The Client-Side Guarantee
ScrollBlock is built on a fundamental principle: your data stays on your device. All core detection and blocking logic runs entirely client-side. We do not collect, process, or sell your personal information. Your usage history, routines, and app preferences live in a local database under your exclusive control. We operate no data collection servers.
This Privacy Policy explains how ScrollBlock ("ScrollBlock," "we," "us," or "our") collects, uses, stores, and shares information when you use the ScrollBlock Android app (the "App"). ScrollBlock is a productivity app that helps users reduce distractions by detecting and blocking short-form content, managing routines, and offering optional premium features such as backups and advanced focus tools.
By using the App, you agree to this Privacy Policy.
1. What ScrollBlock does
ScrollBlock helps users reduce distraction by detecting short-form content and enforcing user-configured blocking rules. To do this, the App may use Android Accessibility features, app usage access, notification access, local storage, Google Play Billing, and optional Google/Firebase services.
2. Information we collect
We collect or process the following categories of information:
A. Information processed on your device
The App primarily works on-device. Depending on the features you enable, ScrollBlock may process:
- App package names and app lists on your device
- Screen state, window state, view hierarchy information, view IDs, and visible interface text needed to detect short-form content
- Scroll, click, and window change events used to identify blocked experiences
- App usage and screen-time related information if you grant usage access
- Blocked app lists, folders, routines, timers, focus settings, premium UI state, and other app preferences
- Activity history, focus sessions, usage snapshots, daily stats, routine runtime state, and related logs stored locally on your device
B. Notification data
If you enable ScrollBlock's notification blocking or selective focus features, the App may process notification metadata and content on-device, including package name, title, conversation title, text, subtext, big text, summary text, timestamps, and notification category, for the purpose of suppressing or deferring notifications from blocked apps. Some deferred notification information may be temporarily retained in app memory so it can be shown back to you after focus mode ends.
C. Purchase and subscription data
If you buy premium features, the App uses Google Play Billing and may process product IDs, base plan IDs, purchase tokens, purchase state, renewal-related metadata, and locally cached entitlement status. Payment card and billing account details are handled by Google Play, not by ScrollBlock.
D. Account and identity data
If enabled or used by you, ScrollBlock may process:
- A locally generated app account identifier
- Firebase installation identifier
- Anonymous Firebase authentication identifier
- An optional secondary email address if you add one for account recovery or future access
- Email-link verification state related to optional sign-in
E. Analytics and diagnostics
The App includes Firebase Analytics and related Google/Firebase SDKs. These services may collect device, app, and usage information such as app interactions, device identifiers, installation identifiers, diagnostic metadata, and, depending on platform behavior and your device settings, advertising-related identifiers such as Android Advertising ID or similar Google measurement identifiers.
F. Backup data
If you use backup or restore features, ScrollBlock may create backup files containing your app preferences and locally stored app data, including activity history, routines, folders, timers, usage snapshots, and related settings. If you choose Google Drive backup, those backup files are uploaded to your Google Drive account. If you choose local backup/export, backup files are written to device storage or a location you choose.
3. How we use your information
We use information to:
- Detect and block short-form content and distraction flows
- Show activity history, focus statistics, and usage summaries
- Run routines, timers, alarms, widgets, and notifications
- Restore purchases and determine premium access from Google Play
- Offer optional backup, restore, and Google Drive sync features
- Send and verify optional email magic links
- Maintain app functionality, security, reliability, and analytics
- Fetch limited remote configuration, such as whether a lifetime offer is active
- Keep operational logs or account metadata in Firebase where applicable
4. Important product principle: premium entitlement
ScrollBlock uses Google Play Billing as the source of truth for premium entitlement. Firestore or other backend records are not intended to override a valid Google Play entitlement inside the App.
5. Permissions and access
Depending on what features you enable, ScrollBlock may request:
- Accessibility access, to detect short-form content and enforce blocking behavior
- Usage access, to read app usage statistics and support activity insights
- Notification access, to suppress or defer notifications from blocked apps during focus mode
- Notification permission, to show required service and app notifications
- Exact alarm and boot-related permissions, to run scheduled routines and restore scheduled behavior after reboot
- Package visibility access, to let you view and manage installed apps inside ScrollBlock
- Google account access for Google Drive backup, if you choose Drive backup
You can deny or revoke many of these permissions in Android Settings, but some features will stop working.
6. When information leaves your device
Most detection and blocking logic runs on-device. Information may leave your device only in limited cases, including:
- When Google Play processes purchases and subscription state
- When Firebase services are used for analytics, authentication, installations, feature configuration, or operational logging
- When you add an email address for magic-link verification
- When you choose Google Drive backup or import
- When you manually export or share content from the App, such as activity images or backup files
7. Third parties and service providers
ScrollBlock may use services provided by:
- Google Play / Google Play Billing
- Firebase Analytics
- Firebase Authentication
- Firebase Firestore
- Firebase Functions
- Firebase Installations
- Google Sign-In
- Google Drive API
These providers process data under their own terms and privacy policies.
8. Advertising
ScrollBlock is not designed as an ad-supported app and does not serve in-app display ads. However, Google/Firebase SDKs included in the App may access advertising-related identifiers for analytics or measurement purposes, depending on SDK behavior, Android version, and device settings.
9. Data storage and retention
Data stored locally on your device generally remains there until you delete it, clear app data, overwrite it, or uninstall the App. Optional Firebase account/config/logging records may be retained until no longer needed for operational purposes. Google Drive backups remain in your Google Drive until you delete them. Local or exported backup files remain where you save them until you delete them.
10. Data security
We use reasonable measures to protect information processed by the App. Backups created by the App may be encrypted before export or upload. However, no storage or transmission method is completely secure, and we cannot guarantee absolute security.
11. Your choices
You can:
- Disable or revoke Accessibility, usage access, or notification access
- Uninstall the App or clear app storage
- Stop using backup features
- Delete local backups or Google Drive backups you created
- Choose not to add an email address
- Manage Google Play subscriptions through Google Play
12. Children's privacy
ScrollBlock is not intended for children under 13, or under the minimum age required in your jurisdiction to consent to data processing without parental approval. We do not knowingly seek to collect personal information from children.
13. International processing
Depending on the services you use, your information may be processed on your device and by service providers in countries other than your own, including where Google or Firebase operate infrastructure.
14. Changes to this policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we may update the date above and publish the revised policy through our website or within the App.
15. Contact
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy, contact: