ScrollSensePrivacy policy
ScrollSense helps you scroll sensibly. It doesn't need to know what you watch, so most of what it does happens on your phone.
Last updated 7 November 2026. Covers the Android and iPhone apps.
In short
- Your scrolling and focus history stays on your phone.
- We never sell your data or use it for ads.
- Only sign-in, weather, purchases and crash reports leave your phone.
- You can delete your account in the app at any time.
Who we are
ScrollSense is made by a small independent team. We decide how your data is used, so we are responsible for it under this policy (the "data controller"). "We" and "us" on this page mean ScrollSense. Questions go to [email protected].
What stays on your phone
This is used to run Attention Mode, Focus Mode and your stats. It is stored in the app's private storage and is never sent to us.
- Scrolling pace. AndroidWhen a new short video starts in TikTok, Instagram, YouTube Shorts or Snapchat, and how fast you move between them. This is how the app knows when you've seen 5 videos in a minute, and how it works out your attention span.
- What kind of screen is open. AndroidThe app looks at the layout of the screen, such as its parts, positions and short labels, to tell a video feed apart from comments, profiles, search, messages and ads. It is not built to read or keep the words of comments, captions, messages, usernames, searches or posts.
- Apps you pick. On Android, the list of installed apps is read on your phone so you can choose watched apps and the app to open instead. On iPhone, Apple's Screen Time picker gives the app a private code for each app you choose, so ScrollSense can't see their names or what you do in them.
- Focus plans and settings. Focus times, task names, your daily limit, quick question answers, your choices in Settings and your history.
- Calendar events. If you allow it, the title, notes, place and time of upcoming events are read on your phone to suggest focus time, for example before an exam.
- Daily screen time for a watched app. AndroidIf you turn on the screen-time reminder, the app asks Android for today's total for that app. It shows it and doesn't keep it.
What leaves your phone
Only these services get any data, and only what they need. None of them get your scrolling history, focus plans, calendar events or app list.
| Service | What it gets | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Google Sign-In, Sign in with Apple (iPhone) and Firebase Authentication | Your name, email address, profile picture and an account ID | To sign you in and keep your subscription tied to you |
| MET Norway (weather) | Your approximate location, or the town you choose, plus your IP address, as with any web request | To show the weather on the Home screen. You can pick a town instead of sharing your location. |
| Open-Meteo (iPhone) | The town name you type when searching | To find the town for the weather. On Android, town search uses your phone's own place search. |
| Firebase Crashlytics (Android) | Crash and weather error reports with your phone model, Android version, app version and a random install ID | To find and fix bugs. Reports don't include your scrolling history, location or account details. |
| Google Play and RevenueCat (Android), App Store (iPhone) | Purchase and subscription status, product and transaction IDs | To sell, restore and check your subscription |
These services handle data under their own privacy policies. Some of them, such as Google, may process it outside the European Economic Area. Where they do, they use legal safeguards such as the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses.
What we never do
- Sell or rent your data.
- Use your data for ads or build an advertising profile of you.
- Record your screen, audio or what you type.
Permissions
The app asks for each permission when you turn on the feature that needs it. You can turn any of them off in your phone's settings, but the feature that relies on it will stop working.
Android
- Accessibility to notice new short videos and tell feeds from other screens.
- Display over other apps for greyscale, check-ins, quick questions and pauses.
- Notification access and audio to stop the sound during a pause. Nothing is recorded.
- Usage access for the optional screen-time reminder.
- Calendar for focus suggestions.
- Location for the weather.
- Notifications, alarms and battery so focus times start on time and protection keeps running.
iPhone
- Screen Time to pause the apps you pick during Focus Mode. Apple keeps your app usage private from us.
- Calendar for focus suggestions.
- Location for the weather. It is rounded to about 1 km before it's sent.
- Notifications for focus reminders.
How long we keep it
- Scrolling events for your attention span stay on your phone for 7 days.
- The weather is cached on your phone and refreshed about every 30 minutes.
- Focus plans, settings and history stay on your phone until you reset or delete them, or uninstall the app.
- Your sign-in account stays until you delete it.
- Crash reports are kept by Firebase Crashlytics for up to 90 days.
- Google Play, Apple and RevenueCat keep purchase records as the law requires for tax, fraud prevention and billing.
Why we're allowed to use it
- To provide the app you asked for: sign-in, subscriptions and the features you turn on.
- Your consent: location, calendar and the other permissions you allow. You can withdraw it at any time in your phone's settings.
- Our legitimate interest in a working app: crash reports on Android.
- Legal duties: keeping purchase records.
Your rights
If you live in the EU, UK or a place with similar laws, you can ask to see, correct, delete or get a copy of your personal data, and you can object to or limit how it's used. Because most data never leaves your phone, the quickest way is Settings > Reset local data or Delete account in the app. For anything else, email [email protected] and we'll reply within 30 days.
You can also complain to the data protection authority where you live, such as the Data Protection Commission in Ireland.
Children
ScrollSense is not meant for children under 13, and we don't knowingly collect data from them. If you think a child has given us personal data, email us and we'll delete it.
Changes
If this policy changes, we'll update the date at the top. If a change is important, we'll also tell you in the app or on the store page.
Contact
Email us at [email protected].