Wick is built to be private by design. There are no accounts, no logins, no advertising, and no cross-app tracking. Most of the game never touches a server at all. The only things we count are a handful of anonymous play events and, since version 3.6, anonymous weekly word counts, both described below.
On-device: iOS single-player (Daily & Practice)
- Your guesses, stats, and streaks are stored only on your device. Your questions are kept on your device too, and are also sent to be answered (next point).
- Closeness (“warmth”) scoring uses word models that run on your device: Apple’s built-in model for English, and models bundled with the app for Spanish, French, Italian and German.
- Since version 3.7, questions you ask the Keeper are answered by Wick’s server, the same way as on the web. The app sends the question, the secret word, the round’s language, and your earlier questions and answers in that round, with no id of any kind. To answer, the server may pass that text to Google’s Gemini API. The server saves the answer to a question about a word, but not who asked it, so the same question gets the same answer for everyone. If the server can’t be reached, Apple Intelligence (Foundation Models) answers on your device instead, when your iPhone has it.
- Your guesses are never sent to any third party. Since version 3.6, some of them may be sent to Wick’s own server for the weekly word counts described below, unless you turn that off in Settings.
On our server: The web game
A web browser has no word model of its own, so the web game at guesswick.com scores every round on Wick’s server, including the daily puzzle and practice:
- Each word you guess and question you ask is sent to Wick’s server to be scored or answered. To do that, the server may pass the text to Google’s Gemini API. It is used only to play the round and, as anonymous counts, for the weekly word counts below. It is not linked to your identity, not stored in a profile, and not sold.
- Since version 3.7, the server saves the answer to a question about a word, but not who asked it, so the same question gets the same answer for everyone. Your earlier questions and answers in the round are sent along with each new question so the Keeper stays consistent.
- Your stats and streaks on the web are saved only in your browser.
On our server: Live Race
Live multiplayer needs a server to pair players and score fairly, so when, and only when, you play a live Race:
- The words and questions you type are sent to Wick’s server to be scored (warmth) and answered (the Keeper).
- To compute those, the server passes that text to Google’s Gemini API. It is used solely to score the round; it is not used to train models on your identity, and it is not sold.
- A random, per-install identifier (not tied to your name, email, Apple ID, or contacts) is used only to route your match. No account is created.
- Your guesses are not linked to your identity and are never used for tracking or advertising.
- The server keeps only what a live match needs while it is in progress; it does not build a profile of you.
- When you wait in the Quick Match queue, the server may send the developer a phone notification that says someone is waiting and in which language, so he can come race you. It contains nothing else about you.
On iOS, if you never play a live mode and turn off “Add my words to weekly stats” in Settings, no guess you type ever leaves your device. Questions you ask the Keeper are sent to be answered (see above), and the anonymous play counts below are sent too.
Play counts (since version 3.3)
To know whether the game is working, the app and the website send a few anonymous events: that a daily puzzle was started, solved, or given up (with the puzzle number and how many guesses it took), and that a share or race link was used. Each event carries a random per-install id so we can count players; the server hashes that id before storing it, and it is not tied to your name, email, Apple ID, or contacts. No word, question, or anything you type is ever included. These counts are used only to improve the game and are not shared or sold. (The weekly word counts below are separate and carry no id at all.)
Weekly word counts (since version 3.6)
The Stats page shows “Top guesses this week” and “Most asked questions” across all players. To build those lists:
- On iOS, while “Add my words to weekly stats” is on in Settings (it is on unless you turn it off), the app sends Wick’s server a guessed word that read Cool or colder, or a question you typed to the Keeper. Each one is sent with its language and the time, and nothing else: no id, no account, no device identifier. Guesses that were close to the answer, the answer itself, questions that name the answer, and starter questions you tap are never sent.
- On the web and in live Races, the words and questions already reach the server to be scored (see above). The server counts the same kinds of words and questions from there.
- The server keeps counts only: the word or question and how many times it came up this week. It does not store who sent it. To stop one person from filling a list, the server briefly remembers a scrambled, one-way code for each sender in memory only; it is never written to disk and is thrown away every week.
- A question is shown only after at least three different players have asked it, and questions with numbers, links, email addresses, or crude words are dropped. The lists reset every Monday (UTC).
Today’s race board (since version 3.6)
Nothing goes on the board unless you choose to. After you finish the daily puzzle, you can tap Submit. Only then does the app or the website send Wick’s server the puzzle number, how many guesses and hints you used, how long you played, and the language, with the random per-install id used for live races. The server keeps a scrambled, one-way version of that id (so you get one spot a day), never the id itself. You show up on the board under an auto name like “Violet Otter”, picked from a word list, and you can roll a new one. Nothing you typed is sent. Board entries are kept for about a week and then deleted.
Solve Replay videos (since version 3.4)
“Share replay” turns a finished round into a short video. The video is made entirely on your device or in your browser, and nothing is uploaded. It shows your guesses with their ranks and heat colors, and the questions you asked. On a daily puzzle the answer and your closest guesses are hidden, so posting it does not spoil the day; a practice replay shows everything, including the answer. On iOS the video is saved to your Photos only when you tap “Save to Photos”, and Wick asks for add-only access, so it can save the video but can never see your photo library. You choose where to post it.
Your data
If you delete the app, all of its on-device data is removed with it. Clearing your browser’s site data does the same for the web game. Because we hold no account and no persistent profile, there is no stored personal data to request, export, or delete from us.
Questions? Email support@guesswick.com.