GentleWatch
Our privacy policy
Plain words, no surprises.
Last updated: June 2026GentleWatch is a screen-support tool made for families — especially families caring for neurodivergent loved ones. We built it with one rule: nothing leaves the device.
This page explains what the extension tracks, where that information lives, and why it never goes anywhere else. We've written it the way we talk to each other — plainly and honestly.
What we track
Time and sites
GentleWatch watches which browser tab is active and for how long. It groups time into buckets — YouTube, Facebook, and everything else — so the family can see how the day went at a glance.
It pauses automatically when the computer is idle, so only real use is counted.
YouTube video details
On YouTube, GentleWatch reads the title and channel name of whatever is playing. It counts how many times a video has been watched that day. This is the feature that helps families notice repeat-watching patterns and comfort videos.
It reads this from the page itself — it never contacts YouTube's servers or uses any YouTube API.
Page titles on other sites
On sites like Facebook, GentleWatch logs the page title shown in the browser tab alongside how long it was open. This tells the family roughly what was being viewed, without reading any messages or private content.
What we never touch
Things GentleWatch will never collect
We drew a clear line. These things are off-limits, always:
- Messages, comments, or anything typed — not read, not stored
- Keystrokes or clipboard contents
- Passwords or login details
- Webcam or microphone — never accessed
- Location data
- Search queries inside a site
- Private or incognito tabs (incognito is disabled in the setup)
- Anything from other users on the same machine not covered by the active profile
Where the data lives
Everything stays on this device
All data is stored in
chrome.storage.local
— a private storage area inside Chrome that only this extension can
access, on this computer.
GentleWatch has no account system, no login, no server, and no internet connection of its own. There is nowhere for your data to go.
Data is automatically deleted after 60 days. You can also export a summary as a text file to share with a doctor or therapist — that's your choice, and the file goes only where you send it.
Who can see this information
The caregiver summary — the dashboard with all the details — is protected by a PIN that the family sets up. Only someone who knows the PIN can open it.
The person being supported can always see their own screen time today by clicking the extension icon. We believe that giving someone a window into their own habits is respectful and helpful for building self-awareness.
- The family member using the computer sees their own daily time total
- The caregiver (PIN required) sees the full summary, video log, and flagged items
- No one else — no developer, no third party, no ad network — sees anything
For families with young children
Under-13 and COPPA
GentleWatch is designed to be safe to use with children under 13. Because all data stays on the device and is never transmitted to any server, we do not collect, store, or share personal information in the way that children's privacy laws (like COPPA in the US) are concerned with.
There are no accounts, no sign-ups, and no cloud storage. The data never leaves the family's own computer.
If this policy changes
Updates to this policy
If we ever change what GentleWatch collects or how it works, we'll update this page and note the date at the top. We will never start transmitting data off-device without making it a very visible, opt-in choice — and we'll ask clearly before anything like that ever ships.
The core promise — nothing leaves the device — is not a feature we plan to remove. It's a principle.
Questions or concerns
If anything here is unclear, or if you have a concern about how GentleWatch handles your family's information, please reach out. We're a small team and we actually read our messages.
Email us at eternalhobbyhopper@gmail.com