Privacy Policy for the ScrollZero app

Last updated: 1 November 2026 · Deutsche Fassung (massgeblich)

This is a translation. If the German and English versions differ, the German version prevails.

Summary

ScrollZero needs no account. There are no ScrollZero servers, no cloud, no ads and no analytics or tracking tools. The app only connects to Google Play (purchases, review dialog).
Everything ScrollZero knows about your usage stays on your device. We (SIME Studio) never receive it.
The accessibility service reads only the package name of the app in the foreground (e.g. "com.instagram.android") – no screen content, no text, no passwords.
The optional usage access reads the usage times of your apps – also on the device only.
The camera is used only for the optional paper key, when you tap "Scan the key". The QR code is read on the device; no picture and no video is stored or transmitted (section 3.9).
Interest links on the pause only open a web page in your browser. ScrollZero loads nothing itself (section 3.10).
The week card is a picture created on your device. It is only shared if you tap "Share" yourself – via Android's share menu, to the app you choose. ScrollZero itself transmits nothing (section 3.11).
For the first 7 days you can use everything for free, without payment details; the days are counted on your device only. Purchases of ScrollZero Plus and the occasional review dialog are handled by Google Play. We never see your payment details or your review in the process.
You can delete all data at any time in the app under More → Delete all data, or by uninstalling the app.

1. Controller and contact

The controller for data processing in connection with the ScrollZero app (Android, package name com.simestudio.scrollzero) is:

SIME Studio
Simple partnership (einfache Gesellschaft) of Melvin Enz and Silvio Zumstein
Grossteilerstrasse 93
6074 Giswil
Switzerland

Email: hello@simestudio.com
Website: simestudio.com

Contact us at this address for any privacy question and to exercise your rights. We have not appointed a data protection officer, as this is not required by law.

This policy follows the Swiss Federal Act on Data Protection (revFADP) and, where applicable, the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). It covers the ScrollZero app only. Our website simestudio.com and Google's services have their own privacy policies.

2. Principle: processing on your device only

ScrollZero is built so that data about your habits never leaves your device. The app has no servers of its own, no user account, and contains no third-party software for analytics, advertising, crash reporting or tracking. We have no access to the data stored in the app.

ScrollZero only connects to Google Play: for purchases (section 5) and – occasionally after you reach a milestone – for Google Play's review dialog (section 6). Links you tap in the app (e.g. this policy, an interest link or subscription management in Google Play) open in your browser or the Play Store app. If you share your week card, Android hands the picture to the app you choose (section 3.11); ScrollZero does not open a connection for this.

3. What data the app processes on your device

3.1 Accessibility service

Purpose: To show a pause screen immediately when you open an app you have selected yourself (e.g. Instagram or TikTok), and to measure your usage time for your daily budget, limits, focus times, mindful sessions and statistics.

What data: The service only receives Android's notice that a new window has come to the foreground, and reads only the package name of the foreground app and the time of the change. ScrollZero does not read screen content, text, messages, input or passwords, and does not perform any actions in other apps. Reading window content is technically disabled (canRetrieveWindowContent=false).

How it is used: The package name is compared in memory with your list of selected apps. Only usage segments of the apps you selected are stored (which app, start, end). Package names of other apps are not stored. Nothing is transmitted, sold or shared.

How the pause appears: The pause screen appears as a ScrollZero window. If Android does not allow this window (e.g. on some Xiaomi phones), the accessibility service shows the same pause screen as an accessibility window on top of the app; no additional data is read for this. When you tap "Close", ScrollZero opens the home screen. The service never performs actions on its own.

The accessibility service only becomes active after you have agreed in the app and switched it on in Android Settings. You can switch it off at any time under Settings → Accessibility. Without it the pause screen does not work; the rest of the app remains usable.

3.2 Usage access (optional)

Purpose: Statistics and the review ("mirror") of recent days.

What data: With your permission, Android's "Usage access" provides how long apps were in the foreground. ScrollZero queries these times when needed and shows them to you. The analysis takes place on the device only; nothing is transmitted. You can revoke access at any time in Android Settings.

3.3 List of installed apps and app icons

So that you can choose which apps get a pause, ScrollZero shows the launchable apps on your device with name and icon. This list is used only for display and is not transmitted. Only the apps you select are stored. Phone and emergency call apps, Android Settings, the Google Play Store and ScrollZero itself cannot be selected and never get a pause.

3.4 Your settings and entries

Stored locally:

your settings (e.g. selected apps, daily budget, limits for all apps together and per app, focus times, strict mode, weekly review on/off, language, consents to notices),
the lock type (pause or paper key) and, for a paper key, only its short number (e.g. 7F3K), its date and the times of any running waiting periods (section 3.9),
your chosen interests (topics for the interest links, section 3.10),
the start of your 7 free days (the date the app was first opened; also kept in the protected Android key store so that turning the clock back does not extend the week),
pause events (time, app, whether you closed or opened, chosen duration and – if you answer it – your answer to the question "Did you want something specific?"),
usage segments of the selected apps (app, start, end),
temporary passes ("app X may stay open without a pause until time Y"), the emergency releases (up to 3 per week, 5 minutes each) and any "break from the pauses" (pauses for all apps suspended until time Y),
reached milestones and the time of the last review request,
the last known ScrollZero Plus status (purchased yes/no).

This information is used solely to provide the app's features (pauses, daily budget, limits, statistics, weekly review, widget, week card, paper key). The time won back (time value), calm days and the lifetime projection are calculated on the device from this data or from usage access (section 3.2); they are not transmitted. The small games on the pause run entirely on the device and store and transmit nothing. Pause events and usage segments are deleted automatically after 13 months; everything else remains until you delete it.

3.5 Local notifications

If you allow notifications, ScrollZero shows notifications generated on the device:

when the accessibility service has been switched off and protection is no longer active – for this the app checks locally about every six hours whether the service is still running,
the weekly review on Sunday evening with your time in the selected apps and the number of pauses you kept. It is on by default; you can turn it off under More → Weekly review.

The content is created locally from the data in section 3.4. No push service is used and nothing is transmitted. Depending on your Android settings, notifications may also be visible on the lock screen. You can turn notifications off in Android Settings at any time.

3.6 Home screen widget

If you add the "ScrollZero today" widget to your home screen, it shows only two numbers: your time in the selected apps today and how often you resisted. The values are calculated locally from the data in section 3.4 and are not transmitted. Anyone who can see your home screen can see the widget; you can remove it at any time.

3.7 Storage, security and backups

The data is kept in the app's private storage, which other apps cannot access. ScrollZero excludes its data from Android backup to Google Drive and from transfer to a new device. Your data therefore does not end up in a Google backup; after switching devices, ScrollZero starts without old data. You can restore a purchased ScrollZero Plus on the new device via Google Play.

Under More → Back up data you can create a backup file yourself and load it again. The file is created on your device and saved where you choose in Android's file picker; ScrollZero does not transmit it and does not receive it. It contains your settings and pause events, but not the secret of your paper key (section 3.9). The start of the 7 free days is also never taken over from a backup file. Keep the file safe; for the place where you store it (e.g. a cloud storage), that provider's terms apply.

3.8 Legal basis

We do not receive this data; it is processed by the app on your device on your behalf. Insofar as the GDPR nevertheless applies, processing is based on performance of the user agreement (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) and, for the accessibility service, usage access and the camera, additionally on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a) GDPR), which you can withdraw at any time by switching it off or withdrawing the permission in Android Settings.

3.9 Camera for the paper key (optional)

Purpose: If you choose the lock type "Paper key", ScrollZero reads the QR code of your printed key with the camera in order to open a locked app.

When: The camera starts only when you tap "Scan the key" or test your printout. Android asks for the "Camera" permission first. You can withdraw it at any time in the Android settings; the emergency releases (3 per week) then remain as a way without the camera.

What data: The camera picture is evaluated in memory only, on your device, by software that reads nothing but QR codes. No picture and no video is stored, transmitted or passed on. ScrollZero keeps only the result "right key" or "wrong key". ScrollZero does not use your microphone or your storage.

The secret in the QR code: ScrollZero creates a random number on your device and stores it in the device's encrypted storage (Android Keystore). It is neither part of the settings nor of a backup file, and it never leaves your device. The settings hold only the short number of the key (e.g. 7F3K), its date and the times of the waiting periods. The PDF with the QR code is created on your device; what happens to it (print, save, share) is decided by the app you pick in the print or share menu. ScrollZero itself does not transmit the PDF. A new key makes the old printout invalid.

Deleting: "Delete all data" or uninstalling removes the secret.

3.10 Interest links

If you tap an interest link on the pause, ScrollZero opens the web page in your browser (e.g. Wikipedia, NASA, SRF). The list of topics and links is fixed in the app; ScrollZero loads nothing itself and sends nothing. From the moment it opens, the privacy policy of the visited site applies. Your chosen topics stay on your device.

3.11 Sharing your week card as a picture

What it shows: Under "Today" and "Insights", "Share my week" opens a preview of your week as a picture. It contains only summaries of your week, such as the change in your time in the selected apps and how often you held a pause. It contains no app names, no name and no contact details.

How it is made: The picture is created on your device from the data in section 3.4. As long as you only look at the preview, nothing leaves the app.

Shared only if you want: Only when you tap "Share" does ScrollZero hand the picture as a PNG file to Android's share menu. For this, the app places the file temporarily in its private cache; the app you pick in the share menu receives one-time read access to this file through Android's sharing mechanism. ScrollZero needs no permission for this, opens no network connection and transmits nothing itself – neither to us nor to third parties. ScrollZero does not evaluate or store whether or with whom you share the picture.

After sharing: What happens to the picture in the app you chose (e.g. a messenger or a social network) is the responsibility of its provider; its privacy policy applies. Only share the picture if you are happy with its content.

Legal basis: Sharing is your own action. Insofar as the GDPR applies to creating the picture, it is based on performance of the user agreement (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR).

4. What we do not do

No account, no registration, no sign-in.
No ads, no advertising ID, no ad networks.
No analytics, statistics or tracking services, no crash SDKs.
No selling or sharing of data. (Only you pass on the week card, if you share it, see section 3.11.)
No reading of screen content, messages or input.
No photos, videos or sound recordings. (The camera only reads the QR code of the optional paper key and stores no picture, see section 3.9.)
No profiling and no automated individual decisions within the meaning of Art. 21 revFADP or Art. 22 GDPR.

5. Free week and purchases via Google Play (ScrollZero Plus)

For the first 7 days from the first time you open the app you can use ScrollZero with all features for free, without payment details. These 7 days are counted on your device only; there is no trial offer from Google Play and nothing is transmitted to us. After that you continue ScrollZero with a purchase, otherwise protection is off (details in the terms).

You can buy ScrollZero Plus as a subscription or one-time purchase via Google Play. Purchase, payment, renewal, cancellation and any refunds are handled entirely by Google. Google is the controller for the data processed in this context (e.g. Google account, payment method, billing address, purchase history) – for users in the European Economic Area and Switzerland usually Google Ireland Limited, Gordon House, Barrow Street, Dublin 4, Ireland, otherwise Google LLC, 1600 Amphitheatre Parkway, Mountain View, CA 94043, USA. Google's privacy policy applies.

Via the Google Play Billing Library, ScrollZero receives from Google Play only the product offers with prices and, for your purchases, the purchase status (e.g. "subscription active"), the product ID and a purchase token. This information is used only on your device to unlock Plus and to acknowledge the purchase to Google. We do not run a server of our own to verify purchases. We do not receive payment details, your name or your email address. In the Google Play Console we only see the order and financial reports provided by Google (e.g. order number, product, price, country), which we use for accounting, refunds and statutory retention duties.

Legal basis: performance of contract (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR) and legal obligations (Art. 6(1)(c) GDPR). We keep business records for the statutory periods (in Switzerland generally 10 years).

6. Installation, updates, crash reports and reviews (Google Play)

When you download and update ScrollZero via Google Play, Google processes data for this under its own responsibility (see Google's privacy policy).

ScrollZero contains no crash reporting tool of its own. If you have allowed your device to share usage and diagnostics data with Google, Google collects information on crashes and freezes ("Android vitals"), e.g. device model, Android version, app version and technical error logs. Google makes these available to us in the Google Play Console in aggregated form that we cannot link to a person. We use them only to fix bugs (legitimate interest in a stable app, Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR). You can turn off sharing of diagnostics data in Android Settings.

Reviews on Google Play: After you reach a milestone – at the earliest three days after first use and at most every 90 days – ScrollZero may ask Google Play to show its review dialog (In-App Review API). Google decides whether it appears. The stars and text you enter there go directly to Google and are published as a public review on Google Play (for test versions, visible only privately to us). ScrollZero does not learn whether or how you rated it. Google is responsible (see section 5); you can edit or delete your review in Google Play at any time. On the device, ScrollZero only stores the time of the last request.

7. Contact by email

If you email us (e.g. via "More → Contact" in the app), we process your email address and the content of your message to answer your request (Art. 6(1)(b) or (f) GDPR). We use the Gmail service of Google Ireland Limited or Google LLC; data may be transferred to the USA (see section 8). We delete correspondence when it is no longer needed, at the latest after two years, unless a statutory retention duty applies. Please do not send us sensitive data.

8. Recipients and transfers abroad

We do not pass on data about your app usage because we never receive it. The only recipient of data in connection with ScrollZero is Google in the cases described above (purchases, reviews, installation, diagnostics, email).

Google may transfer data to countries outside Switzerland and the EEA, in particular to the USA. Google LLC is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework and the Swiss-US Data Privacy Framework; Switzerland and the European Commission recognise an adequate level of data protection for certified companies. Google additionally uses standard contractual clauses. Details are in Google's privacy policy.

9. Retention and deletion

Data in the app: stays on your device until you delete it. Pause events and usage segments are removed automatically after 13 months.
Delete everything: in the app under More → Delete all data, via Android Settings → Apps → ScrollZero → Storage → Clear data, or by uninstalling the app. As we hold no copy, the data is then gone for good. While a paper key is active, "Delete all data" is locked inside the app (so that there is no way around the waiting period); uninstalling and the Android settings remain possible at all times.
Purchases: purchase data held by Google is subject to Google's rules; we keep the order reports received from Google for the statutory periods.
Emails: see section 7.

As there is no account, there is no account to delete.

10. Your rights

Under the revFADP and, where applicable, the GDPR, you have in particular the right of access, rectification, erasure, restriction of processing, data portability, to object to processing based on legitimate interests, and to withdraw consent at any time (with effect for the future).

Please note: we cannot see, hand over or delete data that exists only on your device – but you are fully in control of it yourself (section 9). For data held by Google, please contact Google. To exercise your rights, simply email hello@simestudio.com. We may ask for proof of identity where necessary.

Right to lodge a complaint: You can lodge a complaint with the Swiss Federal Data Protection and Information Commissioner (FDPIC), Feldeggweg 1, 3003 Bern, www.edoeb.admin.ch. If you live in the EEA, you can also complain to the data protection supervisory authority of your place of residence or work or of the place of the alleged infringement.

11. Children and young people

ScrollZero is intended for people aged 18 and over. There is no technical age check. We do not knowingly collect data from children; since the app does not transmit data to us, no data is sent to us by younger users either.

12. Changes

We will update this policy when the app or the law changes, for example if a new feature needs additional data. New processing that requires consent will only be activated after you agree in the app. The version published at simestudio.com/scrollzero/privacy applies.

Change of 1 November 2026 (rebuild to ScrollZero 2.0): the sections on the lagoon, life goals, journal, programmes and the Reels/Shorts brake have been removed; new are the camera for the paper key, the interest links, the 7 free days and the backup file.