Terms of Service

Effective Date: February 28, 2026

Welcome to Bossword! These Terms of Service ("Terms") govern your use of the Bossword mobile application and the website at bossword.app (collectively, the "Service"), operated by Sparrowstep LLC ("Sparrowstep," "we," "us," or "our").

By creating an account or using the Service, you agree to these Terms. If you do not agree, do not use Bossword.

1. Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to use Bossword. If you are under 18, you represent that you have your parent or guardian's consent to use the Service. By using Bossword, you represent and warrant that you meet these requirements.

2. Your Account

• You are responsible for maintaining the security of your account and any activity that occurs under it.
• You must provide accurate information when creating your profile.
• You may not create more than one account per person.
• You may not transfer or share your account with anyone else.
• If you believe your account has been compromised, contact us immediately at hello@bossword.app.

3. What Bossword Is

Bossword is a crossword puzzle time tracking application. Users can record their daily solve times, view personal statistics, and optionally participate in competitive leagues with friends through a paid subscription tier ("Bossword Elite").

4. Free and Paid Features

• Free tier: Time tracking and personal statistics are available without an account. Data is stored locally on your device.
• Bossword Elite: League play, cloud sync, and social features require a paid subscription and an account. Subscription terms, pricing, and billing are managed through Apple's App Store or Google Play.
• We reserve the right to change features available in each tier at any time.

5. Acceptable Use

You agree not to use Bossword to:

• Harass, bully, threaten, or intimidate other users
• Post content that is hateful, violent, sexually explicit, or illegal
• Impersonate another person or misrepresent your identity
• Spam other users with unwanted messages or league invitations
• Submit fraudulent or fabricated solve times
• Attempt to gain unauthorized access to the Service, other users' accounts, or our systems
• Scrape, crawl, or use automated tools to access the Service
• Interfere with or disrupt the Service or the servers and networks connected to it

We reserve the right to remove content and suspend or terminate accounts that violate these Terms, at our sole discretion.

6. User Content

You retain ownership of any content you post on Bossword (profile information, chat messages, league names). By posting content, you grant Sparrowstep a non-exclusive, royalty-free, worldwide license to use, display, and distribute that content solely for the purpose of operating and providing the Service.

You represent that you have the right to post any content you share and that it does not violate any third party's rights.

7. Leagues and Competition

Bossword facilitates competitive crossword puzzle time tracking through leagues. However:

• Sparrowstep does not verify the accuracy of solve times submitted by users.
• League standings and statistics are provided for entertainment purposes.
• We are not responsible for disputes between league members.
• League creators are responsible for managing their leagues, including invitations and membership.

8. Privacy

Your use of Bossword is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which describes how we collect, use, and protect your information. By using the Service, you consent to the practices described in the Privacy Policy.

9. Intellectual Property

The Bossword name, logo, and all related designs, software, and content provided by Sparrowstep are the property of Sparrowstep LLC and are protected by intellectual property laws. You may not copy, modify, distribute, or create derivative works from any part of the Service without our prior written consent.

Bossword is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or associated with any crossword puzzle publisher. All crossword puzzle names and trademarks are the property of their respective owners.

10. Third-Party Services

The Service may contain links to or integrations with third-party services (such as app stores or push notification providers). We are not responsible for the content, policies, or practices of any third-party services. Your use of those services is governed by their own terms and policies.

11. Disclaimers

THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

We do not warrant that the Service will be uninterrupted, error-free, or free of harmful components. We do not guarantee the accuracy or completeness of any information provided through the Service.

12. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, SPARROWSTEP LLC AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AND AGENTS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS OR REVENUE, WHETHER INCURRED DIRECTLY OR INDIRECTLY, OR ANY LOSS OF DATA, USE, GOODWILL, OR OTHER INTANGIBLE LOSSES, RESULTING FROM:

• YOUR USE OF OR INABILITY TO USE THE SERVICE;
• ANY CONDUCT OR CONTENT OF ANY THIRD PARTY ON THE SERVICE;
• ANY LEAGUE COMPETITION FACILITATED THROUGH THE SERVICE;
• UNAUTHORIZED ACCESS, USE, OR ALTERATION OF YOUR DATA.

IN NO EVENT SHALL OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU EXCEED ONE HUNDRED U.S. DOLLARS ($100).

13. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Sparrowstep LLC and its officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising out of or related to your use of the Service, your violation of these Terms, or your violation of any rights of another person or entity.

14. Account Deletion and Termination

• You may reset your account at any time through the app's settings, which erases all local data and signs you out.
• To request permanent deletion of your data from our servers, contact us at privacy@bossword.app.
• We may suspend or terminate your account at any time, with or without notice, for any reason, including violation of these Terms.
• Upon termination, your right to use the Service ceases immediately. Provisions that by their nature should survive termination (including Sections 11, 12, 13, and 16) will survive.

15. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you through the Service or by other means. Your continued use of Bossword after changes are posted constitutes your acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree with the changes, you should stop using the Service.

16. Governing Law and Disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to its conflict of law provisions. Any disputes arising from or relating to these Terms or the Service shall be resolved in the state or federal courts located in Los Angeles County, California, and you consent to the personal jurisdiction of those courts.

17. General

• If any provision of these Terms is found to be unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.
• Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms does not constitute a waiver of that right or provision.
• These Terms, together with the Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Sparrowstep regarding the Service.

18. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, contact us at:

Sparrowstep LLC
Email: hello@bossword.app