Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy describes how Friction ("we," "us," or "our"), handles information in connection with the Friction app.
Friction is a self-control and productivity app designed to help users reduce distractions by blocking selected apps and websites, including through schedule-based and location-based rules.
1. Information We Access and Store
Friction may access or store the following categories of information:
Location Information
If you enable location-based rules, Friction accesses your precise location, including background location, to determine when to apply or remove blocking rules based on places you choose.
Screen Time / Blocking Configuration
Friction uses Apple Screen Time / Family Controls / Managed Settings APIs to let you select apps or categories to block and to apply those restrictions. This may include app selection tokens, rule settings, schedules, and related enforcement state.
Website Blocking Data
If you use website blocking features, Friction stores the domains or websites you choose to block.
User-Entered Content
Friction may store information you manually enter into the app, such as rule names, daily priorities, or other self-management text you choose to save.
Subscription and Purchase Information
If you purchase or restore a subscription or other paid feature, purchase-related information is processed by Apple and our subscription service provider, RevenueCat, to validate purchases, restore entitlements, and manage access to premium features.
Notifications
If you allow notifications, Friction may send local notifications on your device, such as reminders or nudges related to your blocking or self-control settings.
Exported Data
If you choose to export your rules or settings, Friction may create an export file containing your selected app-blocking, website-blocking, scheduling, or location rule data.
Analytics and Usage Data
If you use Friction, we collect anonymous usage data through PostHog, a third-party product analytics service. This data includes information such as which features are used, onboarding steps completed, and general app interactions (for example, whether a rule was created or a friction challenge was completed). This data is associated only with a random anonymous identifier — it is not linked to your name, email address, Apple ID, or any other personal identifier. We do not collect the content of your rules, blocked app names, or any other user-entered content through analytics. PostHog may also collect your IP address for approximate country or region detection. IP addresses are not stored persistently by PostHog beyond processing."
2. How We Use Information
We use information only to operate and support Friction's functionality, including to:
- apply and manage app and website blocking rules;
- enforce location-based rules when you enter or leave places you selected;
- store your settings and preferences across app launches;
- display your saved rules and user-entered content;
- send local reminders or status notifications if enabled;
- validate purchases, restore purchases, and manage premium access;
- support app reliability, troubleshooting, and service operations;
- understand how users interact with the app in aggregate in order to improve features, fix issues, and prioritize product development; and
3. Where Information Is Stored
Most Friction data, including your rules, preferences, blocked websites, and user-entered content, is stored locally on your device or in app storage used by the app and its related extensions.
Some purchase- and subscription-related information is processed by Apple and RevenueCat in connection with billing, entitlement validation, subscription management, and restoring purchases.
4. Sharing of Information
We do not sell your personal information. We do not use Friction for third-party advertising or cross-app tracking.
We may share limited information with service providers only as needed to provide core app functionality. For example:
- Apple processes payments, subscriptions, and related account transactions.
- RevenueCat processes subscription and entitlement data to help validate purchases, restore purchases, and manage premium access.
- PostHog processes anonymous usage analytics data to help us understand how the app is used and improve the product. PostHog does not receive any personally identifiable information.
We may also disclose information if required by law, regulation, legal process, or to protect rights, safety, and the integrity of the app.
5. Data Retention
We retain data for as long as necessary to provide the app's functionality.
- Rules, settings, blocked websites, and similar app data remain stored until you delete them, reset the app, or uninstall the app.
- Some user-entered content may be automatically cleared by app behavior depending on the feature.
- Purchase and subscription records may be retained by Apple and RevenueCat according to their own retention practices and legal obligations.
- Anonymous analytics data processed by PostHog is retained according to PostHog's data retention settings and their privacy policy."
6. Your Choices
You can control your information in several ways:
- You can decline or revoke location permissions in your device settings.
- You can decline or revoke notification permissions in your device settings.
- You can remove or update your rules, blocked websites, and saved content within the app.
- You can manage or cancel subscriptions through Apple's subscription settings.
- You can restore purchases using the app's restore purchases feature.
- You can uninstall the app to remove locally stored app data from your device, subject to iOS system behavior.
- You can contact us to request deletion of your anonymous analytics data from PostHog."
7. Children's Privacy
Friction is intended for personal self-control and productivity use. It is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided personal information through the app, please contact us and we will review the request.
8. International Transfers
If you use paid features, certain subscription-related data may be processed by Apple, RevenueCat, or their service providers in countries outside your own. Those providers are responsible for handling such data in accordance with their own privacy practices and applicable law.
9. Third-Party Services
Friction may rely on third-party services for limited functionality, including:
- Apple
- RevenueCat
- PostHog (privacy policy: https://posthog.com/privacy)
Your use of those services may also be subject to their own terms and privacy policies.
10. Changes to This Privacy Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will update the "Last updated" date above. Your continued use of Friction after an update means the revised Privacy Policy will apply.
11. Contact Us
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or Friction's privacy practices, you can contact:
Friction
frictionapp@proton.me