Pause ("the app," "I," "me") helps you use your selected apps more intentionally. I'm a solo, independent developer — there's no company or team behind Pause, just me — and I care about your privacy. Most of the app works entirely on your device, and I do not sell your personal information. I do not run my own servers to operate the core app — the only exceptions are the optional Send Feedback feature and the optional News from Pause notifications, both described below. The free version of Pause shows ads through Google AdMob; you can remove ads by subscribing to Pause Premium.
Information and how it's handled
Sign in with Apple. When you sign in, Apple provides a unique identifier for your account and, if you choose to share it, your name. This is stored only in the secure Keychain on your device and is used solely to sign you in. I do not request your email address, and I do not operate servers that receive this information.
Apps you choose to pause (Screen Time data). Pause uses Apple's Screen Time / Family Controls framework so you can select the apps and categories you want to put behind a puzzle. These selections are represented by private tokens that remain on your device. Apple does not reveal the identity of the apps you select to me, and your selections are never transmitted off your device.
App settings and subscription status. Your preferences (such as which puzzles are enabled and your subscription status) are stored on your device and, where applicable, in your private iCloud account provided by Apple. I do not have access to this data.
Purchases. Subscriptions are processed by Apple through the App Store. Apple handles all payment information; I never receive or store your payment details. I only receive the subscription entitlement status needed to unlock premium features. If you start a free trial, Pause schedules a reminder notification on your phone 2 days before the trial ends; this happens entirely on your device.
Product analytics (in the app). I use PostHog to understand how the app is used, so I can improve it — for example, where people drop off during setup, which puzzles get used and completed, and how often features like Schedules get set up. These events are anonymous and never include your name, email, which specific apps you've paused, or any other personal or Screen Time identifier — I deliberately built it so app/category identity never leaves your device. This is separate from the website analytics described further down.
Setup recordings (in the app). To see where people get stuck when setting Pause up, PostHog records the screen during the first-time setup only (from the first welcome screen until you reach the app's home screen) and never at any other time. Everything sensitive is hidden in these recordings before they leave your phone: all text you type, all images (including app icons), and Apple's app-selection screen, so they never show which apps you choose. The recordings are not linked to your name, email or Apple ID, are used only to improve the setup experience, and are not sold or shared. PostHog keeps them for a limited time under its retention settings, and you can ask me to delete them anytime (contact below).
Feedback you choose to send. If you use Settings → Send Feedback, I collect your name, your message, and your email address if you choose to give one (only so I can reply — it's optional). This is the one feature where Pause talks to a server I operate: your submission is stored in a database I run (via Supabase) and emailed to me so I can read and answer it myself. I use it only to understand and respond to your feedback. I don't use it for advertising, don't sell it, and don't share it with anyone else. If you'd like your feedback deleted, email me (below) and I'll remove it.
News from Pause notifications (optional). If you turn on News from Pause (in Settings, or when the app invites you), I'll occasionally send you a notification about new features or seasonal puzzles — a few times a year. To deliver them, your device's Apple push notification token, the app version you're using, the environment the token belongs to, and your device's time zone are stored in a database I run (via Supabase). This information is not linked to your name, email, Apple ID, or anything else that identifies you; it's used only to send these announcements (for example, to let people on an older version know an update is available, or to time a message sensibly), never for advertising or tracking, and it's not sold or shared. Notifications are delivered through Apple's Push Notification service. Turning News from Pause off deletes your token from my database right away, and you can also turn off notifications for Pause anytime in iOS Settings.
Gratitude puzzle and reminders. During November, the Gratitude puzzle asks you to list three things you're grateful for. Your answers are kept private on your device — they are never sent to me, to analytics, or to any server — and the optional gratitude reminders that bring them back to you are scheduled locally on your device, not sent from a server. You can delete your answers or turn the reminders off anytime in Settings.
Advertising (free version only). The free version of Pause displays ads using Google AdMob, a service provided by Google. To serve and measure ads, AdMob may collect and process certain information, including device identifiers, IP address, approximate (coarse) location derived from your IP address, device characteristics, and information about your interactions with ads. I have configured AdMob to serve non-personalized ads: your information is not used to build a personalized advertising profile, and I do not use Apple's Advertising Identifier (IDFA) to track you across other companies' apps and websites. AdMob still uses limited data to select contextual ads, cap how often you see an ad, measure performance, and prevent fraud and abuse. Google's use of this information is governed by the Google Privacy Policy and How Google uses information from sites or apps that use our services. Subscribing to Pause Premium removes all ads.
Website analytics (try-pause.com)
This section covers try-pause.com specifically — it does not apply to the app, which is covered above. With your consent (via the cookie banner shown on your first visit), this website uses Google Analytics and PostHog to understand how visitors use the site: pages viewed, general location (country/region-level, derived from IP address), device/browser type, referring site, and on-site interactions such as clicks and scrolling (including anonymized session recordings via PostHog). This helps me understand which content is useful and where the site could be clearer — it is not used to build advertising profiles and is not sold. You can decline this tracking in the cookie banner, and your choice is remembered on that browser. Google's and PostHog's use of this data is governed by the Google Privacy Policy and the PostHog Privacy Policy.
What I do and don't do
- I do not operate my own servers or collect your personal data on them — except for the optional Send Feedback feature, where a small server I run stores what you type and forwards it to me by email, and the optional News from Pause notifications, which store an anonymous push token as described above.
- I do not sell or share your personal information.
- I do not have access to your name or email address unless you choose to send me feedback and enter them yourself.
- The app uses Google AdMob (free version only) and PostHog for anonymous product analytics and masked recordings of the first-time setup, as described above — never your name, email, or which apps you've paused. This website separately uses cookie-based analytics as described below, with your consent.
Your choices
- Remove ads by subscribing to Pause Premium.
- Turn News from Pause notifications on or off anytime in the app's Settings, or turn off all notifications for Pause in iOS Settings > Notifications.
- You can reset your device's advertising identifier or limit ad tracking in iOS Settings > Privacy & Security.
- Where required by law (for example, in the EEA and UK), I will ask for your consent before showing ads.
- On try-pause.com, you can change your cookie choice anytime: manage cookie preferences.
Data retention and deletion
Your in-app data is stored on your device and your private iCloud. You can remove it anytime by signing out in the app or deleting the app. Feedback submitted through Send Feedback is kept on my server so I can read and respond to it; email me anytime to have a specific submission deleted. If you've turned on News from Pause, your push token is kept only while it's on — turning it off deletes it, and tokens Apple reports as no longer valid (for example, after you delete the app) are removed automatically the next time I send an announcement.
Children's privacy
Pause is not directed to children under 13, and I do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
Apple's services
Pause relies on Apple frameworks (Sign in with Apple, Screen Time / Family Controls, iCloud, the Apple Push Notification service, and the App Store), which are governed by Apple's own Privacy Policy.
Changes to this policy
I may update this policy from time to time. Changes are posted here with an updated "Last updated" date.
Contact
Questions? Contact me at carlosatpause@gmail.com.