Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 14, 2026

Pico is a focus and screen-time app for Mac and iPhone, operated by an individual developer ("Pico", "we", "us"). This policy explains what data Pico collects, why, and who it is shared with. We try to collect as little as possible.

Screen Time data stays on your device

On iPhone, Pico blocks the apps you choose during focus sessions using Apple's Screen Time (Family Controls) framework. Your app and category selections are represented by opaque tokens that never leave your device and that Pico itself cannot read as real app names. Pico cannot see what you do inside other apps, your messages, your browsing, your keystrokes, or your screen contents.

On Mac, Pico records which app is in the foreground and its window title to build your activity timeline. This activity log is stored locally on your Mac.

Information we collect

Email address — if you create an account to sync Pico Pro across your devices, we collect your email to sign you in (via a one-time code or magic link) and to match your subscription.
Device identifiers — a randomly generated device ID and, if you enable notifications, an Apple Push Notification token. These let us deliver your subscription and cross-device focus features to the right devices.
Purchase information — your subscription status and the transaction identifiers needed to verify it. Payment card details are handled entirely by Apple or Stripe; we never see or store them.
Diagnostic data — app version, platform, and occasional crash reports, used to keep the app working.
Activity summaries (Mac, optional) — if you use the Mac app and turn on cross-device sync, daily activity summaries (app names, window titles, durations) are sent to our server so you can view them on your iPhone.
Product analytics — limited, privacy-respecting usage events (e.g. when a subscription starts) to understand how the app is used. We do not use this data to track you across other companies' apps or websites, and Pico does not show ads.

AI summaries

If you use Pico's AI summaries, a brief timeline of app names, window titles, and durations is sent through our server to an AI provider to generate the summary and returned to you. This content is not stored or logged on our server after the summary is produced.

How we use your data

To provide the app's core features — blocking, focus sessions, activity views, and AI summaries.
To manage your account and verify your subscription across devices.
To send notifications you have opted into.
To diagnose crashes and improve the app.

We do not sell your personal data.

Who we share data with

We use a small number of service providers that process data on our behalf:

Payment and app-store providers — to process purchases and subscription payments, and to deliver push notifications.
A cloud database provider — to store your account, device, and subscription records.
Hosting providers — to run our API and website.
An analytics provider — for limited product usage events.
An AI provider — to generate summaries from the timeline you submit.

Data retention

We keep account, device, and subscription records for as long as your account is active. Crash and analytics data are retained for a limited period. You can ask us to delete your data at any time (see below).

Your rights

You can request access to, correction of, or deletion of your personal data by emailing picofocusapp@gmail.com. We will delete your account and associated data on request. You can manage or cancel a subscription at any time in your Apple ID settings (for App Store subscriptions) or via the Stripe billing portal (for web/Mac subscriptions).

Children

Pico is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect data from them.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected by the "Last updated" date above.

Contact

Questions about privacy? Email picofocusapp@gmail.com.