Privacy Policy | ColdWork

Overview

ColdWork ("the App") is a focus tool built for developers, students, and anyone serious about getting work done without distractions. ColdWork is a paid app. Every new account can start with a 14 day free trial, and after that a subscription is required to keep using it.

ColdWork is available in two forms: an Android mobile application distributed through Google Play, and a web dashboard where you can create an account and manage your membership. This policy explains what data is collected in each context, how it is stored, and your rights regarding that data.

The short version:Your screen time, app usage and blocklists stay on your device. Creating a ColdWork account (used by the Android app and the web dashboard) stores your email, subscription plan, a daily "last seen" heartbeat, your focus session history and your auto-start schedules on our servers, so your membership works across devices and your stats and schedules come back after a reinstall. The Android app also sends usage analytics, crash reports and screen recordings of ColdWork itself, with passwords, your other apps, your screen time and your block list hidden, to PostHog, so we can fix bugs and see where people get stuck. The website uses PostHog in the same way, with everything you type hidden. We do not sell your data. You own your data and can delete your account and all server-side data at any time, from inside the Android app (Settings → Delete account) or from coldworkapp.com/account.

Who We Are

ColdWork is developed and maintained by caparim. Both surfaces (the Android app and the web dashboard) use a ColdWork account that carries your 14 day free trial and, after it, your paid subscription, described under Payment Data.

Data Collection: App vs Web Dashboard

Android Mobile App: your screen time, app usage, installed app list, blocklists, App Limits and Custom Rules are processed and stored only on your device and are never uploaded. The app does use your ColdWork account, so it transmits the following to our servers:

Account credentials: your email and password (hashed by Supabase Auth) when you sign in
Anonymous launch ping: a random device identifier and the date, once per day, so we can count active installs
Signed-in heartbeat: your account id, email, and a "last seen" timestamp so we can see the app is being used
Focus session history: for each finished focus session, the day, its length in minutes and its start time, so your stats come back after a reinstall
Auto-start schedules: the schedules you create (name, days, start and end time, Normal or Strict), so they come back after a reinstall
Free trial and subscription: when your free trial started and ends, and whether your subscription is active
Account markers: small flags on your account, such as which tutorials and milestone celebrations you have already seen
Usage analytics and crash reports: which ColdWork screens and tabs you open, what you do inside ColdWork (your onboarding answers and tutorial steps, starting, finishing or ending a focus session early and its length, how many apps and sites it blocks but never their names, the features and settings you turn on or off such as Strict Mode, app limits, custom rules, Uninstall Protection and Reels or Shorts blocking, counted but never naming the apps, which setup permissions you tap and which are on, schedules you save, which popups you see and the button you tap, your theme, the plan you pick on the subscription screen and whether the purchase went through, was cancelled or failed), when the app opens and closes, error and crash details, your device model, Android version, app version and which app update you run, language and approximate location from your IP address. Once you sign in these are linked to your account id, never your email. They are processed by PostHog
Screen recordings of ColdWork: while ColdWork is open, low resolution screenshots of its own screens and where you tap. Passwords, the names and icons of your other apps, your screen time, and the apps and sites on your block list are always hidden; everything else ColdWork shows, such as your email and first name, can appear. Nothing outside ColdWork is recorded. They are processed by PostHog

Web Dashboard: If you create an account or use the web dashboard, we collect the following:

Email address: required for account creation and login
Password: securely hashed by Supabase Auth; we cannot see it
Full name: optional, for personalization
Subscription plan: whether you are on the free trial or a paid monthly or annual subscription
Account timestamps: when you created your account and last signed in
Language preference: the language you select in settings

Website analytics:the website uses PostHog to see which pages people visit and where they get stuck. It records the pages you view, the links and buttons you click, how long you stay, your browser, device type, screen size, the site that sent you, and approximate location from your IP address, plus recordings of the pages as you use them, with everything you type into a form hidden. PostHog stores a random identifier in a cookie and in your browser's local storage so repeat visits from the same browser are counted once. We do not use advertising networks or tracking pixels on the website.

Android App: Data Stored Locally on Your Device

The ColdWork Android app stores the following data locally on your device using standard Android app storage. Except for the account and sync data described above, this data never leaves your device.

Blocklist: websites and apps you choose to block during focus sessions
Session history: timestamps and durations of your focus sessions (also backed up to your account, as described above)
App Limits and Custom Rules: the daily limits and rules you set, and whether Strict App Limits is locked
Reels and Shorts blocking: whether you turned on Block Instagram Reels or Block YouTube Shorts
Home screen widget: today's focus minutes and the running session timer, kept on your device so the ColdWork widget can show them if you add it
Auto-start schedules: your schedules (also backed up to your account, as described above)
Settings: your preferences such as break duration and blocking behavior
Strict Mode configuration: apps and sites permitted during Strict Mode

All data is stored in the app's private storage directory. You can clear this data at any time via Android Settings → Apps → ColdWork → Clear Data. Uninstalling the app removes all stored data automatically.

Android permissions the app requests:

Usage Access: reads which app is in the foreground and daily screen time so ColdWork can block distracting apps, enforce app limits, and show your stats. This data is processed locally and never transmitted.
Accessibility Service (required for Instant Blocking in Blocking Setup): notices which app comes to the front, and the name of a home screen icon you tap, so an app you blocked, or one past the daily limit you set, is covered by the block screen the moment it opens. If you turn on Block Instagram Reels or Block YouTube Shorts, it also checks the screen layout of Instagram or YouTube for the Reels or Shorts player and presses Back to close it; it looks only for that player and never reads videos, captions, comments, messages or anything you type. Nothing it sees is stored or sent off your device.
Display Over Other Apps: allows ColdWork to show a blocking overlay and the floating session timer when a restricted app is opened
VPN Service: filters blocked websites using on-device DNS filtering during a focus session, and at any time a Custom Rule that blocks websites is set. Your traffic is not routed through any external server, and no browsing data is collected or transmitted.
Device Admin (optional): powers Uninstall Protection, which stops ColdWork from being uninstalled while it is on. You can turn it off in Session Settings whenever no focus session is running.
Notification Access (optional): while a focus session is running, clears new notifications from the apps you blocked. It only checks which app posted a notification; nothing is stored or sent off your device.
Notifications: shows focus reminders, a reminder before a free trial ends, and the ongoing-session status notification. ColdWork asks for this right after your free trial starts, so it can remind you before you are charged. Trial reminders are scheduled on your device and no data is sent for them.
Battery optimization exemption: keeps the blocking service running during a session
Query installed apps: lists the apps on your device so you can choose which ones to block. The list is displayed locally and never uploaded.
Internet: used for account sign-in, Google Play Billing purchases and membership checks, backing up your focus sessions and schedules, and the analytics described above

Apart from the account and analytics data listed in "Data Collection", none of these permissions are used to collect personal data or send anything to external servers.

Web Dashboard: Data Stored on Our Servers

When you create an account on the ColdWork web dashboard, your data is stored securely on Supabase, a PostgreSQL database service. This includes your email, your subscription plan and its status. All data is encrypted in transit (HTTPS) and at rest.

You own your data. You can download, export, or delete your account and all associated data at any time by contacting us at coldworkapp@gmail.com or through your account settings.

Data retention: We retain your account data as long as your account is active. If you delete your account, your data is permanently deleted within 30 days.

System-Level Access

To block distracting apps on Android, ColdWork uses the Usage Access permission to detect when a blocked app enters the foreground, then displays a blocking overlay over it. To block websites, ColdWork intercepts network requests at the device level. Blocking runs during focus sessions and auto-start schedules, and in the background for any App Limits and Custom Rules you set, until you remove them or, for a limit locked with Strict App Limits, until the lock ends. No permanent changes are made to your device.

Quote Source

ColdWork uses the following quote source:

Local quote bank - motivational quotes are bundled inside the App and do not call an external quote API.

No external quote service, analytics platform, or advertising network is used for quotes.

Payment Data

A subscription is purchased inside the Android app through Google Play Billing. Payment details are handled entirely by Google Play; we never see or store your card or bank information. We receive only the purchase token and subscription state that Google Play sends us, directly and through RevenueCat, so your membership can be activated on your account.

Your subscription is billed, renewed, refunded and cancelled through Google Play, from your Google Play account settings.

Children's Privacy

ColdWork is meant for people aged 16 and older. It is not directed at children under 16, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 16. If you believe a child has created a ColdWork account, contact us and we will delete it.

Data Sharing and Sales

We do notsell, rent, trade, or share any user data with third parties. The only services that process your account data are our infrastructure providers (Supabase for authentication and database hosting, Google Play Billing for purchases made inside the Android app, RevenueCat, which checks the status of those Google Play purchases and receives your account id and purchase history, and PostHog, which stores the Android app's usage analytics, crash reports and screen recordings, and the website analytics, described above), acting on our behalf.

Your Rights

Under GDPR (European Union), CCPA (California), and similar privacy laws, you have the right to:

Know what data is collected about you (listed in full in this policy)
Delete your account and all server-side data: use Settings → Delete account in the Android app, or the Delete account button on coldworkapp.com/account. Deletion is immediate and permanent.
Delete your local data: clear the app's data or uninstall it
Opt out of data sales: we do not sell data
Access a copy of your data: contact us and we will export your account data

Transparency

ColdWork is built with transparency in mind. If you have questions about how the App handles your data or want to verify any claim in this policy, contact caparim directly.

Changes to This Policy

If this privacy policy changes, the updated version will be posted on this page with a new "Last updated" date. We recommend checking this page occasionally.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy or the App's data practices, you can reach caparim at:

coldworkapp@gmail.com