Privacy Policy
Crossword Builder · Effective and last updated 9 October 2026
Crossword Builder is an app for constructing crossword puzzles on phones, tablets and computers, published by The Pancake Stack ("we", "us"). This policy explains what the app collects, why, who helps us process it, how long we keep it, and what you can do about it. It covers the Crossword Builder app and this website.
The short version. Crossword Builder has no accounts, no ads, and no analytics. Your puzzles, word lists and settings stay on your device. The only thing the app sends us on its own is an anonymous crash report when something goes wrong, which never includes your puzzle content, and you can turn that off in Settings → Privacy.
1. Who we are
Crossword Builder is made by The Pancake Stack, the studio name of William Caldwell, who is the developer of Crossword Builder and the controller of the personal information described here. You can reach us about anything in this policy at support@thepancakestack.dev.
2. What stays on your device
Everything you make in Crossword Builder is stored on your device only: your puzzles and their clues, the automatic save of the puzzle you are working on, word lists you import or edit, and your settings. That includes the address and email you can enter in Settings → Address & Email, which the app uses only to print on the submission PDFs you create. We cannot see any of this, and we do not back it up.
When you share, export or print a puzzle, it goes where you send it — another app, a file, a printer, or a person — and is handled under that destination's terms, not ours.
3. Crash and error reports
Released versions of the app send crash and error reports to Sentry. A report contains the error and stack trace, a short trail of recent app events leading up to it (such as app log messages and the app moving to the background), device details such as model, operating system and version, app version and build, screen size, language, time zone, and memory state, and a random installation identifier created by the Sentry library.
Reports never include your puzzle content. We do not capture screenshots, and we have not enabled Sentry's options for sending personal information. Error messages sometimes contain a file path; before a report leaves your device, the app removes your computer or device user name from any such path. Sentry's servers see your IP address as part of the network connection, and we have set Sentry not to store it.
Crash reporting is on by default. The first time the app opens, it tells you so and offers to turn it off, and you can change it at any time with Settings → Privacy → Send anonymous crash reports.
4. What we do not collect
- No accounts and no sign-in, so no name, email or password held by us.
- No usage analytics and no tracking.
- No ads, no ad networks and no advertising identifiers.
- No location, contacts, photos, camera or microphone access. The app opens only files you choose.
- No payment information. Crossword Builder is free, with nothing to buy.
5. How we use it, and our legal bases
We use crash reports only to find and fix bugs, and emails only to answer you. We do not sell personal information or use it for advertising. If you are in the European Economic Area or the United Kingdom, these are the legal bases we rely on:
| Purpose | Information used | Legal basis |
|---|---|---|
| Fixing crashes and errors | Crash and error reports | Our legitimate interest in a working, reliable app; you can turn reporting off at any time |
| Answering your emails and requests | Whatever you send us | Our legitimate interest in supporting users, and our legal obligations |
6. Who else processes it
- Functional Software, Inc. (Sentry) — crash and error reporting, on servers in the United States.
- Google LLC (Firebase Hosting) — this website.
If you use the app from outside the United States, crash reports are transferred there. Sentry protects those transfers with the safeguards in its data processing terms, such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses. We may also disclose information if the law requires it.
This website has no cookies, analytics or tracking. Its host processes your IP address and browser details to deliver the pages.
7. How long we keep it
| Information | Kept until |
|---|---|
| Crash and error reports | Up to 30 days |
| Emails you send us | As long as needed to deal with your message |
| Everything stored on your device | You delete it or uninstall the app |
8. Your choices and rights
You can turn crash reporting off in Settings → Privacy, and remove everything the app stores by deleting your puzzles or uninstalling it.
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to know what personal information we hold about you, get a copy, correct or delete it, and object to how we use it. Email support@thepancakestack.dev and we will respond within one month. Crash reports are not linked to you, so we generally cannot single out a particular person's reports. If you are in the EEA or UK, you can also complain to your local data protection authority.
United States residents: we do not sell personal information and we do not share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.
9. Children
Crossword Builder is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, email us and we will delete it.
10. Changes to this policy
If we change what we collect or how we use it, we will update this page and the date at the top before the change takes effect.
11. Contact
Questions, requests or complaints: support@thepancakestack.dev