DeadboltJoin the beta

Legal

Privacy Policy

Last updated June 6, 2026

The short version

The Deadbolt app collects no personal data, contains no trackers or analytics, and never sends your data off the device. There's no account to create. The only information we ever receive is the email address you choose to give us to join the beta waitlist on this website. We use it for nothing but the beta.

Who this covers

This policy applies to the Deadbolt iOS application (“the App”) and the website at deadbolt.app(“the Site”), together “Deadbolt,” “we,” or “us.” It explains what we do and do not access, process, and store.

What the App does not collect

Deadbolt is built to be private by design. The App:

  • Does not collect or store any personal information.
  • Does not require an account, email, login, or sign-up.
  • Does not contain advertising, analytics, crash-reporting, or any third-party tracking SDKs.
  • Does not track you across apps or websites, and includes no advertising identifiers.
  • Does not make network requests to transmit your data. Your information never leaves your device.

Our App Privacy details on the App Store reflect this: no data is collected, and no data is used to track you.

Data the App uses on your device

To do its job, Deadbolt asks for a few system permissions. Every one of these is used solely on your device and is never stored on a server, transmitted, sold, or shared.

Screen Time (Family Controls)

Deadbolt uses Apple's Screen Time framework (FamilyControls, ManagedSettings, DeviceActivity) to block the apps you choose during a focus session. You select which apps and categories to block; you initiate and control every session. No parental/child relationship is required. This is for blocking distractions on your own device. Your app selections stay on the device and are represented by opaque tokens that we cannot read as app names.

Your passcode

If you set an unlock passcode, it is stored only as a salted SHA-256 hash in the device Keychain. We never store, see, or transmit your actual passcode.

NFC (optional)

NFC is an optional unlock method. You write a Deadbolt URI to a tag of your choosing; scanning that tag later ends your session. Deadbolt never reads data from unknown tags, and nothing is transmitted off the device.

Location (optional)

If you enable a location-based mode, Deadbolt uses CoreLocation geofences to automatically start or end a session when you enter or leave a place you define. Location is evaluated on-device for that purpose only. It is never stored, logged, transmitted, or shared. The “Always” location permission is requested only when you turn on geofencing, with an in-app explanation shown first.

Calendar (optional)

If you enable calendar features, Deadbolt uses EventKit to read your events to trigger scheduled focus sessions and to write completed sessions to a Deadbolt-owned calendar. Calendar data is processed on-device and never leaves it.

On-device storage

Your modes, sessions, streaks, and settings are stored locally using SwiftData and a shared App Group container so the App and its extensions can coordinate. This data lives on your device (and in your own iCloud device backup, if you have backups enabled, governed by Apple's privacy policy, not ours).

The beta waitlist (this website)

The one place we receive information is the beta waitlist form on this Site. When you submit it, we collect:

  • Your email address, so we can send you a TestFlight beta invitation and occasional updates about the beta.
  • An optional “how did you hear about us” response to understand what's working, in aggregate.

We use this information only to operate the beta. We do not sell, rent, or share it with advertisers. We keep it until the beta ends or you ask us to remove it, whichever comes first. You can unsubscribe or request deletion at any time by emailing us at the address below.

Data sharing and third parties

We do not sell your personal information. The App shares nothing. It makes no analytics or advertising network calls. For the waitlist, we may use a reputable email/forms service strictly to store the address you submit and deliver beta emails; such a provider acts only on our behalf and is not permitted to use your data for its own purposes. We may disclose information if required by law.

Security

App data stays on your device, protected by iOS app sandboxing and the Keychain. Waitlist data is transmitted over encrypted connections (HTTPS) and access is limited to what's needed to run the beta. No method of storage or transmission is perfectly secure, but we keep the surface area deliberately small. The App simply doesn't collect data to begin with.

Children's privacy

Deadbolt is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them. If you believe a child has provided us an email address through the waitlist, contact us and we will delete it.

Your choices and rights

Because the App stores everything locally, you are in control: revoke any permission in iOS Settings, delete your data by clearing it in-app, or remove it entirely by deleting the App. For waitlist data, you may request access to, correction of, or deletion of your email at any time. Depending on where you live (for example, the EEA, UK, or California), you may have additional rights under laws such as the GDPR or CCPA/CPRA; we honor those requests.

Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we'll update the date at the top and post the revised version here. Material changes affecting the waitlist will be communicated by email where appropriate.

Contact us

Questions, requests, or anything privacy-related? Reach us at privacy@deadbolt.app.

← Back to deadbolt.app