Privacy Policy
Last updated October 31, 2026
This policy explains what the Seekward app and the Seekward Chrome extension ("Seekward", "we", "us") collect, how it is used, and the choices you have. We wrote it to be read. If something is unclear, contact us at stellalyu0508@gmail.com.
The short version
- We collect only what the app needs to work: your account details and the focus data you create in Working Mode.
- We never read your messages, documents, screen contents, keystrokes, or location. The Chrome extension never records web addresses, page titles, or page content.
- We do not sell your data, show ads, or use tracking or advertising SDKs.
- You can export your data or delete your account inside the app, any time.
What we collect
| Data | Why we need it |
|---|---|
| Account details: name, email address, date of birth, password (stored only as a one-way hash, so we cannot read it) | To create and secure your account, check the minimum age (14), and send you sign-in and password reset codes. |
| Parent or guardian email (only if you are under 16) | To record a parent or guardian contact, as the app asks of younger students. |
| Profile: optional profile photo, avatar colour, goals and preferred study times you choose during setup | To personalise the app and show you to friends. |
| Focus data: tasks you add; for each Working Mode block, the task name, planned and actual length, start time, number of screen touches, phone pickups, switches to other apps, and a "phone stayed still" percentage; experiments you start | To calculate your Focus Endurance and Stability scores, build your personal baseline, and let you compare experiments. |
| Browser focus data (only if you install the Chrome extension and allow it): for each block you start on your phone, seconds spent on each type of site, idle time, tab switches, drifts to distracting types of site and how long each took to recover from | To show how your computer use affects your focus and to calculate Recovery Time. No web addresses or page titles. |
| Friends: friend connections, friend requests, and the list of people you block; your sharing choices | To run the Friends features and respect your privacy settings. |
| Contacts (optional): only if you tap "Find friends from contacts" and allow access | To suggest friends already on Seekward. The app turns each contact email into a scrambled (SHA-256 hashed) value on your phone and sends only those scrambled values to be matched. We do not receive names or phone numbers, and the values are not stored. |
| Technical data: IP address and request logs kept by our hosting provider | To keep the service secure and limit abuse, such as repeated sign-in attempts. |
Motion sensor. During a focus block, Seekward reads your phone's motion sensor on your phone to notice when it is picked up. The raw sensor readings are not sent to us or stored. Only the counts (for example, "3 pickups") are saved.
The Seekward Chrome extension
The extension is optional. It only works while you are signed in and only during a focus block you started on your phone. When you first sign in it asks for your permission, and nothing is recorded until you say yes. You can turn it off in the extension at any time; signing out forgets your choice.
While a block is running, the extension looks at the tab in front and decides what type of site it is (for example study, video, social media, messaging, shopping, news, games, or other). It saves, for that block only:
- how many seconds you spent on each type of site, and how long you were away from the keyboard (Chrome tells it when you have been idle for a minute);
- how many times you switched tabs, how many times you drifted to a distracting type of site, and how long it took you to get back to study each time;
- the type of site you are on right now, so the app can show it live while the block runs.
It never records or sends web addresses, page titles, search terms, page contents, form entries, passwords, cookies, or your browsing history. It does not run in private (Incognito) windows. It only sees the site's name for a moment, on your computer, to pick the type; the name is not kept. The extension has no ads, no analytics, and no code downloaded from elsewhere.
These numbers are sent over an encrypted connection to your Seekward account, shown to you in the app, used to work out your Recovery Time, and never shared with friends, sold, or used for advertising or any purpose other than showing you your own focus data. You can export or delete them with the rest of your data (see below).
What we never collect
Messages, emails, documents, the text or content on any screen, keystrokes, screenshots, passwords for other services, your location, health data, or the web addresses and titles of the pages you visit.
How we use your data
- To run the app and the extension: show your metrics and history, learn your baseline, and compare experiments.
- To keep your account secure and send the emails you ask for.
- To prevent abuse and fix bugs.
We do not use your data for advertising, and we do not sell or rent it.
Who can see it
- Friends see only the scores you turn on in Privacy and Sharing. They never see what you work on, which apps you use, or your date of birth or email address. If you are under 18, your account starts private: you are not findable in search and nothing is shared with friends until you change it.
- Service providers process data for us under their own security commitments: Vercel (hosting), MongoDB Atlas (database), and Brevo (sending sign-in and password reset emails, which requires your email address and the code).
- Legal. We may disclose information if the law requires it or to protect people's safety.
How long we keep it
We keep your data until you delete it. Sign-in and reset codes expire after 15 minutes. If you delete your account, your profile, tasks, focus blocks, browser focus data, experiments, and friend connections are removed immediately. Our database provider may keep encrypted backups for a short time afterwards.
Your choices and rights
- Export: Profile, then Account, then Export Data (JSON or CSV).
- Delete your focus data and keep your account, or delete your whole account: Profile, then Account, then Delete.
- Sharing: change who can find you and what friends see in Privacy and Sharing.
- Permissions: contacts and photos are optional, and you can turn them off in your phone's Settings.
- Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights, such as access, correction, or deletion. Contact us and we will help.
Children
Seekward is for people 14 and older and we do not knowingly collect data from anyone younger. If you are under 16, the app asks for a parent or guardian's email address. If you believe a child under 14 has an account, contact us and we will delete it.
Security
Data travels over encrypted (HTTPS) connections. Passwords are stored only as hashes. Your sign-in token is kept in your phone's secure storage. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect your data. Our servers are located in the United States.
Changes
If we change this policy in a meaningful way, we will update the date above and tell you in the app.
Contact
Questions or requests: stellalyu0508@gmail.com