Rookwise — Privacy policy

Last updated: 12 October 2026

Rookwise is a chess app that works on your phone. We don't run servers that store your data and we don't show ads. Anonymous usage statistics are on by default, and you can turn them off at any time.

What stays on your device

Your games, analyses, puzzles, training progress, notes and settings are stored only on your phone. The chess engine (Stockfish) runs on your phone. Uninstalling the app deletes this data.

Data you choose to share with chess sites

• Lichess: if you sign in, Rookwise receives a token from Lichess (stored encrypted on your device) and uses it to read your profile and import your finished games. Rookwise never asks for access to games in progress.
• Chess.com: if you link a username, Rookwise downloads that account's public games and profile from Chess.com's public API. No password is involved.
• Live broadcasts: the Broadcasts screen loads public tournament data from Lichess and the list of live streamers from Chess.com.

These requests go directly from your phone to Lichess or Chess.com; their own privacy policies apply.

Usage statistics

Usage statistics are on by default and can be switched off at any time (in the first-run setup or in Settings). While they are on, Rookwise sends anonymous usage events to Google Analytics for Firebase so we can see which features are used and where the app needs work.

• What is sent: which screens and features you use (for example "game reviewed" or "puzzle solved"), the app version and language, the device model and Android version, a random app-instance ID, and an approximate country derived from your IP address.
• What is never sent: your games, moves or PGNs, analyses, notes, puzzles, photos or screenshots, Lichess or Chess.com usernames or tokens, or your advertising ID.
• Who receives it: Google, as our analytics provider (Google's privacy policy). The statistics are kept for 2 months.
• Turning it off: switch it off in Settings at any time. Sending stops immediately and the app-instance ID is reset.

Permissions

• Camera / photos: to read a chessboard from a photo or screenshot you take or choose. Images are processed on the device and not uploaded.
• Notifications: asked once when you first open the app; used for the daily puzzle reminder, the weekly summary and broadcast alerts. You can refuse, or change it later in your phone's settings.
• Internet: for the Lichess and Chess.com features above and, unless you turn them off, usage statistics.

Delete your data

Rookwise has no accounts and no servers of its own, so there is nothing to request from us by email: you can delete everything yourself, at any time.

1. Usage statistics (if you turned them on): in Rookwise, open Settings and switch off Share anonymous usage statistics. Sending stops immediately and the random app-instance ID is reset, so earlier statistics can no longer be linked to you. Google deletes the statistics already collected after 2 months.
2. Games, analyses, puzzles and progress on your phone: open Profile → Data and tap Clear game library and Reset settings, or simply uninstall Rookwise, which deletes all of its data from the device.
3. Lichess and Chess.com links: on the Profile screen tap Sign out of Lichess (removes the Lichess token from your phone) or Unlink Chess.com. Games that earlier test versions backed up to a private Lichess Study stay in your Lichess account; delete that study on lichess.org if you no longer want it.

Nothing is kept after these steps, except statistics already sent to Google, which are deleted after 2 months. Questions or help: rajkumar30598@gmail.com.

Children

Rookwise does not knowingly collect personal information from children. Usage statistics contain no names, accounts or game data, and can be turned off in Settings.

Contact

Questions: rajkumar30598@gmail.com