Effective and last updated: July 29, 2026
BlockPause: App & Screen Time helps people use distracting apps in controlled sessions. This policy explains how the Android app handles information and the choices available to you.
1. OVERVIEW
BlockPause does not require an account. In the current release, app names, rules, usage totals, browsing-rule matches, and usage history stay on your device by default. BlockPause does not sell personal information and does not use intrusive advertising.
The current analytics implementation is disabled. App names, package names, website addresses, and usage history are not sent to an analytics provider.
2. DATA STORED ON YOUR DEVICE
BlockPause stores information needed to provide its features:
- Selected apps, individual limits, and app groups.
- Website domains, keywords, match settings, and the adult-site blocking preference.
- Session limits, daily maximums, break durations, opening delays, and reminder messages.
- Usage totals, app-open counts, blocked attempts, completed breaks, and seven-day progress history.
- Blocking templates, schedules, and Focus Now selections.
- Passcode settings and salted password-derived hashes for the app passcode and optional Guardian PIN.
- Local emergency-access and Guardian recovery events, preferences, and tracking-health information.
- The latest locally verified Google Play entitlement state when Pro billing is configured.
BlockPause disables Android cloud backup and device-to-device transfer for its private databases, files, and preferences. The current release does not include cloud backup or synchronization.
3. PERMISSIONS AND SPECIAL ACCESS
BlockPause asks only for access required by features you choose:
Usage Access: Measures when selected apps are used and for how long so session and daily limits can work.
Accessibility Service: Detects when a selected app opens so BlockPause can show an optional opening delay and enforce a configured rule. If you separately enable website blocking, it reads only the current address-bar URL in supported browsers and compares it locally with your enabled rules. Addresses are processed transiently and are not saved or transmitted. BlockPause does not read messages, passwords, contacts, or arbitrary page content.
Display over other apps: Presents opening-delay, compulsory-break, and daily-limit screens over selected apps.
Notifications and foreground service: Keeps user-started tracking visible and shows tracking-health or usage warnings while rules are active.
Device Admin: Provides optional uninstall protection. When enabled, you must turn it off before uninstalling BlockPause.
Battery settings: Opens Android battery settings so you can choose a suitable background setting. BlockPause does not silently change this setting.
4. DATA SHARING AND THIRD-PARTY SERVICES
BlockPause does not transmit your selected app names, website rules, browser addresses, usage durations, or usage history to the developer or an advertising company.
Google Play processes purchases and subscriptions. Google may provide product, purchase, and entitlement status needed to activate or restore Pro features. Google handles this information under its own privacy policy. BlockPause keeps only the latest locally verified entitlement state in the current release.
If a future release introduces an analytics provider, cloud backup, account system, or remote purchase-verification service, this policy and the Google Play Data Safety disclosure will be updated before that data handling is enabled.
5. YOUR CHOICES AND CONTROLS
You can:
- Remove apps, groups, templates, websites, and keywords.
- Disable website rules and stop tracking.
- Turn off optional uninstall protection.
- Use Clear Rules & Usage to stop tracking and delete rules, current usage totals, and usage history.
- Use Android's Clear storage action or uninstall BlockPause to delete all remaining local app data.
If Guardian protection is enabled for a specific rule, enforcement-reducing changes require the user passcode and Guardian PIN, or the visible delayed-recovery process selected during setup.
6. RETENTION AND DELETION
Local rules, preferences, usage totals, and history remain until you delete them, clear BlockPause storage, or uninstall the app. Browser addresses used for local rule matching are not retained. Google controls retention of Google Play purchase records under Google's policies.
7. CHILDREN'S PRIVACY
BlockPause is a general-audience digital wellbeing tool and is not directed specifically to children. The app does not knowingly collect personal information from children. A parent or guardian who configures BlockPause on a child's device should review the selected permissions and rules with the child as appropriate.
8. SECURITY
BlockPause relies on Android's application sandbox and stores its databases and preferences in the app's private storage. Passcodes are represented by salted password-derived hashes rather than stored as readable PINs. No system can guarantee absolute security, so users should also maintain Android security updates and a secure device lock.
9. CHANGES TO THIS POLICY
This policy may be updated when BlockPause's features, data practices, or legal requirements change. The effective date at the top of this page will identify the latest version. Material changes will also be reflected in the app or its Google Play listing when required.
10. CONTACT
Questions or privacy requests can be sent to BlockPause Support at mayorhay@gmail.com.