Focus Guard — Privacy Policy
Last updated: October 29, 2026
The short version:
During a focus session you start, Focus Guard sends a screenshot of your active tab, its URL and title, and your goal to the AI provider you choose in Settings, using your own API key. Nothing is sent to the developer of Focus Guard, and the extension collects no analytics.
What Focus Guard Does
Focus Guard is a Chrome extension that helps you stay focused during work or study sessions. You set a goal and a timer, and Focus Guard checks the page you're on against your goal. If you stay on something unrelated, it blocks the page and reminds you of your goal.
What Data Is Accessed
Only during a focus session that you start, every 5 seconds Focus Guard:
- Takes a screenshot of your currently visible tab, downscaled to at most 768 pixels on its longest side.
- Reads the tab's URL and title.
When no session is running, Focus Guard does not take screenshots or read your tabs.
Where It Is Sent
The screenshot, URL, title and your goal are sent together to the AI service set on the Settings page (for example OpenAI or OpenRouter, or a server you run yourself). That service returns a one-line "allow" or "block" verdict with a short reason. How long the service keeps requests is governed by that provider's privacy policy, so choose a provider whose terms you accept.
Focus Guard has no server of its own. No data is sent to the developer.
What Is Stored on Your Device
- Settings: the AI service URL, model name and your API key, stored in Chrome's local extension storage. Your API key is sent only to the AI service URL you entered.
- Session state: your goal, timer and the latest verdict, so a session survives browser restarts.
Screenshots are not saved by the extension.
What Is NOT Collected
- No browsing history is stored
- No analytics, tracking, cookies or identifiers
- No personal information is sent to the developer
- No data is ever sold or shared with advertisers
Chrome Permissions Explained
- activeTab & tabs: take a screenshot of your current tab and read its URL and title during a session, and show the block page.
- Access to all sites: needed to capture whichever site you are on, and to reach the AI service you choose.
- storage: keep your settings and session state locally.
- alarms: keep the focus timer running reliably in the background.
Your Control
- Monitoring happens only during sessions you explicitly start, and you can stop a session at any time.
- You choose the AI provider and can change or remove your API key in Settings.
- Uninstalling the extension removes all locally stored data.
Contact
Questions about this policy: open an issue at github.com/sourabhmadur/focus-guard-site/issues.