1. What FocusGuard Is

FocusGuard (listing name FocusGuard: Block Reels & Apps, package app.novushq.appblocker) is an Android app blocker. It blocks distracting apps and websites on schedules you define, closes Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, TikTok and other short-form feeds the moment they open, runs focus timers and daily app limits, and shows on-device screen-time statistics and weekly reports.

FocusGuard is developed and operated by NovusHQ, which is the data controller for the limited information described in this policy that reaches us (only emails you send). Google is an independent controller for data its advertising services collect. Contact: support@novushq.app.

This policy applies to the FocusGuard Android app and to this web page. It does not apply to other apps, to websites you visit, or to advertisers' sites you open by tapping an ad.

2. Information We Collect

2.1 Data You Create (Stored on Your Device Only)

• Block rules: chosen apps and websites, schedules, days and start/end times, group names.
• Focus sessions, daily time limits, open limits, mindful-pause and strict-mode settings.
• Blocked keywords, the adult-content filter setting and your theme choice.
• Short-video (Reels/Shorts) session history and blocked-open counts that the App records itself.
• Screen-time statistics the App reads from Android with your permission (per-app time, sessions, hourly buckets) and the weekly reports derived from them.
• Ad state: your consent choices (stored by Google's UMP SDK) and the end time of any earned ad-free period.

This data lives in the App's private storage (Room databases, DataStore and SharedPreferences) inside Android's app sandbox. The App never sends it to NovusHQ, to Google's ad services or to anyone else. See section 12 for Android's own device backup.

2.2 Data Collected Automatically by Google's Ads SDK

FocusGuard includes the Google Mobile Ads SDK (AdMob) and Google's User Messaging Platform (UMP). When ads are requested, these SDKs may collect and share with Google:

NovusHQ does not receive this data in identifiable form; we see only aggregated earnings and performance reports in AdMob. Data is encrypted in transit (TLS).

2.3 What We Do NOT Collect

• No account, name, email (unless you write to us), phone number or contacts.
• No precise (GPS) location, photos, files, microphone or camera access.
• No message content, typing, passwords or page content — the accessibility service checks only which app or site address is on screen.
• No analytics or crash-reporting SDKs run by NovusHQ.
• Nothing about your rules, the apps you block or your screen time is ever passed to the ads SDK or used to target ads.

3. Android Permissions — What They Do and Do Not Do

• Accessibility service (required for blocking). FocusGuard uses Android's AccessibilityService API only to: (1) see which app is in the foreground, to block it during your schedules, focus sessions and limits; (2) read the browser address bar, to block the websites and keywords you listed; (3) detect a Reels/Shorts player on screen, to close it; and (4) recognise FocusGuard's own uninstall and switch-off screens in Android Settings, to show a reminder and, while strict mode is on, keep your blocks locked. To enforce a rule it only takes the actions you set up: opening FocusGuard's block screen, pressing Back to leave a short-video feed, or returning to the home screen. It does not read messages, typing or passwords, and what it sees is processed in memory on your phone — never stored, never transmitted, never shared with NovusHQ, Google's ad services or anyone else. The App shows this explanation and asks you to tap Agree and turn on before it opens Accessibility settings; you can choose Not now and turn the service off at any time in Android Settings > Accessibility.
• Usage access (optional). Used only to compute the on-device statistics in Usage and Reports and to enforce daily time limits. Usage data is read on your phone and never uploaded.
• Notification access (optional). Lets FocusGuard silence notifications from apps while their block is active. It checks only which app posted a notification and dismisses it if that app is blocked; it does not read, store or send notification content.
• Notifications (optional, Android 13+). Shows the focus-session countdown.
• Internet and network state. Used only by the ads and consent SDKs. Blocking, schedules, limits and statistics work fully offline; while offline, the ad space shows a notice instead of an ad.
• Advertising ID (com.google.android.gms.permission.AD_ID) and Privacy Sandbox ad services (ACCESS_ADSERVICES_AD_ID, ACCESS_ADSERVICES_TOPICS, ACCESS_ADSERVICES_ATTRIBUTION). Added by the Google Mobile Ads SDK for ad delivery, interest-based ads (where consented) and measurement. You control these in Android Settings > Privacy > Ads.
• Foreground service and wake lock. Added by Google's SDKs for background housekeeping (for example, WorkManager tasks); FocusGuard does not use them to track you.
• Launcher app list. FocusGuard queries only apps that appear on your home screen, to show them in the app pickers. It does not request QUERY_ALL_PACKAGES.

4. How Data Is Used

4.1 On Your Device

• Enforcing your block rules, focus sessions, limits, keyword and adult-content filters, and strict mode.
• Computing the Reels/Shorts dashboard, Usage and weekly Reports.
• Remembering your ad consent and any earned ad-free period.

4.2 By Google, for Ads

Google uses the data in section 2.2 to serve, measure and protect ads and, where you have consented, to personalise them. Google's use is described in How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services.

4.3 Legal Bases (EEA, UK, Switzerland)

• App features — processed on your device to provide the service you asked for (performance of a contract / legitimate interest).
• Personalised ads and storing or accessing information on your device for ads — your consent, collected through Google's consent message. You can withdraw it at any time (section 6).
• Non-personalised or limited ads, ad measurement and fraud prevention — legitimate interest in funding a free app, or consent where the law requires it, as determined by your choices in the consent message.
• Replying to support emails — legitimate interest in answering you.

5. Advertising

FocusGuard is free for everyone and paid for by ads. We designed them to stay out of the way:

• Banner. One small banner at the bottom of the App's screens. It is not shown during onboarding or permission setup, or while the keyboard is open.
• Interstitial (full-screen) ads. Shown only at a natural break — when you finish a task (for example, saving a schedule or starting a focus session) and return to a main tab. At most one every 3 minutes, only after at least two completed tasks, never in the first minute after opening the App, never on launch and never mid-task.
• Rewarded video (optional). Only when you tap "Go ad-free for an hour" in Settings. Watching it hides all ads for one hour (repeatable, up to 24 hours ahead). No feature is ever locked behind an ad.
• Never on block screens. The screens FocusGuard shows over a blocked app, site or Reels feed, and the mindful-pause screen, never contain ads.
• Content. Ad content is limited to Google's "T" (teen) maximum rating. Ads are supplied by Google and its partners, not chosen by NovusHQ. If an ad seems inappropriate, use the ad's "AdChoices" / feedback control or contact us.
• Tapping an ad opens the advertiser's site or app, whose privacy policy then applies.
• If Pro is introduced later, Pro users will see no ads of any kind.

Depending on your region and choices, Google may serve personalised ads (based on your Advertising ID and interests), non-personalised ads (based on context such as the app and coarse location) or limited ads (no personal data used for ad selection, and no device storage where consent is refused). Non-personalised and limited ads still process some data for delivery, measurement and fraud prevention.

6. Consent & Ad Choices

• EEA, UK and Switzerland. Google's consent message (an IAB TCF-registered consent platform) appears before any ad is requested. You can consent, refuse, or manage choices per purpose and partner. Refusing never blocks the App: you get limited or non-personalised ads and every feature keeps working.
• US states with privacy laws (including California, Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, Texas, Oregon and others). Where required, a message lets you opt out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information for targeted advertising.
• Change your mind any time: Settings > Ads > Ad privacy choices (shown wherever the law requires it) reopens the consent options.
• Everywhere: delete or reset your Advertising ID, or turn off ad personalisation, in Android Settings > Privacy > Ads; manage Google ad settings at My Ad Center.
• The App refreshes the consent status on every launch, so a change you make takes effect immediately. Consent records are stored on your device by the UMP SDK (standard IABTCF_* / IABGPP_* values) and are not sent to NovusHQ.

7. Third-Party Services

There are no analytics, crash-reporting, attribution or payment SDKs.

8. Payments

FocusGuard currently processes no payments: there are no in-app purchases or subscriptions, and we never see or store payment details. If a Pro upgrade through Google Play billing is introduced, this policy will be updated before it ships, payments will be processed solely by Google Play, and Pro users will see no ads.

9. Data Sharing

• We do not sell, rent or trade data, and we hold none about you on any server.
• Your rules, blocked apps, statistics and accessibility observations are never shared with anyone.
• The ads SDK shares the data in section 2.2 with Google and, where you consent, Google's ad partners. Under some US state laws this may count as "sharing" for cross-context behavioural advertising or as a "sale"; you can opt out as described in section 6.
• Emails you send to support@novushq.app are used only to answer you.
• We may disclose information if required by law, or to protect rights and safety; and if NovusHQ or this App is transferred to a new owner, this policy continues to apply to it.

10. Your Rights

Your app data is on your device, so you are always in control: change rules and settings in the App, clear its storage (Android Settings > Apps > FocusGuard > Storage > Clear data) to erase everything, or uninstall it. For advertising data, use section 6 and Google's tools; for anything else, email support@novushq.app. We will not discriminate against you for exercising any right.

10A. GDPR Rights (EEA / UK / Switzerland)

You have the right to access, rectify, erase, restrict and port your data, to object to processing based on legitimate interest, and to withdraw consent at any time without affecting earlier processing. You may lodge a complaint with your local data protection authority. Google may process advertising data outside your country under safeguards such as the EU Standard Contractual Clauses and the EU-US Data Privacy Framework. We respond within 30 days.

10B. US State Rights (California CCPA/CPRA and other states)

You have the right to know, access, correct and delete personal information, and to opt out of its sale, sharing for targeted advertising, and profiling. Categories involved: identifiers (advertising ID, IP address), internet or electronic activity (ad interactions) and approximate geolocation — collected by Google's ads SDK for advertising and security, and disclosed to Google and its ad partners. NovusHQ itself holds none of it. Opt out through the consent message, Settings > Ads > Ad privacy choices, or by deleting your Advertising ID. To make a request, email us; an authorised agent may act for you. We respond within 45 days.

10C. Other Regions

We comply with applicable privacy laws wherever FocusGuard is available, including Brazil (LGPD), India (DPDP Act), Canada (PIPEDA), Australia, Japan and South Korea. Contact us to exercise your rights.

11. Children's Privacy

FocusGuard is a general productivity app for people aged 13 and over. It is not directed at children and is not part of Google Play's Families programme. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13 (or under 16 where local law sets a higher age for consent). Ad content is capped at a teen rating, but that does not make the App child-directed. If you believe a child has sent us personal data, contact us and we will delete it.

12. Security, Backup & Retention

12.1 Security

Android's application sandbox keeps the App's storage private from other apps. The App itself sends none of your rules or statistics anywhere; ad traffic is encrypted in transit by Google's SDK.

12.2 Android Device Backup

If Android backup is on for your device, Android may include FocusGuard's settings and databases (your rules and statistics) in your own encrypted device backup, stored under your Google account. This is controlled by your device settings; NovusHQ cannot access it. You can turn it off in Android Settings > System > Backup.

12.3 Retention

• Your rules, settings and statistics — on your device until you clear the App's data or uninstall it (and in your device backup if enabled).
• Accessibility observations — never retained; discarded after each block decision.
• Consent and ad-free state — on your device until you change it, clear data or uninstall.
• Advertising data — retained by Google under its own retention policy; NovusHQ stores none.
• Support emails — kept only as long as needed to resolve your request, then deleted.

13. Changes to This Policy

We will update this page, and its "Updated" date, before any change in how FocusGuard handles data ships — for example, if a new SDK, ad format or paid plan is added. Material changes will also be noted in the App's release notes.

14. Contact Info

If you have any questions or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your data, please get in touch: