTERNET) — to make the weather request and to communicate with Google Play / Play Games Services. The app does not contact any other servers.
• Notifications (POST_NOTIFICATIONS) — to notify you when a breeding cycle finishes. Notifications are scheduled and delivered locally by your device; nothing is sent to a server.

Children

The app is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect any data from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has used the app in a way that resulted in data being sent to OpenWeather or Google, contact us at the address below and we will respond promptly.

Your rights

Because we do not collect or store any personal data on our own servers, there is nothing for us to access, correct, export, or delete on your behalf. To delete all gameplay data, uninstall the app. To revoke the location permission, change the setting in Android system settings under Apps → Specimens → Permissions.

Changes to this policy

If we make material changes to this policy, we will update the effective date at the top and, where possible, surface the change in the app on next launch.

Contact

Questions about this policy can be sent to: [email protected]