Privacy policy
Last updated 23 September 2026
Hootkey keeps a child's chosen apps blocked until they finish a short lesson. It is made by Leo Merory, an independent developer. This page says exactly what the app and our server hold, why, and for how long. Questions go to hello@hootkey.com.
The short version
- Your child never gets an account. You give us a first name or nickname and a grade. That is all we know about them.
- We cannot see which apps your child uses. Apple's Screen Time framework shows us only opaque tokens for the apps you pick, never their names or how long they were used.
- Nothing your child types is stored. Answers stay on the device; a request for more time is a number of minutes and one of four preset reasons.
- No ads, no third-party analytics, no tracking, and we never sell data.
- You can delete everything from the app, at any time.
What we hold, and for how long
| What | Why | Kept |
|---|---|---|
| Your email address | Signing in with a one-time code | Until you delete the account |
| Other family members' email addresses, role and the name they chose | A second parent, a grandparent or a sitter on their own phone | Until the account is deleted, or 30 days after they are removed |
| Invitations you send | So the person invited can join | 30 days |
| Your child's nickname and grade | Choosing lessons at the right level; showing their name on your phone | Until you delete the account |
| Lesson and unlock summaries: counts, durations, which skills were practised | The weekly report and today's numbers on your phone | 12 months |
| Your rules and the weekly report | So both devices agree | Until you delete the account |
| Requests for more time: minutes, a preset reason, the answer and who gave it | Answering from your phone | 12 months |
| Alerts about the block: what happened and when, as numbers (for example, how far a clock was moved) | Telling you if someone tries to get around it | 12 months |
| Device records: an identifier the app creates, the push token Apple issues, app and iOS version, the block's status | Reaching the right device and showing whether the block is working | Until the device or the account is removed |
| Referral codes and rewards | A free month for a family who joins with your code, and for you | Until either family is deleted |
Your child's progress in lessons — which questions they answered and how well — is kept on their device, not on our server. What reaches us is the summary above.
What we do not collect
- The names of the apps or websites you block, or how long any app is used.
- Your child's real name, date of birth, photo, voice, contacts or location.
- Anything typed into the app by your child.
- Advertising identifiers. There are no ads and no third-party analytics or tracking code in the app.
Who processes it for us
Cloudflare hosts our server and database and sends our emails. Apple handles payments and delivers notifications; we never see your card details. We share data with no one else, and we never sell it.
Children
Hootkey is set up and controlled by a parent. A child uses it on their own device to do lessons, but has no account, no email address and no way to share anything with anyone. The parent provides the only details we hold about the child and can review or delete them at any time. If you believe we hold information about a child without a parent's permission, write to us and we will delete it.
Deleting your data
In the app, open Settings → Your data → Delete my account and all data. Every block is removed from your child's device first, then your account and everything listed above is deleted. It stops being used at once and is erased from our database within seven days. You can also email hello@hootkey.com and we will do it for you.
Security
Everything travels over encrypted connections. Devices sign in with tokens we store only as a one-way hash, and a pairing code expires after ten minutes and works once.
Changes
If we change what we collect, we will update this page and the date at the top of it.