Privacy and Accessibility Service
Answer: Lauds uses Android Accessibility Service for one stated purpose: detecting when a user-selected locked app comes forward so the shield can appear. BeforeScroll Studio says the service does not read screen content, capture keystrokes, or transmit foreground app names, selected app lists, journals, or photos.
What the service does
Detects a selected app opening
During your chosen lock window, Lauds needs to know when a blocked app is in front. That is the narrow behavior Accessibility Service supports.
Shows the shield
When a selected app is detected, Lauds can display its Scripture-first shield and offer unlock paths such as a Bible app, physical Bible timer, or journal.
Respects revocation
You can turn off Accessibility Service in Android settings. If you do, the app-blocking feature will no longer function as intended.
Works with Usage Access
Android app blocking may also require Usage Access, depending on device and OS behavior.
What Lauds says it does not do
- It does not read your screen content.
- It does not capture keystrokes.
- It does not send foreground app names off device.
- It does not upload your selected blocked app list as a readable list.
- It does not upload journal text, Bible photos, or local settings as cloud sync.
How to verify or revoke it
Users should be able to confirm the permission state without reading source code. In Android settings, the Accessibility Service entry for Lauds should be visible alongside the system warning text. If the user turns that service off, Lauds should no longer be able to place the shield in front of selected apps.
Verify
Open a selected app during the lock window. If Accessibility Service and Usage Access are enabled, the Lauds shield should appear before the distracting app becomes the first experience.
Revoke
Turn off Lauds in Android Accessibility settings or revoke Usage Access. The blocker should stop because the user controls the permission.
Review
Read the privacy policy when the permission prompt feels too broad. Android's generic warning is intentionally serious, but Lauds should explain the narrower product use.
Report
If the shield appears outside the chosen lock window or for an app you did not select, report it as a product bug rather than accepting it as normal behavior.
What may leave the device
The privacy policy says Lauds may send limited anonymous product analytics such as app opened, onboarding step completed, paywall shown, and referral code submitted. It also stores website waitlist, referral, and payment reconciliation records where users choose those flows.
Honest limitations
Accessibility Service is a powerful Android permission, and users should grant it only if they trust the app and understand why it is needed. Lauds is not impossible to bypass, and Android device makers may affect reliability through battery, background, and overlay behavior.