Privacy Policy

Effective date: 19 July 2026

Friction is provided by Chirag Dua (“we”, “us”, or “our”). This Privacy Policy explains how the Friction Android app handles information when you use it.

Summary

Friction is designed to work on your device. It does not require an account and does not use advertising, analytics, cloud storage, or a remote database. The app does not transmit your Friction settings, selected-app information, or Accessibility Service information to us.

Information Friction Handles

Friction handles the following information locally on your device to provide its features:

• Selected-app information: the package names and labels of installed apps shown in the app picker, plus the apps you choose to include in a Friction preset.
• Friction settings: preset names, schedules, durations, lockscreen settings, emergency-exit settings, gate-message preferences, theme preference, and onboarding status.
• Foreground-app events: when the Accessibility Service is enabled, Friction receives the package name of the app whose window becomes active so it can decide whether to show a gate. Friction is configured not to retrieve window content, text typed into apps, screenshots, passwords, messages, contacts, or web browsing content.
• Screen state: when lockscreen friction is enabled, Friction uses device screen-off and user-unlock events to decide when to show a lockscreen gate.
• Battery-reliability status: Friction checks whether Android is allowing it to run without battery optimisation so its gate can work reliably.
• Notification preference: if you allow notifications, Friction may schedule occasional on-device reminders. Reminder scheduling and message selection happen locally.

How Information Is Used

Friction uses this information only to:

• show the installed apps that can be selected for a preset;
• apply the friction gate to your chosen apps and, if enabled, after device unlock;
• remember your settings and complete an active friction timer;
• avoid interrupting active or ringing phone calls; and
• send occasional Friction reminders when notifications are allowed.

Storage and Sharing

Friction stores its settings in private Android app storage on your device. We do not operate a server for the app and do not collect, sell, rent, share, or transmit this information to third parties.

Permissions and Device Features

Friction asks for or uses the following Android permissions and system features:

• Accessibility Service / App monitor: required for Friction to detect when selected apps become active and show a gate. You enable this in Android Accessibility settings after seeing Friction’s in-app explanation.
• Display over other apps: required for friction gate to appear over apps selected by user.
• Battery optimisation settings: used to help Friction remain reliable in the background. The app opens Android settings so you can choose the appropriate option for your device.
• Notifications: optional. Used only for occasional Friction reminders. You can decline this permission or turn notifications off later in Android settings.
• Installed-app visibility: used to show launchable apps in the app picker and to apply the presets you choose.

Turning off a permission or disabling the Accessibility Service can limit or stop the related Friction feature.

Your Choices and Deletion

You can control Friction’s local data at any time:

• edit or delete presets in the app;
• use Reset setup to clear Friction setup settings and start onboarding again;
• disable Accessibility, Device Admin, battery settings, or notifications in Android settings; and
• clear Friction’s app storage or uninstall the app to remove locally stored Friction data from your device.

Friction does not provide accounts, so there is no account or server-side profile to delete.

Contact and Voluntary Emails

If you choose to email us with a bug report, feature request, or privacy question, we receive the information you include in that email, such as your email address, device model, Android version, and description of the issue. We use that information only to respond to your request or improve Friction. We do not add it to a marketing list or sell it.

We retain support correspondence only for as long as reasonably necessary to respond, maintain support records, or meet legal obligations. To request deletion of a support email, contact us at cdua.friction@gmail.com.

Children

Friction is not directed to children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

Security

Friction keeps its app settings in Android’s private app storage. Because Friction does not send app data to a server, there is no Friction cloud account or remote profile associated with your settings. No method of storage is completely risk-free; please keep your device protected with the security controls available on your device.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when Friction’s data practices change. We will update the effective date at the top of this page and make the revised policy available at the same public URL.

Contact

For privacy questions or requests, contact:

Chirag Dua
Email: cdua.friction@gmail.com