Privacy Policy

1. Who we are

In short: Differently is a small, independent product. The operator of the service is your data controller.

Differently ("Differently", "we", "us") is a focus and task app built for ADHD and differently-wired brains. The service consists of the website differently.work, the web app at app.differently.work, the Differently desktop apps, and the Differently mobile apps for iOS and Android. Differently is an independent software project operated from the Republic of Korea, and is the "data controller" of the personal data described in this policy. You can reach us at differently.apps@gmail.com.

2. What we collect

In short: Your account basics, the content you create in the app (tasks, focus sessions, notes, settings), and your friends list if you use Body Doubling. That's it.

Account information. You sign in with Google or Apple. From Google we receive your email address, display name, and profile picture. From Sign in with Apple we receive your email address (or Apple's private relay address, if you chose to hide yours) and, on first sign-in only, the name you agreed to share. Signing in is required to use the app — there is no anonymous or guest mode.

App content. The things you create while using Differently: tasks, routines and their completion history, focus/pomodoro sessions and statistics, priority boards, BrainDump notes and notebooks, reports, buddy and appearance preferences, and app settings. This data is synced to your account so it follows you across devices.

Social features. If you use Body Doubling, we store your friend code, display name, avatar choice, your friends list, and pending friend requests. While the app is open, a realtime "focusing / on a break" presence status is shared with your friends — this status is ephemeral and is not stored as a history.

Trackers and reminders. If you turn on the optional daily trackers (meals, water, snacks, medicine, prayer times, or your own items), we store the times you set and your daily check-offs so the app can remind you and show your progress. They are reminders only, and we use them for nothing else.

Locked notes. If you lock a BrainDump note with a PIN, its text is encrypted on your device (AES-GCM) before it is synced. Our servers store only the encrypted text, and the key never leaves your device — which also means that if you forget your PIN, neither you nor we can recover that note.

Feedback. If you send feedback through the app, we store the message you wrote so we can act on it.

Technical data. Like almost every online service, our hosting providers keep standard server logs (IP address, browser type, request time) for security and reliability. If you turn on notifications, we store a push token for your device so we can deliver them. When something goes wrong, the app may send us an error report (app version, platform, the error message and technical trace) that is linked to your account while it exists, so we can help if you write to us; these reports do not include your tasks or notes. The app also stores data locally on your device (see Section 12).

3. What we don't collect or do

In short: No ads, no data sales, no trackers, no reading your Google account.

We do not sell or rent personal data to anyone. We do not show advertising and do not share data with advertisers or data brokers. We currently use no third-party analytics or advertising trackers on the website or in the app. We do not access your Gmail, Google Drive, Calendar, contacts, or any other Google service content — sign-in identity only.

4. How we use your information

In short: To run the app, sync your data, keep the service safe, and reply when you contact us.

We use the data described above to: provide and operate the service and sync your content between devices; operate Body Doubling with the friends you choose; keep the service secure, prevent abuse, and debug problems; respond to your feedback and support requests; and comply with legal obligations. Where the GDPR or a similar law applies, our legal bases are performance of a contract (running the service you signed up for), legitimate interests (security, preventing abuse, improving the product), consent where required, and compliance with legal obligations.

5. Sign-in data (Google and Apple)

In short: Signing in gives us your name, email, and picture. We use them to sign you in and label your account — nothing more.

Google. When you sign in with Google, Google shares your basic profile with us: name, email address, and profile picture. We use this information only to authenticate you, identify your account, and display your identity inside the app (for example, to your Body Doubling friends). Differently's use of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. We do not request access to any other Google data.

Apple. When you use Sign in with Apple, Apple shares an anonymous user identifier and your email address. You can choose Hide My Email, in which case Apple gives us a private relay address instead of your real one — we never see your actual address, and everything in the app works the same. Your name is shared only on the very first sign-in, and only if you allow it. We use these for the same purposes as above and request nothing else from your Apple account.

6. Body Doubling and what friends can see

In short: Friends see your name, avatar, and whether you're focusing — never your tasks, notes, or screen.

Body Doubling is presence-only by design. Friends you add by code can see your display name, avatar, and a live status such as "focusing" or "on a break". They cannot see your task names, notes, statistics, screen, or anything else you create in the app. You can remove a friend at any time, which stops all status sharing with them.

7. Where your data is stored — international transfers

In short: Your synced data lives in Singapore (Supabase on AWS). Some providers operate from the US. Standard safeguards apply.

Your account and app content are stored in a database hosted by Supabase in the Singapore (AWS ap-southeast-1) region. Our website and app are served by Vercel's global network, and other providers listed below operate in part from the United States. Because Differently is used from many countries (including Korea, Indonesia, and the EU), your data is transferred internationally to these locations. Where required, these transfers are protected by appropriate safeguards such as the providers' data processing agreements incorporating Standard Contractual Clauses. For users in Korea: the items transferred are those listed in Section 2; they are transferred to and stored with the processors listed in Section 8 (primarily Supabase, Singapore) for the purposes in Section 4, retained as described in Section 10. You may refuse overseas transfer by not using the service or by requesting deletion, though the service cannot be provided without it.

8. Who we share data with

In short: Only the service providers that run Differently — no advertisers, no data brokers.

We share personal data only with the processors below, only so they can provide their function, and with no one else except where the law requires it (for example, a valid legal order) or to protect the service from abuse.

Provider	Function	Location
Supabase	Database, authentication, realtime sync	Singapore (AWS), US entity
Vercel	Website & app hosting, server functions	Global edge network, US entity
Google	Sign-in (OAuth); Google Play distribution (Android)	US / global
Apple	Sign in with Apple; App Store & TestFlight distribution (iOS)	US / global
Microsoft	Microsoft Store distribution (Windows)	US / global
GitHub	Desktop app downloads & auto-updates	US

If Differently is ever part of a merger, acquisition, or asset sale, data may be transferred as part of that transaction; we would notify you before your data becomes subject to a different privacy policy.

9. Payments and subscriptions

In short: Everything is free today. If you ever buy something, the app store handles the payment — we never see your card number.

As of the effective date of this policy, Differently has no paid features, subscriptions, or in-app purchases, and we process no payment data. If we introduce paid features in the future, purchases made inside the iOS or Android apps will be processed by Apple (App Store) or Google (Google Play). They handle your payment details under their own privacy policies; we would receive only what is needed to unlock what you bought — such as a purchase or subscription identifier, the product, its status and renewal date, and the country of your store account. We would not receive or store your card number. If we ever sell paid features on our website, the checkout page will name the payment provider, and we will update this policy before that happens.

10. Retention and deletion

In short: We keep data while your account exists. Delete your account and it is erased from our servers immediately — not deactivated.

We keep your data for as long as your account is active. When you delete your account in Settings, your account and its data are erased from our servers immediately: your tasks, routines, sessions, statistics, notes and settings, your profile and friend connections, your feedback, and the sign-in record itself. This is a deletion, not a deactivation — signing in again afterwards creates a brand-new empty account, and nothing is restored. Error logs we keep for reliability are stripped of any link to you at the same moment. Copies in encrypted backups expire automatically and are removed within 60 days at the latest. Some minimal records may be retained longer where the law requires it, and anonymous data that no longer identifies you may be kept. You can also ask us by email to delete your account and we will do it for you.

11. Your rights

In short: You can see, fix, export, or erase your data — just email us. We reply as soon as we can, at the latest within the legal deadline.

Depending on where you live (including under the GDPR, the Korean Personal Information Protection Act, and Indonesia's PDP Law), you have the right to: access the personal data we hold about you; correct inaccurate data; delete your data; receive a copy in a portable format; restrict or object to certain processing; withdraw consent at any time where processing is based on consent; and lodge a complaint with your supervisory authority (for example, the PIPC in Korea or your local data protection authority in the EU). To exercise any of these rights, email differently.apps@gmail.com from the address linked to your account, or contact us in-app. We may need to verify your identity before acting on a request. We do not charge you for exercising these rights.

12. Cookies and local storage

In short: Essential storage only — your session and preferences. No advertising cookies.

Differently uses browser storage (localStorage and similar) for essential purposes only: keeping you signed in, remembering your language, theme, and app settings, and caching your app data on your device so the app works offline and loads fast. We do not use advertising cookies or cross-site tracking. Because we use only essential storage, there is no cookie consent banner to click through.

13. Security

In short: Encrypted in transit, isolated per account. No system is perfect — but this one is taken seriously.

All traffic between your device and our servers is encrypted with TLS. Data is stored with providers that encrypt data at rest. Every database table is protected by row-level security so each account can only read and write its own data, and social features expose only the minimal fields described in Section 6. Access to production systems is limited to the operator. If we ever become aware of a breach affecting your personal data, we will notify you and the relevant authorities as required by law.

14. Children

In short: Differently isn't for young children.

Differently is not directed at children. You must be at least 14 years old — or older where your local law sets a higher minimum age of digital consent — to use the service. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children below that age; if you believe a child has provided us data, contact us and we will delete it.

15. Changes to this policy

In short: If this policy changes meaningfully, we'll tell you — not just quietly edit the page.

We may update this policy as the service evolves. The effective date at the top always shows the current version. For material changes, we will give notice in the app or by email before the change takes effect. If the policy and any translated version ever differ, and where the terms of a contract with you are more favorable to you than this policy, the more favorable terms apply.

16. Contact

In short: One inbox, read by the person who builds the app.

Privacy questions, requests, or complaints: differently.apps@gmail.com (Differently, privacy contact). We aim to respond within a few days, and always within the timeframe required by applicable law.