Spark MTG Life Counter — Privacy Policy

Effective date: 2026-04-26
App: Spark MTG Life Counter ("Spark", "the app")
Publisher / contact: Zach Banks — [email protected] policy explains what personal information Spark MTG Life Counter collects, how it is used, and the choices you have. We are committed to collecting as little as possible and keeping the rest on your device.

1. Information we collect

1.1 Information you give us

  • Email address (optional) — If you choose to subscribe to the Spark newsletter, we collect the email address you enter. Two places in the app ask for it: the "New Playgroup" email gate (one-time, to unlock saving your first playgroup), and the "Get Spark updates" newsletter row on the setup screen.

1.2 Information generated by your use of the app

  • Local app preferences — game settings, current and past games, saved playgroups, premium-purchase state, and the "email submitted" flag. All of this is stored on your device using Apple's standard UserDefaults (the App Group group.techiezachconsultingllc.spark) and shared between the iPhone app and the Apple Watch companion via Apple's WatchConnectivity framework. None of this leaves your device.

  • In-app purchase receipt — when you purchase Spark Pro, Apple's StoreKit framework records the purchase in your Apple ID. We do not see your payment information. We see only that the purchase succeeded so we can unlock the paid features.

1.3 Information we do not collect

  • We do not assign any user identifier, device identifier, or advertising identifier (IDFA).

  • We do not use App Tracking Transparency (ATT) because we do not track you across other apps or websites.

  • We do not collect your name, age, location, contacts, photos, calendar, microphone, or camera.

  • We do not collect crash logs, analytics, or telemetry.

2. How we use what we collect

  • Email address — Send the Spark newsletter (occasional product updates, new features, MTG-related tips). Required to unlock the first free saved playgroup. Used only to deliver email — never sold or rented.

  • In-app purchase status — Unlock Spark Pro features (Scryfall card search, card-art backgrounds, life graph, expanded saved-playgroup limit, Apple Watch mirroring).

  • Local app preferences — Operate the app on your device.

We do not use your email or any other information for advertising, profiling, automated decision-making, or sale to third parties.

3. Who we share information with

  • beehiiv (newsletter delivery, USA). Email subscriptions are sent through a Cloudflare Worker we operate, which forwards your email to beehiiv (https://www.beehiiv.com/), our newsletter platform. beehiiv processes your email under their own privacy policy.

  • Apple, Inc. Purchase processing for Spark Pro is handled entirely by Apple under Apple's privacy policy. We do not see your payment instrument.

  • Scryfall. When you use the in-app card search (Spark Pro feature), the app makes a request to the public Scryfall API. The request includes the card name or filter text you typed, plus a generic User-Agent: SparkMTG/version header. It does not include your email, identifier, or location.

We do not share your information with anyone else. We do not sell your information.

4. Where your information is stored and how long we keep it

  • On your device. Your saved games, playgroups, and preferences live in UserDefaults on your iPhone and Apple Watch. They are deleted when you uninstall the app. The app does not back this data up to any server we control; if you have iCloud Keychain / iCloud Backup enabled at the OS level, Apple may include the app container in your iCloud backup under Apple's terms.

  • On beehiiv. Your email address remains on beehiiv's mailing list until you unsubscribe (every newsletter contains an unsubscribe link in the footer) or until you ask us to remove it. To remove your email at any time, email [email protected] with the subject "Delete my email" and we will remove it within 30 days.

5. Your rights

Wherever you live, you can:

  • Unsubscribe from the newsletter at any time using the link at the bottom of any newsletter email, or by emailing [email protected].

  • Request deletion of your email address from our records by emailing [email protected].

  • Request a copy of any personal information we hold about you by emailing the same address.

If you live in the EU, UK, or California, you have the same rights under GDPR / UK-GDPR / CCPA. We will respond to verified requests within 30 days at no cost.

6. Children's privacy

Spark MTG Life Counter is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with their email address, please contact us at [email protected] and we will delete it.The app is appropriate for users of any age, but the email-collection features rely on a working email account; we expect any user submitting an email to be of legal age in their jurisdiction to consent to receive marketing email.

7. Security

Email submissions travel over HTTPS. Our Cloudflare Worker authenticates with beehiiv server-side; the API key is never embedded in the app. Local data on your device is protected by iOS app sandboxing.No system is perfectly secure. If you believe you have found a security issue, please email [email protected].

8. Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we will update the "Effective date" at the top of this page and, for material changes that affect what we collect or how we share it, we will note the change in the next newsletter and inside the app. The current version of this policy is always available at https://sparkmtg.beehiiv.com/privacy.

9. Contact

Zach Banks
Email: [email protected]
Subject lines we monitor: "Privacy", "Delete my email", "Spark privacy question"hello-from-the-panel-side-(in-adeles-voice)