Privacy Policy

1. Introduction & Core Philosophy

At Lean Bytes, we believe your attention and digital habits belong to you alone. Unreel is a cross-platform application (Android and iOS) engineered to help you monitor, understand, and limit short-video scrolling (Instagram Reels, YouTube Shorts, TikTok, and similar feeds).

Unreel is built on an offline-first, zero-knowledge architecture designed with strict privacy by design. We do not inspect your screen content, we do not require account sign-ups, and we never transmit your viewing habits to third-party ad networks or surveillance brokers.

2. Non-Negotiable Privacy Guarantees

3. Information We Collect and Process

Unreel operates purely on minimal, anonymous metrics required to deliver its core counting and limit-enforcement features:

What We NEVER Collect or Store

• No Text Content: We never inspect or store post titles, captions, hashtag descriptions, comments, or chat messages.
• No Visual or Audio Data: Unreel never records your camera, microphone, screen video, or audio streams.
• No Personal Identifiers: No names, phone numbers, email addresses, device serials, or advertising IDs (GAID/IDFA).
• No Keystrokes: We never observe passwords, keystrokes, form fields, or search queries.

4. Platform-Specific Architecture & Data Handling

Android Implementation (Exact Reel Counting)

On Android devices, Unreel utilizes an AccessibilityService (ReelDetectorService) configured with the strict flag canRetrieveWindowContent="false".

• The service monitors structural scroll events (e.g. typeViewScrolled and typeWindowStateChanged) specifically filtered to short-video containers within your selected target applications.
• It detects page boundary transitions (new reels) without accessing or parsing the underlying textual or media contents of the view hierarchy.
• When your daily scroll limit is reached, Unreel uses a local overlay (SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW) or system intent to display a gentle nudge or block screen.

iOS Implementation (Estimated Usage via Apple FamilyControls)

On Apple iOS devices, iOS strictly prohibits apps from inspecting or intercepting other applications' screens. Unreel interfaces natively with Apple's official FamilyControls and DeviceActivity frameworks.

• Usage ticks are tracked via Apple system-level thresholds at 1-minute intervals under individual authorization.
• Reel counts on iOS are marked as ESTIMATED and never mingled with exact counter logs.
• All extensions (DeviceActivityMonitor, ShieldConfiguration, and WidgetKit) read purely from a secure local App Group container (group.app.unreel.shared) without remote communication.

5. Device Permissions & Why They Are Needed

To provide accurate detection and non-intrusive enforcement, Unreel requests the following explicit device permissions:

Android Permissions

• BIND_ACCESSIBILITY_SERVICE: Required to count scroll transitions in designated short-video apps. Strictly sandboxed with zero text/message reading capabilities.
• SYSTEM_ALERT_WINDOW: Allows Unreel to display floating reel counters, live session indicators, and limit nudge dialogs over target apps.
• PACKAGE_USAGE_STATS: Used to detect when a supported video application is in the foreground so the detector service only operates when relevant.
• FOREGROUND_SERVICE & FOREGROUND_SERVICE_SPECIAL_USE: Keeps the detector and limit monitor alive in the background while you are scrolling reels to prevent system termination.
• POST_NOTIFICATIONS: Delivers scheduled milestone summaries, nudge warnings, and limit alert banners.
• RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED: Automatically reactivates your configured limits and scheduled protection windows after your phone restarts.

iOS Permissions

• FamilyControls Authorization: System authorization granted by the user to allow Unreel to set Screen Time activity schedules and system shields.

6. Third-Party Services & Analytics

Unreel does not embed any third-party behavioral analytics, ad exchange SDKs, user fingerprinting libraries, or commercial data brokers.

Any crash diagnosis is limited to standard, anonymous operating system crash reporting provided directly by Google Play or Apple App Store if you have opted in at the OS level.

7. Data Retention & User Control

• 100% User Ownership: Your scroll logs and session statistics remain exclusively in your local application database.
• Reset Metrics: You can wipe today's metrics at any time using the "Reset Today" button in Settings.
• Clear All Data: Uninstalling the application or selecting "Clear Data" in your device's system settings permanently erases all databases and preferences.
• Revoke Permissions: You can grant or revoke any permission (Accessibility, Screen Time, Notifications, Draw Over Other Apps) at any time through your operating system settings.

8. Children's Privacy

Unreel does not collect personal information from any user, including children under the age of 13. While Unreel can be used by families and students to establish healthy screen habits, no personal identity or surveillance information is ever gathered.

9. Responsible Security Vulnerability Disclosure

If you discover a security vulnerability or potential privacy leak in Unreel, please do not open a public issue. We adhere to responsible disclosure practices:

• Email: Contact the maintainers directly at leanbytes.in@gmail.com.
• GitHub Security Advisories: Submit confidential reports via the official GitHub repository security portal.
• We commit to acknowledging receipts within 48 hours and deploying coordinated fixes prior to public disclosure.

10. Updates to This Privacy Policy

We may periodically update this Privacy Policy to reflect enhancements to our algorithms or platform requirements. The current effective date will always be displayed at the top of this document. Continued use of Unreel after revisions represents your acceptance of the revised policy.

11. Contact Information

For questions, architectural clarifications, or privacy inquiries regarding Unreel, please contact:

Lean Bytes
Email: leanbytes.in@gmail.com
Website: https://leanbytes.in