Little Pause privacy policy

1. Information on your phone

The app stores the following on your device: your settings and limits, your parent PIN (as a salted hash), daily counts of short videos swiped and watched, minutes spent on short videos, your usage baseline and before/after comparisons, limit, check-in and extension events, and which letters a child has traced. Apart from the daily totals described in section 3, none of this is sent to us or to anyone else. Uninstalling the app deletes it from your phone.

2. Accessibility service

The app uses Android's Accessibility service to detect when Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, Facebook Reels, Snapchat Spotlight or TikTok is on screen and when a new video appears. The service is limited to those apps: Android does not pass it content from any other app, including banking apps. Screen content is read only inside those apps, is processed on your device, and is never stored or transmitted. Only counts and minutes are kept. The service's only actions are showing the counter badge, the check-in and pause screens, and pressing Back or Home when you choose to leave. You can turn the service off at any time in Android Settings.

3. Usage statistics we receive

To understand how Little Pause is used and to improve it (for example suggested limits and the timing of check-ins), the app sends the following to Little Pause's server (littlepulse.onelytics.in) over an encrypted connection, about every 15 minutes while you're online and shortly after you leave a short-video feed. You agree to this when setting up the app, or in the notice shown after updating.

• For the adult profile: daily totals of short videos swiped and watched and minutes spent, for each supported app; minutes spent scrolling in each app (anywhere in it, such as the home feed), the longest continuous sitting and how many sittings lasted 15 minutes or more; the number of swipes in each hour of the day; your daily limits; when you started tracking and when limits started; your average before limits; and limit, check-in, extension, pause-screen and protection on/off events.
• For Kid mode: the same daily totals, limits and events for the child's profile, under the same random ID. The parent agrees to this during setup (or in the notice shown after updating) and can turn it off at any time with "Include Kid mode" in Settings → Anonymous usage stats.
• About the app and phone: app version, Android version, phone model, the country and language set on your phone, your time zone, whether you have Pro and when you bought it, and a Firebase Cloud Messaging token so we can send you the news and tips described in section 6.
• A random ID created for this install of the app. It is not linked to your name, email, phone number or advertising ID.

The app never sends screen content, which videos you watched, your contacts, your name, email, phone number or advertising ID, in any profile.

We use this information only to run and improve Little Pause, including testing different versions of features (for example how long a check-in lasts) with different groups of users. We do not sell it or share it with third parties, and we do not use it for advertising.

"Delete my shared data" in Settings → Anonymous usage stats erases everything sent from your phone from our server, including Kid mode's totals, and stops any further sharing from that phone.

4. Usage access (optional)

If you choose to allow Android's Usage access, the app reads how long each supported app was open on recent days to show you a rough estimate on the home screen. This is read on your device, is not stored beyond what is shown, and is never transmitted. You can withdraw Usage access at any time in Android Settings.

5. Advertising

For free adult profiles, a banner ad from Google AdMob appears on the home screen, on the check-in and pause screens (which are drawn over the short-video app), and on the short "well done" page shown inside the app after you leave. When no ad is available, an offer for Little Pause Pro may appear in its place. To show and measure ads, Google may collect your device's advertising ID, approximate location based on IP address, app interactions, and crash and diagnostic information. Where required (for example in the EEA and UK) the app asks for your consent first. Ads never appear in Kid mode or for Pro users. Google's use of this data is described at https://policies.google.com/technologies/partner-sites. You can reset or delete your advertising ID in Android Settings.

6. Analytics and notifications from Google Firebase

For adult profiles, the app uses Google Analytics for Firebase to understand how the app is used (for example screens opened, app opens and crashes). This uses an app instance ID and approximate location from your IP address, and never includes screen content from other apps or your swipe history. Firebase Analytics is turned off whenever Kid mode is on.

The app uses Firebase Cloud Messaging so we can send occasional news and tips. Firebase assigns your device a messaging token for this. You can turn these notifications off in Android Settings under Little Pause → Notifications → News and tips.

7. App updates

The app asks Google Play whether a newer version is available so it can offer an update. This check is handled by Google Play.

8. Children

Little Pause is set up and controlled by a parent or guardian. In Kid mode the app shows no ads and does not use Firebase Analytics. Kid mode's daily totals (counts, minutes, limits and events, never screen content) are shared as described in section 3 only with the parent's agreement, and the parent can turn this off or delete what was sent at any time. Tracing progress stays on the device.

9. Notifications

If you allow notifications, the app shows today's progress and quick actions in the notification bar. These notifications are created on your device.

10. Security

Information on your device is protected by Android's app sandbox, and the parent PIN is stored only as a salted hash. Usage statistics are sent over HTTPS and stored on a server that only Little Pause can access.

11. Your choices and rights

You can delete the usage statistics sent from your phone at any time with "Delete my shared data", turn off sharing for Kid mode, withdraw Usage access, turn off notifications, reset your advertising ID, or switch off the Accessibility service. Depending on where you live, you may have further rights, such as asking what we hold about you. Because the statistics are linked only to a random ID, include that ID (shown in Settings → Anonymous usage stats) when you write to us.

12. Changes

If this policy changes, we will update the effective date above and, for significant changes, tell you in the app.

13. Contact

Questions or requests: thepiyushbansal@gmail.com