Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 21, 2026

1. Who we are

Pausely ("we," "our," "us") is a digital wellbeing application for Android that helps parents understand how their child feels during screen time through mood check-ins. Pausely is operated by Pausely, based in Austin, Texas.

Contact: hello@pausely.co

2. What Pausely does

Pausely monitors total screen time on a child's Android device. When a daily screen time limit (set by the parent) is reached, the child completes a brief mood check-in consisting of two questions: how they are feeling (happy, neutral, or sad) and their stress level (no stress, a little stressed, or stressful). Completing the check-in earns additional screen time.

Mood check-in data can be synced between the child's device and the parent's device so the parent can view check-in history remotely.

3. Information we collect

From children: Pausely collects the following anonymous data points each time a mood check-in is completed:

• Mood selection (happy, neutral, or sad)
• Stress level selection (no stress, a little stressed, or stressful)
• Screen time in minutes at the time of the check-in
• Timestamp of the check-in

We do NOT collect:

• Names, email addresses, or phone numbers
• Photos, videos, or audio
• Location data
• Contacts or call logs
• Browsing history or app usage details (only total screen time in aggregate)
• Device identifiers, advertising IDs, or fingerprints
• Any information that could identify a specific child

4. How data is stored

Local storage: All mood check-in data is stored locally on the device using Android SharedPreferences. This data never leaves the device unless the parent chooses to enable device pairing (see section 5).

Device pairing: If the parent pairs their device with the child's device, mood check-in data is transmitted securely to Google Firebase Firestore for the sole purpose of syncing between paired devices. Firebase uses encryption in transit (TLS) and at rest.

5. Device pairing and Firebase

Pausely uses Firebase Anonymous Authentication to create device pairing. This means:

• No email, password, or account creation is required
• Each device receives a random anonymous identifier (not linked to any person)
• Devices are paired using a one-time 6-digit code
• Only mood check-in data (as described in section 3) is transmitted
• No personal information is ever transmitted to Firebase
• The parent can unpair devices at any time, which disconnects the sync

Firebase Firestore is provided by Google LLC. Google's privacy policy applies to the Firebase infrastructure: firebase.google.com/support/privacy

6. COPPA compliance

Pausely is designed to comply with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA). Specifically:

• We do not collect personal information from children under 13 (or any age)
• We do not require children to provide personal information to use the app
• Mood check-in data is anonymous and cannot be used to identify a child
• We do not serve behavioral advertising
• We do not share any data with third parties for marketing purposes
• Parents maintain full control and can delete all data by clearing the app's storage or unpairing devices

7. What Pausely is NOT

8. Third-party services

Pausely uses the following third-party services:

• Google Firebase (Anonymous Authentication and Firestore) — for device pairing and mood data sync. No personal information is shared with Firebase.
• Google Play Billing — for subscription payments. Payment information is handled entirely by Google Play and is not accessible to Pausely.

We do not use analytics services, advertising networks, crash reporting tools, or any other third-party services that collect user data.

9. Data retention

Mood check-in data stored locally on the device is retained until the parent clears the app's data or uninstalls the app.

Mood check-in data stored in Firebase Firestore (for paired devices) is retained for as long as the devices remain paired. When the parent unpairs devices, the local pairing data is cleared. Parents can request deletion of Firebase data by contacting hello@pausely.co.

10. Data security

We take reasonable measures to protect mood check-in data:

• Local data is stored in Android's private app storage, inaccessible to other apps
• Firebase data is encrypted in transit (TLS) and at rest
• Firebase access is restricted to authenticated (anonymous) devices only
• Firestore security rules prevent unauthorized access
• The parent dashboard is protected by a 4-digit PIN

11. Parental rights

Parents have the right to:

• Review all mood check-in data collected from their child's device (via the mood journal in the app)
• Delete all local data by clearing the app's storage (Settings → Apps → Pausely → Storage → Clear Data)
• Disconnect device pairing at any time using the "Unpair devices" button
• Uninstall the app at any time, which stops all data collection
• Request deletion of any data stored in Firebase by contacting hello@pausely.co

12. Advertising

Pausely does not display advertisements of any kind. We do not serve behavioral ads, contextual ads, or any other form of advertising. We do not share data with advertisers.

13. Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify users through the app or on our website. The "last updated" date at the top of this page indicates when the policy was last revised.

14. Contact us

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, your data, or Pausely's practices, please contact us:

Email: hello@pausely.co
Website: pausely.co