Privacy Policy

This policy explains what information Reelless (the Android app, the Chrome extension, and this website) handles, why, and what choices you have. Reelless is developed by TA Shanto ("we", "us"). If anything here is unclear, contact us.

Who is responsible

The controller of personal data processed through Reelless is TA Shanto, the developer of Reelless. [TODO before launch: add a postal address and the governing jurisdiction.] You can reach us through the contact page.

The Reelless Android app

What the app does on your phone

Reelless uses Android's Accessibility Service to recognize when a short-video screen (for example a Reels or Shorts player, a Reels shelf, or a Shorts tab) is shown inside an app you have chosen to protect, and to respond by pressing the back button or drawing a cover over that part of the screen. This is explained in detail in our Accessibility Service disclosure.

To do this, the app evaluates the structure of the current screen (the arrangement of on-screen elements) of protected apps, in memory, on your device. If you turn on keyword filters, the text of posts in protected apps is compared against your filter words, also only on your device.

What the app does not collect

• We do not collect, store or transmit screen content, screenshots, recordings, messages, posts, or anything you type.
• We do not observe apps you have not chosen to protect.
• We do not collect passwords, payment details or account credentials for any app.
• We do not sell, rent or share personal data, and the app contains no advertising or analytics SDKs.

What stays on your device

Your settings (which apps to protect, limits, schedules, filter words) and your statistics (time per app, short-form time, estimated videos watched, blocks, streaks) are stored locally on your phone. They are not uploaded. Uninstalling the app deletes them.

Rule updates

Apps change their layouts often, so Reelless periodically downloads small, digitally signed detection rule files from our servers. These downloads contain detection rules only. As with any internet request, our server or hosting provider may see your IP address and basic request information (such as app version) in standard access logs; we use these only to deliver the files and keep the service secure, and we do not use them to identify you.

Purchases

Purchases and subscriptions are processed by Google Play. We receive confirmation of your entitlement (for example, that a Pro subscription is active) from Google Play, but we never receive your card or payment details. Google's handling of payment data is governed by Google's privacy policy.

Crash reports

The app does not include third-party crash reporting or analytics SDKs. If you choose to send us a diagnostic report (for example from the app's settings), it is sent only when you tap send, and you can review what it contains first.

The Reelless Chrome extension

The Chrome extension runs only on the supported websites you enable (for example YouTube, Facebook or Instagram). On those pages it hides short-video sections and recommendation feeds inside your browser.

• It does not collect, store or transmit the content of the pages you visit, your browsing history, or anything you type.
• It does not run on, or read, any other website.
• It does not load remote code. Like the app, it downloads signed detection rule files, which contain rules only.
• Your settings and statistics are stored locally in your browser using Chrome's extension storage. Uninstalling the extension deletes them.

If an optional account and sync between the app and the extension are added later, they will be opt-in, and this policy will be updated before they launch.

This website

Waitlist

If you join the early-access waitlist, we store:

• your email address,
• the language of the page you signed up on,
• the apps you selected as distracting (optional),
• the page you signed up from, and
• the date you signed up and confirmed.

We use this only to send a confirmation email and to tell you when Reelless is available (plus, rarely, important updates about early access). We use double opt-in: you won't receive anything else unless you confirm. You can ask us to delete your entry at any time via the contact page, and every email includes a way to unsubscribe.

Emails are sent through our email delivery provider (Resend), which processes your address on our behalf for the sole purpose of delivering the email.

Contact form

If you send us a message, we receive your name, email address, topic and message, and use them only to reply. Messages are delivered to us by email.

Analytics

The website may use privacy-friendly, cookieless analytics (such as a self-hosted Umami or Plausible instance) to count page views. These tools do not use cookies, do not collect personal data, and do not track you across websites. See our cookie statement.

Spam protection

Forms are protected with a hidden "honeypot" field and rate limiting based on IP address, held briefly in memory. If Cloudflare Turnstile is enabled, Cloudflare processes limited technical information to tell people from bots, under Cloudflare's privacy policy.

Server logs

Our hosting server keeps standard access logs (IP address, requested page, time, browser user agent) for security and troubleshooting. Logs are kept for a limited time and then deleted.

Legal bases (where applicable)

Where data-protection laws such as the GDPR apply, we rely on: consent for the waitlist (which you can withdraw at any time); legitimate interests for answering messages, protecting our forms from abuse, and keeping server logs; and contract for providing purchased features.

How long we keep data

• Waitlist entries: until you unsubscribe or ask for deletion, or until shortly after launch emails are sent if you don't continue.
• Unconfirmed waitlist entries: deleted periodically.
• Contact messages: as long as needed to handle your request.
• Server logs: a limited period, typically up to 30 days.

Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct, delete or export your personal data, to object to or restrict processing, and to withdraw consent. To exercise any of these rights, contact us. You may also lodge a complaint with your local data-protection authority.

Children

Reelless is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal data from them through the website.

Changes

If we change this policy, we'll update the date at the top of this page. For significant changes, we'll make them clear on the website and, where appropriate, in the app.