Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 3, 2026

PresenceLock runs entirely on your computer. It does not collect, transmit, or share any of your data. There are no accounts, no servers, no telemetry, and no analytics. We never see your apps, your settings, or your codes.

What the app stores, and where

Everything PresenceLock saves stays on your device, under %LOCALAPPDATA%\PresenceLock:

• config.json: which apps you chose to protect, any per-app lock schedules (days and hours), your enabled unlock methods, trusted WiFi network names, trusted Bluetooth device ids, and your preferences (relock timing, start-with-Windows).
• secrets: your PINs (the master PIN and any per-app "friend" PINs) stored only as salted, one-way PBKDF2 hashes, each encrypted at rest with Windows DPAPI (per-user). PINs are never kept in plain text.
• activity.json: a local activity log, recent lock, unlock, and failed-attempt events (app name, time, and which method was used), kept so you can review them. It is capped to a few hundred recent entries, never leaves your PC, and you can clear it anytime from the Activity window in the app.

We never receive any of these. They are read and written only on your machine.

What the app reads (but does not store or send)

To do its job, PresenceLock reads, on your device only:

• Which app windows are opening or open, so it can lock the ones you marked protected and show the unlock prompt.
• The name and path of the program behind a window, to match it against your protected list.
• The name of your current WiFi network (SSID), if you enabled the trusted-WiFi unlock method.
• The connection state of your paired Bluetooth device, if you enabled phone-proximity unlocking.

This information is used only to decide whether to lock or unlock on screen. It is not stored (beyond the settings listed above) and never transmitted anywhere.

Windows Hello

If you enable Windows Hello, authentication is performed entirely by Windows. PresenceLock receives only a yes/no result. Your face, fingerprint, and Windows PIN never reach PresenceLock and never leave your device.

Your PINs

The master PIN and any friend PINs are stored only as salted PBKDF2 hashes, encrypted with DPAPI. They are never stored in plain text and never transmitted. Because they are one-way hashed, they cannot be recovered; if you forget your PIN you can reset by removing the files in %LOCALAPPDATA%\PresenceLock.

PresenceLock is a privacy lock, not encryption

The app locks the apps you choose while it is running. It is not encryption or account-level access control. A determined, technical person could bypass it (for example by ending the PresenceLock process). Do not rely on it as your only protection for truly sensitive data; use encryption such as BitLocker and a locked Windows account for that.

Network use

PresenceLock makes no network connections for your data. It does not send crash reports, usage statistics, or any other information off your device.

Start with Windows

If you enable "Start with Windows," the app registers a standard packaged startup task with Windows so it can launch at sign-in. Disabling it removes that registration. No data is involved.

Your control over your data

• Turn protection off for any app, or remove its friend PIN or schedule, from the app picker.
• Change or clear your unlock methods in Settings.
• Clear the activity log anytime from the Activity window.
• Delete the %LOCALAPPDATA%\PresenceLock folder to remove all settings and stored hashes.
• Uninstalling PresenceLock stops all of its activity; your other apps are untouched.

If you contact us

If you choose to email us (for support, feedback, or a bug report), we receive your email address and whatever you include in your message. We use them only to respond to you and to fix the issue, we do not add you to any mailing list, and we do not share them with anyone. You may ask us to delete the correspondence at any time.

GDPR, UK GDPR, and other privacy laws

The app is designed for data minimization: it processes data only locally on your device, under your control, and we act as neither a controller nor a processor of any personal data on your behalf, because no personal data ever reaches us from the app. As we hold no data about you, requests to access, correct, port, restrict, object to, or erase data held by us have nothing to act on; you can exercise full control by editing or deleting the local files described above.

California (CCPA/CPRA)

We do not collect, sell, or share personal information, and we have no personal information to disclose. "Sell" and "share" are used here as defined by California law. There is nothing to opt out of because no data is collected.

Children's privacy

PresenceLock does not collect any personal information from anyone, including children, and is not directed at children.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes, the updated version will be posted at this address with a new "Last updated" date.