Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 4, 2026

BreakBuddy ("we", "us", "the app") is a focus and accountability app that helps you stay on track by blocking distracting apps, either solo or with a friend. This policy explains what data we collect, how we use it, and your choices.

1. Information We Collect

Account Information

When you sign in with Google or email/password, we collect:

  • Name and email address — used to identify you in the app and to your friends
  • Profile photo URL (Google sign-in only) — displayed on your profile

Your email address is searchable by other authenticated users so they can send you friend requests.

Pact Data

When you create or join a pact, we store:

  • Pact name, duration, and mode settings
  • The package names of apps you choose to block (e.g., "com.instagram.android")
  • Pact outcomes — whether you completed or broke the pact
  • Timestamps for pact start, end, and status changes

For buddy pacts, this data is shared with your pact partner so you can track each other's progress.

Friends and Social Data

We store your in-app friend connections, friend request history, and buddy pact invitations to enable social features.

Installed Apps List

The app reads the list of apps installed on your device so you can choose which ones to block. This list is processed and cached entirely on your device. We do not upload or transmit your full installed apps list to any server. Only the specific apps you select to block are stored in our servers as part of your pact data.

Accessibility Service

BreakBuddy uses Android's Accessibility Service to detect when you open a blocked app during an active pact. Specifically, it reads the package name of the foreground app to check it against your blocked list.

  • This data is processed entirely on your device
  • We do not collect, store, or transmit information about which apps you open
  • We do not read screen content, text fields, or any other window content
  • The Accessibility Service is only active during a running pact

Feedback and Bug Reports

If you submit feedback through the app, we collect:

  • Your email address (so we can reply to you)
  • Your comment text and feedback type (bug report or feature request)
  • Screenshots you choose to attach (up to 2 images)
  • Your app version

Crash Reports

We use Firebase Crashlytics to collect anonymous crash reports, including device model, OS version, and technical error details. These help us identify and fix bugs. Crash reports do not contain your personal data.

Push Notification Tokens

We use Firebase Cloud Messaging to send you notifications about buddy pact invites and updates. Your device's push notification token is stored on our servers and deleted when you sign out.

2. How We Use Your Data

  • To provide the core app functionality — creating, running, and tracking pacts
  • To enable buddy pacts and friend connections
  • To send push notifications about pact invites, starts, and updates
  • To display ads (free tier users only)
  • To diagnose crashes and improve app stability
  • To respond to your feedback and bug reports

3. Data Sharing

We do not sell your personal data.

Your blocked app selections and pact outcomes are shared only with your chosen pact partners. No other users can see your data.

We use the following third-party services, which may process your data according to their own privacy policies:

Service Purpose Data Shared
Google Firebase (Auth, Firestore, Storage) Authentication, data storage, file storage Account info, pact data, feedback
Firebase Crashlytics Crash reporting Device info, crash logs
Firebase Cloud Messaging Push notifications Device push tokens
Google AdMob Advertising (free tier only) Device identifiers, ad interaction data

For more information, see Google's Privacy Policy and Firebase's Privacy and Security documentation.

4. Advertising

Free tier users may see ads served by Google AdMob. AdMob may collect device advertising identifiers, IP address, and usage data for ad personalization. You can opt out of personalized ads in your device's Google settings. Premium and beta users do not see ads.

5. Data Storage and Security

  • Local data is stored on your device using Hive (local database) and SharedPreferences
  • Server data is stored on Google Firebase servers protected by Google's security infrastructure
  • All data in transit is encrypted via HTTPS/TLS
  • Firestore security rules ensure users can only access their own data and data shared through friend/pact relationships

6. Data Retention

Your data is retained as long as you have an active account. Past pact history is stored locally on your device. Feedback submissions are retained until resolved. You can request deletion of your data at any time by contacting us.

7. Your Rights and Choices

You can:

  • Delete your account and all associated data by contacting us at the email below
  • Disable push notifications in your device settings
  • Revoke the Accessibility Service permission in your device's accessibility settings at any time
  • Opt out of personalized ads in your device's Google advertising settings
  • Sign out at any time from the app's settings page, which clears all local data
  • Remove friends to stop sharing pact data with them

8. Children's Privacy

BreakBuddy is not intended for children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal data, please contact us and we will delete it.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. We will notify users of significant changes through the app. The "last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last revised.

10. Contact Us

If you have questions about this privacy policy, want to request data deletion, or need to exercise any of your rights, contact us at:

breakbuddyteam@gmail.com