Screen Guardian

Terms of Service

Last updated 2026-09-09.

1. What Screen Guardian is

Screen Guardian is a commitment tool. You use it to voluntarily configure restrictions on your own iPhone via Apple’s built-in Screen Time system. We generate a random passcode that gates changes to those restrictions, hold it on your behalf during your committed period, and release it back to you when the timer you chose expires (or, if enabled, when your accountability partner approves an early reveal).

We do not ship an iOS app, install anything on your device, or modify your iPhone directly. Apple’s Screen Time is what actually enforces the block.

2. Who can use it

You must be at least 18 years old and legally capable of entering into a binding agreement in your jurisdiction. You must be the owner of the iPhone you are configuring, or have express authorization from its owner. Where local law recognizes a younger age of contractual capacity, that local minimum applies.

3. The core commitment (self-imposed and irreversible)

You understand and accept, in plain terms:

  • Once your commitment is active, you will not have access to your Screen Time passcode until the unlock date you chose. There is no early-unlock button, no support ticket that can shortcut the timer, and no fee that will retrieve the passcode early.
  • If you enabled an accountability partner, they can request an early reveal on your behalf, subject to the partner’s independent approval flow.
  • The only remaining iOS bypass we cannot prevent is erasing your device via Apple’s built-in Erase All Content and Settings (or equivalent recovery-mode wipe). This is a nuclear option that destroys your data.
  • Screen Guardian is not therapy, medical treatment, addiction counseling, or a substitute for professional help. If you are working through significant issues, please also engage a qualified professional.
  • We cannot guarantee that future iOS security bugs, forensic tools, or physical device exploits will not create additional bypass paths.

Nothing in this section limits any non-waivable statutory refund or withdrawal right you may have under local consumer law — see the Refund Policy for how those interact with an active commitment.

4. Acceptable use

You will not:

  • Configure a Screen Guardian commitment on a device you do not own or are not authorized to configure.
  • Attempt to reverse-engineer, tamper with, or circumvent our passcode-escrow system.
  • Use the service to harass, coerce, or restrict another person’s access to their own device.
  • Resell, sublicense, or wrap the service in a paid offering without written permission.
  • Attempt to overwhelm, disable, or degrade the service.

5. If Screen Guardian becomes unreachable

During setup we may email your accountability partner an encrypted emergency envelope containing your Screen Time passcode. Only your partner can decrypt that envelope, using a passphrase they set. Our servers are not required for this recovery path to work.

However: if your partner loses their passphrase AND our service is unreachable, the envelope cannot be opened. Wiping your iPhone remains the last-resort backstop.

6. Account and affiliate terms

You may create one account per person. The affiliate program is optional and governed by the same terms plus the additional program rules displayed at signup. Self-referral, incentive manipulation, or false-conversion inflation is prohibited and voids the offending commissions.

7. Payments

Paid plans are processed by our payment provider, Dodo Payments. By purchasing a plan you also accept the payment provider’s applicable terms, which govern card handling, currency conversion where applicable, chargeback procedures, and dispute resolution mechanics. We receive order metadata (plan, amount, status); the provider handles card details. Recurring plans renew automatically at the end of each billing period until you cancel; you can cancel at any time from Settings and billing will stop at the end of the current period.

8. Termination

You may delete your account at any time from Settings. If you have an active commitment, we will require you to end it first — otherwise your iPhone would remain locked with a passcode that no longer exists in our system.

We may terminate accounts that violate these terms (in particular the “configure only your own device” rule) with reasonable notice where practicable.

9. Warranty disclaimer

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Screen Guardian is provided “as is” and “as available,” without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including but not limited to warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, uninterrupted availability, and error-free operation. Where local law does not permit the exclusion of certain warranties (including many EU, UK, and LATAM consumer regimes), those warranties apply to you notwithstanding this section, but only to the extent required by that law.

10. Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Screen Guardian’s aggregate liability for any claim arising out of or relating to the service is limited to the greater of (a) the amount you paid us for the service in the twelve (12) months preceding the event giving rise to the claim, or (b) fifty US dollars ($50). We are not liable for indirect, incidental, consequential, special, exemplary, or punitive damages, or for loss of profits, revenue, data, or goodwill, even if we have been advised of the possibility of such damages.

Nothing in this section limits liability for (i) fraud, (ii) willful misconduct, (iii) death or personal injury caused by our negligence, or (iv) any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law. In jurisdictions that do not permit the exclusion or limitation of implied warranties or consequential damages, the exclusions and limitations above apply only to the extent permitted by that law.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold Screen Guardian, its officers, employees, and contractors harmless from any third-party claim, loss, or expense (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of your (a) violation of these terms, (b) misuse of the service — including configuring the service on a device you do not own or are not authorized to configure — or (c) violation of any applicable law or the rights of any third party in connection with your use of the service.

Screen Guardian will indemnify you against third-party claims that your authorized use of the service (as delivered by us and unmodified) infringes that party’s intellectual property rights, subject to your prompt written notice, our sole control of the defense and settlement, and your reasonable cooperation.

12. Governing law and disputes

These terms and any dispute arising from them are governed by the laws of the jurisdiction in which the operating entity is established, without regard to conflict-of-laws principles. Consumers residing in the European Union, the United Kingdom, or other jurisdictions that grant non-waivable procedural rights to consumers retain the right to bring proceedings in their local courts and to invoke the mandatory consumer-protection provisions of their local law.

Before initiating any formal proceeding you agree to contact us at support@screen-guardian.app so we can try to resolve the matter directly.

13. Changes to these terms

We may update these terms as the product or legal landscape changes. Material changes will be announced by email to your account address and via a notice on this page at least 30 days before they take effect. Continued use after the effective date constitutes acceptance.

14. Contact

Reach us at support@screen-guardian.app.

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