Game Center & Privacy
Data & Privacy
Apple Legal
Game Center allows you to engage in game-related activities such as participation in leaderboards; multiplayer games; finding, viewing and challenging friends; and tracking achievements.

When you play Game Center–enabled games while signed in to Game Center, Apple collects information such as the games you play and your game activity. This information is used to track your high scores, achievements and challenges, and to improve Game Center for you and others.

Apple also collects a list of your Game Center friends, the players with whom you play and when you play together. This information is used to help you re-engage in multiplayer games easily, quickly see each other’s high scores, and to improve Game Center for you and others.

Your Game Center nickname, avatar, scores and Arcade subscription state are visible to all Game Center users. You can also choose to share other Game Center activity information, such as games you have played and achievements progress, with your Game Center friends or all Game Center users. This information will be visible to those you share it with in Game Center and other Apple services, like the App Store and Apple Arcade. Your name may also be visible to your Game Center friends.

Apple uses non-identifiable information about your contacts who have linked their Game Center nickname with their contact card to suggest friends to you, but does not store this information. In addition, Game Center uses on-device processing to assist these recommendations.

Protecting the privacy and security of your information is a priority for everyone at Apple. We work hard to collect only the data we need to make your experience better, and when we do collect data, we believe it’s important for you to know what we’re collecting and why we need it, so you can make informed choices. Game Center, like every Apple product and service, is designed with these principles in mind.

Providing and Improving Game Center

Once you onboard to Game Center, you will be able to engage in game-related activities such as participation in leaderboards, multiplayer games, finding, viewing and challenging friends, and tracking achievements. Apple collects information about your usage of Game Center to improve and optimise Game Center for you and others, including the games you play, when you play them and who you play with; your scores and achievements; and the challenges you send and receive.

Apple also collects a list of your Game Center friends, the players with whom you play and when you play together. This information is used to help you re-engage in multiplayer games easily, quickly see each other’s high scores, and to improve Game Center for you and others.

Apple collects information about your interaction with Game Center features to improve and optimise Game Center for you and others. This information is not associated with your Apple ID.

Playing with Other Players and Friends

Your Game Center nickname, avatar, scores and Arcade subscription state are visible to all Game Center users for games with global leaderboards. You can also choose to share other Game Center activity information with your Game Center friends or all Game Center users. This information includes games you have played and your achievements progress, and will be visible to those you share it with in Game Center and other Apple services, like the App Store and Apple Arcade. Childrenʼs Game Center activity information can be shared only with their Game Center friends. You can see and change your activity sharing state by going to Settings > Game Center > Profile Privacy on your iOS, iPadOS or visionOS device, and System Settings > Game Center > Profile Privacy on Mac.

If you choose to link your Game Center nickname with your contact card, Game Center will use the email address and phone number associated with your Apple ID. This allows your Game Center friends to find you more easily based on the name they have for you in their Contacts app. You can control this setting on your iOS, iPadOS or visionOS device by going to Settings > Game Center > Allow Finding by Friends, and on Mac by going to System Settings > Game Center and turning off Allow Finding by Friends.

When you play a game that supports multiplayer functionality, other Game Center users who are accessing the same game on the same Wi-Fi network or local area network, or are within range of Bluetooth, will be able to see that you are nearby and see your nickname and avatar. Where a developer is using Apple’s multiplayer functionality, you can disable this feature on your iOS, iPadOS or visionOS device by going to Settings > Game Center, then tapping to turn off Nearby Players. On Mac, go to System Settings > Game Center, and click to turn off “Nearby players”. On tvOS, go to Settings > Users and Accounts > [username] > Game Center, then turn off Nearby Players.

Apple receives non-identifiable information about your contacts who have chosen to link their Game Center nickname with their contact card. This information is used to enhance the friend recommendations shown to you on Game Center surfaces, but is not stored by Apple. In addition, Game Center uses on-device processing to assist these recommendations.

If you have friend relationships established before iOS 10, those friends have access to your real name. In any friend relationships that have been established since you adopted iOS 10, only your nickname is visible to your friends. Childrenʼs accounts never make real names visible to friends, including before iOS 10.

Communicating with You

Apple may use information about your account, such as the Apple products you own and your subscriptions to Apple services, to send you communications about Game Center and other Apple products, services and offers that may be of interest to you. Apple may also use information about your activity within Game Center to send you emails and push notifications about new features, content and offers available within Game Center. You can change your email preferences and opt out of receiving these emails by going to appleid.apple.com. To update your notification preferences on your iOS, iPadOS or visionOS device, go to Settings > Notifications > Game Center. Apple uses information about your interactions with our communications, including notifications, to improve our services.

Third-Party Developers

When you are signed in to Game Center, the developers of the games you play can request information about you, including your nickname, avatar and other unique Game Center identifiers. A developer can also request a list of related players, including your friends and the players you recently played with, which will include nicknames and avatars. If you choose to allow an app to connect you with friends, they can access a list of your friends who also play this game. Only friends who have also agreed to let this app connect with their friends will be visible to the app as your friends. You may also choose to not allow any apps to connect you with friends anytime. To do so on your iOS, iPadOS or visionOS device, go to Settings > Game Center > Connect with Friends and tap to turn off Connect with Friends. On Mac, go to System Settings > Game Center and click to turn off “Connect with friends”. This prevents apps from asking if they can connect you with your Game Center friends and will stop sharing your friends list with previously allowed apps. Whenever you use a third-party app, you should review the developerʼs terms, privacy policies and practices to understand how they collect and use your data.

Children in Game Center

For children in your Family who use Game Center, you can use Content & Privacy Restrictions in Screen Time to limit time spent in specific apps and block Game Center features on your child’s device, including multiplayer functionality, the ability to add friends and the ability to connect with friends playing the same game. To do this on your iOS, iPadOS or visionOS device, go to Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy Restrictions > Content Restrictions. On Mac, go to System Settings > Screen Time > Content & Privacy. On tvOS, go to Settings > General > Restrictions. Additionally, when communicating with other players in Game Center, children cannot send or receive user-inputted text. They are restricted to sending and receiving preset messages. In-game voice chat is disabled for children.

Applicable Legal Basis for Processing Personal Data

We process your personal data in Game Center based on your consent and as necessary for the purposes of our legitimate interests. Where applicable local law provides, we process the following categories of personal data as necessary for purposes of our legitimate interests:

Your use of Game Center, including the games you play and your game activity

Your nickname, avatar, Arcade subscription state, scores and other activity information

Your Game Center friends, the players with whom you play and when you play together

These legitimate interests include:

Optimising and improving Game Center for you and others

Sending you communications about Game Center and other related Apple products, services and offers that may be of interest to you

Preventing fraud and other malicious activity

Retention

Game Center retains the information collected about you for as long as you maintain the Apple ID associated with your Game Center account.

Preventing Fraud and Other Malicious Activity

We collect personal data to prevent fraud and other malicious activity in Game Center and other Apple apps and services. This information includes device information, such as device type and software version, location information (if available), download and purchase history, and other interactions with Game Center and other apps and services.

At all times, information collected by Apple will be treated in accordance with Appleʼs Privacy Policy, which can be found at www.apple.com/au/privacy

Published Date: March 5, 2024