Privacy Policy

What the Service does

In brief, the Service provides a focus timer and stopwatch, optional ambient sounds, customizable full-screen backgrounds (including images from Unsplash), light or dark appearance, and optional decorative effects. Those features drive what is stored on your device and what may be sent over the network, as described below.

Accounts and sign-in

You do not need an account to use the core Service. We do not operate a mandatory sign-in for timer, sounds, or backgrounds. If account-based features are added later, this policy will be updated and any new collection will be described at that time.

Information stored on your device

The Service keeps most preferences in your browser using local storage (and similar browser-provided storage where needed). Examples of what may be stored include:

• Appearance — light or dark theme so the interface matches your preference.
• Timer mode — whether you use countdown timer or stopwatch mode.
• Backgrounds — information needed to restore your chosen image, including URLs or similar references and data used to show photographer credit when images come from Unsplash.
• Sounds — selected ambient track, autoplay, volume, mute state, and preferences for optional visual effects tied to sound settings (such as `snow_enabled`, `leaf_enabled`, `petals_enabled`, `fireflies_enabled`, and `heat_enabled`), all in local storage.
• Labels and custom titles — custom names you set for your timers or stopwatches (stored as `timer_title` and `stop_watch_title`).
• First-time tour and session hints — simple flags (such as `first_time_tour` and `first_session`) that help the app remember if you have completed the onboarding walkthrough or started a session before.
• PWA and Salute banners — flags to manage promotional widget appearances, such as PWA installation prompts (`pwaInstalled`) or greeting banners (`ouat-user-salute-last-shown-day`).
• TimeMarks (Checkpoints) — any lap markers or checkpoints generated during a session are stored strictly in temporary client-side memory (React state); they are never written to local storage, cookies, or transmitted to any server.

This data stays on your device unless you clear site data in your browser. It is used only to restore your session and preferences when you return.

Cookies

The Service may set small first-party cookies to optimize your experience:

• Background preloading — a cookie (`ouat_bg_reg`) that remembers your selected background URL so the server can pre-render it on repeat visits.
• Language selection — a cookie (`app_language` and legacy `mileage_language`) that remembers your chosen language preference so the website loads in the correct translation.

These cookies are limited to this site and ordinary browser controls. You can remove them at any time by clearing cookies for this site.

Network requests and cloud backends

Some features contact remote infrastructure so the app can work beyond static files:

• Google Firebase— when you search or load curated backgrounds, the app contacts Firebase-backed services. When you choose certain Unsplash-sourced images in production, the Service may notify Unsplash's systems as their rules require. Those requests only include what is needed to perform the action you started.
• Unsplash and image CDNs — your browser loads image files from Unsplash or related CDNs when you pick those backgrounds. Those networks receive standard HTTP information (such as IP address, user agent, and referrer) according to their own policies.
• Audio — ambient tracks are loaded from the same site as the app (your browser still performs a normal request for each file you play).

We do not use these requests to build a marketing profile on the device; they exist to deliver the features you trigger (background search, attribution compliance, playback).

Analytics

On some production deployments, aggregated usage analytics (for example Google Analytics via Firebase) may be enabled using environment configuration. When enabled, Firebase/Google may process technical and usage data under their terms. When disabled, the client should not initialize that analytics path. Whether analytics is active depends on how the Service is built and hosted for a given environment.

Third-party policies

Providers such as Google (Firebase, and analytics if enabled) and Unsplash maintain their own privacy notices. We encourage you to read those documents if you want detail on how they process IP addresses, logs, and similar technical data.

Your choices

You can clear cookies and site storage from your browser settings, use private/incognito mode, or stop using the Service at any time. Clearing storage will reset preferences, backgrounds, and similar local state. You can typically disable optional analytics at the network level using browser extensions or DNS filters, in addition to any in-product controls when offered.

Children

The Service is a general productivity tool and is not directed at children. If you are a parent or guardian and believe a child has provided personal information through the Service in a way that concerns you, contact the operator using the channels listed for the site or app listing so we can take appropriate steps.

International use

The Service is accessed over the internet. Depending on your location and ours, data may be processed in countries other than your own when you use cloud features or third-party networks. By using those features, you acknowledge that such transfers may occur as part of normal internet routing.

Changes to this policy

We may update this Privacy Policy when the Service or applicable laws change. The "Last updated" date at the top will be revised when we publish substantive edits. Continued use after updates means you acknowledge the revised policy, except where a different process is required by law.

Contact

For privacy-related questions, use the contact channels provided on the site or with the application listing, if any.