Timbre ("the game," "we") is a small, independently-run daily word game at timbre.today, made by Alex Salwitz. This page explains, plainly, what data the game collects and why. If anything here is unclear, email asalwitz@gmail.com.
Most of what Timbre needs to work is kept entirely in your browser's local storage and never sent anywhere:
This data never leaves your device unless you sign in with Google (see below). Clearing your browser's site data for timbre.today will erase it.
When you finish a day's word (win or give up), the game sends a short record to a private Google Sheet we use for basic analytics — how many people are playing, which words are harder, etc. This record contains:
This logging happens automatically and can't be turned off, but it contains nothing that identifies you personally on its own.
Signing in is entirely optional and only exists to let your streak and stats follow you across devices and survive clearing your browser cache. If you choose to sign in, we receive your name, email address, profile picture, and a stable Google account identifier from Google. This is stored in a separate, private Google Sheet, linked to your account, and used only to:
We don't use this to contact you, build an advertising profile, or share it with anyone else. If you'd like this data deleted, email asalwitz@gmail.com and we'll remove your row from that sheet. Signing out at any time stops future syncing, though it doesn't retroactively delete past data — email us for that.
Google's own handling of the sign-in process itself (not what we do with the data afterward) is covered by Google's Privacy Policy.
| Service | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Datamuse API | Checks whether your guess is a real word, and fetches a definition for hints. Receives the word you typed, nothing else. |
| Google Identity Services | Powers the optional "Sign in with Google" button. |
| Google Fonts | Loads the Nunito typeface used throughout the site. |
| unpkg.com | Loads the Lucide icon library (static files, no data sent). |
Timbre has no ads, no ad trackers, and no analytics service beyond the private Google Sheet described above. We don't sell or share data with advertisers or data brokers.
Timbre isn't directed at children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has signed in with Google, email us and we'll remove the associated data.
If what we collect or how we use it changes meaningfully, this page will be updated and the "Last updated" date above will change.
Questions, data deletion requests, or anything else: asalwitz@gmail.com.