Privacy Policy

PeerPause (the "App") helps you make iPhone screen-time limits harder to override by involving a trusted Time Buddy. This Privacy Policy describes the information PeerPause handles, why we need it, who helps us process it, and the choices you have.

Our product is built around a simple privacy idea: PeerPause needs enough information to run accounts, buddy requests, notifications, contact matching, and subscriptions, but your detailed Screen Time activity should stay on your device. PeerPause does not sell your personal information. If you do not want your information handled as described here, please do not use the App.

1. Information We Collect

PeerPause collects the information needed to provide the service and keep it reliable. That includes account and profile information, Time Buddy request records, optional contact matching data, push notification tokens, subscription status, and limited technical data. PeerPause does not upload detailed Screen Time usage or app-content data to our backend.

1.1 Personal Data (Account and Time Buddy Information)

When you sign in or use Time Buddy features, PeerPause may handle the following account and relationship data:

• Account details: Your email address, user ID, sign-in provider, generated username, display name, profile image URL, and optional phone number. PeerPause uses Apple or Google sign-in through Supabase authentication, so we do not keep a PeerPause password for you.
• Time Buddy relationships: The friend you connect with, their user identifier, and the status of buddy invitations or removals.
• Request records: When you ask for extra time, request a limit change, or request a limit removal, PeerPause stores the information needed to send, display, answer, and resolve that request. This can include the request type, requested duration, requested new limit, optional message, app or limit name, the users involved, the response, and timestamps.

We use this information to operate accounts and buddy approvals. PeerPause does not ask for your home address, government ID, camera, microphone, photos, or precise location for the current App experience.

1.2 App Permissions and Local Device Data

Some PeerPause features rely on iOS permissions:

• Screen Time and DeviceActivity access: PeerPause uses Apple's Screen Time, FamilyControls, and DeviceActivity APIs to let you choose apps or categories, set limits, view usage summaries, block selections, and apply approved extensions.
• Notifications: PeerPause asks to send notifications so buddy requests and responses can arrive on time.
• Contacts: If you use contact matching, PeerPause asks for contacts permission. Phone numbers and email addresses are hashed before matching. Contact names stay local and are used to make matched results understandable in the App.

Detailed Screen Time information, including selected apps or categories, usage totals, app lists, and usage reports, is handled locally through Apple's frameworks and app group storage on your device. PeerPause does not upload your Screen Time history, the content you view, or the full list of apps and websites you use to our servers.

Buddy requests are the exception for limited request context. When you send one, PeerPause may send an internal selection ID, app or limit name, requested time, requested new limit, and optional message so your buddy can respond.

1.3 Automatically Collected Data (Usage and Device Information)

PeerPause may process basic technical information when you use the App, website, or API:

• Device and app diagnostics: Device type, operating system version, app version, technical events, and error information may be processed by iOS, Expo, Supabase, hosting providers, or app stores.
• Service logs: Backend systems may record timestamps, API routes, account actions, request status changes, and notification delivery events.
• Website and network data: The website and API may process IP address, user agent, timestamps, requested URLs, and similar standard request data.
• Push notification token: If notifications are enabled, PeerPause stores a device push token so it can send request notifications.
• Subscription status: If you subscribe or start a trial, Apple and RevenueCat process purchase information. PeerPause may receive entitlement status, product identifiers, purchase timing, renewal or cancellation state, and related metadata needed to unlock paid features.

This data is used for App functionality, security, debugging, subscription access, and reliability. PeerPause does not use it to build advertising profiles.

1.4 Data We Do Not Collect

PeerPause is designed not to collect several sensitive categories of information on our servers:

• App content: We do not collect messages, photos, browser page content, or content from other apps.
• Detailed Screen Time statistics: We do not upload your detailed usage metrics, usage history, or usage patterns to our backend. Local insights shown through Apple's APIs stay on your device.
• Complete contacts: Contact matching uses hashed phone numbers and email addresses. Contact names are not sent in the matching request.
• Payment card numbers: Apple handles payment details, and RevenueCat helps manage subscription status. PeerPause does not receive your full card number.
• Unneeded permissions: PeerPause does not request precise location, camera, microphone, or photos for its current functionality.

2. How We Use Your Information

PeerPause uses information for the purposes below:

• Running accounts: Authenticating you, loading your profile, syncing your username and display name, and keeping your session working.
• Powering Time Buddy flows: Creating buddy relationships, sending requests, showing request details, recording responses, and resolving notifications.
• Applying Screen Time controls: Enforcing the limits you create through Apple's on-device Screen Time APIs. Our servers do not process detailed Screen Time data for this.
• Delivering notifications: Using push tokens and request metadata to notify you and your buddy about pending or answered requests.
• Finding friends: Matching hashed contact identifiers against hashed identifiers from other PeerPause users, if you choose to grant contacts permission.
• Managing subscriptions: Checking entitlement status, restoring purchases, showing paywalls, and enabling paid features.
• Providing support: Responding to messages you send us and investigating issues you report.
• Maintaining the service: Debugging problems, monitoring reliability, preventing abuse, securing accounts, and complying with legal obligations.

PeerPause does not sell personal information, and we do not use your data for advertising profiling.

3. Third-Party Services and Data Processing

PeerPause relies on service providers for infrastructure, authentication, notifications, subscriptions, updates, and hosting. These providers process information for the functions they perform for PeerPause.

• Supabase: Supabase provides authentication, database, and backend infrastructure. Account profiles, Time Buddy relationships, request records, notification records, push tokens, and hashed identifiers may be stored in Supabase.
• Apple: Apple provides Sign in with Apple, App Store purchases, push notification infrastructure, and Screen Time / DeviceActivity APIs. Apple also processes information according to your iOS and App Store settings.
• Google: Google provides Google sign-in if you choose that sign-in method.
• RevenueCat: RevenueCat helps manage subscription status, trials, customer center, purchases, restorations, and paid feature entitlements.
• Expo: Expo services may support app builds, updates, push token generation, and notification delivery infrastructure.
• Hosting providers: PeerPause uses hosted backend and website infrastructure to serve the landing page, privacy policy, and API.

PeerPause uses Vercel Web Analytics and Speed Insights on its public website to understand aggregate page traffic and performance without cookies. If PeerPause later adds crash reporting, advertising pixels, or similar tracking tools beyond what is described here, we will update this Privacy Policy as required.

4. Data Sharing and Disclosure

PeerPause does not sell, rent, or trade personal information. We disclose information only in limited situations:

• Service providers: We share what is needed for the providers above to operate the App.
• Your Time Buddy: If you send a request, your buddy sees the information needed to decide, such as your display name, request type, requested time, optional message, and app or limit name when available.
• Your direction or consent: If you ask us to connect PeerPause with another service, we may share the information needed for that feature.
• Legal and safety reasons: We may disclose information to comply with law, respond to valid legal process, enforce terms, investigate security or fraud issues, or protect users, the public, or our rights.
• Business changes: If PeerPause or its owning company is involved in a merger, acquisition, financing, asset sale, or similar transaction, information may be transferred as part of that transaction, subject to protections consistent with this policy.

Access to personal information is limited to people and providers who need it to operate, secure, or support PeerPause.

5. International Data Transfers

PeerPause and its providers may process information in countries other than the one where you live. For example, backend, hosting, authentication, notification, and subscription providers may operate infrastructure in multiple regions.

When privacy laws require safeguards for international transfers, we use measures such as contractual protections, Standard Contractual Clauses, adequacy decisions, consent, or other lawful transfer mechanisms. Wherever information is processed, we apply the privacy protections described in this policy.

6. Your Rights and Choices

Your rights depend on where you live, but they may include the ability to access, correct, delete, export, restrict, or object to certain uses of personal information:

• Access and portability: You may request a copy or summary of the personal information we have about you.
• Correction: You may update certain profile information in the App or contact us to correct inaccurate information.
• Deletion: You may delete your account in the App. You can also delete local device data by removing limits, revoking permissions, clearing app data, or uninstalling the App. Some limited information may remain where required by law, in backups, or for legitimate security, accounting, dispute, or fraud-prevention reasons.
• Withdrawal of consent: You can disable contacts, notifications, and Screen Time permissions through iOS settings. Some App functionality may stop working if required permissions are disabled.
• Opt-out of marketing: PeerPause does not currently send marketing emails. If that changes, we will provide an unsubscribe or opt-out method where required.
• Restriction and objection: In some jurisdictions, you may ask us to restrict or stop certain processing.
• Non-discrimination: We will not discriminate against you for exercising your privacy rights, though some features may depend on data you ask us to delete or stop processing.

To make a privacy request, contact us at the in-app support links. We may verify your identity before fulfilling a request.

If you are in the EEA, UK, or another region with comprehensive privacy laws, you may also be able to complain to your local data protection authority. PeerPause processes personal information under legal bases that may include contract, consent, legitimate interests, and legal obligation.

If you are a California resident, you may have rights to know, access, correct, delete, and opt out of certain sharing or sale of personal information. PeerPause does not sell your personal information.

7. Data Retention

PeerPause keeps personal information for as long as it is needed for the purposes in this policy, unless a longer period is required or permitted by law:

• Account information: We keep account and profile data while your account is active. If you delete your account, we delete or anonymize personal data from active systems, except where retention is required or permitted by law.
• Time Buddy and request data: Time Buddy relationships, request records, and notification records are generally kept while your account is active or while needed to deliver, resolve, troubleshoot, or maintain the request history.
• Hashed contact identifiers: Hashed identifiers are kept while needed for friend discovery unless removed through account deletion or a privacy request.
• Push tokens: Push tokens are kept while needed to send notifications and may be replaced or removed when you sign out, revoke permission, delete your account, or the token becomes invalid.
• Local device data: Screen Time settings, selected apps or categories, app group data, and usage summaries are stored locally on your device. We do not keep a server copy of detailed Screen Time data.
• Subscription records: Apple, RevenueCat, and PeerPause may retain subscription records as needed for purchase restoration, accounting, fraud prevention, support, and legal compliance.
• Logs and diagnostics: Technical logs and diagnostics are kept only as long as reasonably needed for security, debugging, service operation, and legal compliance.

When information is no longer needed, we delete or anonymize it. If information remains in backups for a limited period, we do not use it for active product purposes.

8. Data Security

PeerPause uses safeguards intended to protect personal information, including encrypted transport, provider-managed authentication, authenticated API requests, scoped backend access, hashed contact identifiers for matching, access controls, and operational safeguards.

No app, network, or storage system can be guaranteed perfectly secure. If we become aware of a security incident involving personal information, we will take appropriate steps to investigate, reduce harm, and notify users or authorities when required.

9. Children's Privacy

PeerPause is not intended for children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone under 13. If you are under 13, please do not use PeerPause.

If you are between 13 and 18, use PeerPause only with permission and supervision from a parent or guardian. In some regions, the required age may be higher. If we learn that we collected personal information from a child in a way that violates applicable law, we will take appropriate steps to delete it.

If you are a parent or guardian and have concerns about a child's personal data, contact us at the in-app support links.

10. Changes to This Privacy Policy

We may revise this Privacy Policy from time to time. The updated version will show a new "Last updated" date. If a change is material, we will provide notice in the App, on the website, by email, or through another appropriate method when required.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests about this Privacy Policy or your personal information, contact us at the in-app support links.

We will respond as soon as reasonably possible and within any timeframe required by applicable law.