Mandela Recall is a trivia app about collective false memories — so it should go without saying that we try to be exactly right about what we remember of your data, too. This page covers what we collect, why, and how to reach us if you want any of it changed or removed.
We collect only what the app needs to run the quiz, keep votes honest, and show you real crowd stats.
| Category | What it includes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Account & sign-in | A unique account ID, and — only if you choose to share it with Apple — your name and email (Apple lets you hide your real email with a private relay address). | Sign in with Apple, via Firebase Authentication |
| Your votes | Which answer you picked on each question, tied to your account ID so you can't be counted twice. | You, while playing |
| Effect submissions | Any Mandela Effect experience you describe through "Submit Effect Experience" in Settings. | You, if you choose to submit one |
| Usage data | App events like sign-in, quiz started, answer submitted, ad shown — no content, just that the event happened. | Firebase Analytics |
| Advertising data | Technical/device data Google's ad SDK uses to serve and measure ads. | Google AdMob |
Three free looks before you sign in. Your first 3 questions can be answered without an account — those answers aren't saved anywhere, they just show you how the reveal works. Signing in is required starting with question 4, so votes can be counted once per person.
We don't collect precise location, payment details, health data, or biometric data. There's nothing to buy in the app.
Mandela Recall is built on a small number of services, all operated by Google:
We do not use Apple's App Tracking Transparency permission, and our app does not track you across other companies' apps or websites for advertising. Google's SDKs may still collect technical identifiers (like an advertising ID or IP address) to serve ads, prevent fraud, and measure performance — that data is handled under Google's Privacy Policy.
We keep your account, votes, and submissions for as long as your account exists, so vote counts stay accurate and submissions stay reviewable. You can delete your data at any time by emailing us (see Contact us) — we'll remove your account and everything tied to it within 30 days. Aggregate crowd tallies that no longer reference you stay in place, since they never identified you to begin with.
Mandela Recall isn't directed at children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has given us personal information, contact us and we'll remove it.
Your data is stored with Firebase's infrastructure, protected by security rules that restrict each account to reading and writing only its own records. No method of transmission or storage is completely secure, but we don't ask for anything beyond what's described on this page.
If this policy changes in a meaningful way, we'll update the effective date above and, where the change is significant, note it inside the app.
Questions, data requests, or deletion requests can be sent through the support contact listed on our App Store product page.