Terms of Service

Effective date: October 15, 2026

1. Summary

These Terms of Service explain the rules for using Nudge.

Nudge is a native macOS focus app that helps you stay inside selected work apps during focus sessions. It can bring your attention back to allowed apps, block selected distracting websites in supported browsers during active sessions, and track local focus history.

The important parts are:

• Nudge is a productivity tool, not a guarantee that you will be productive.
• Nudge is local-first. Core app data such as presets, allowed apps, blocked domains, focus history, goals, and settings are stored on your Mac by default.
• Nudge needs macOS Accessibility permission for app-focus enforcement.
• Nudge needs browser Automation permission for website blocking in supported browsers.
• Website blocking is not network-level blocking. It works in supported browsers and depends on macOS/browser permissions.
• Nudge creates an account for you automatically on first launch, without an email or password.
• Each Mac gets one free 7-day trial. It starts automatically the first time you open Nudge while connected to the internet and needs no email, password, or payment card. Adding a card during that trial is optional: nothing is charged at checkout, and USD 9.99 is charged once when the original 7-day trial ends, unless you cancel before then. Adding a card does not extend the trial. Your account then receives Lifetime Access, with no renewals or further charges.
• Lifetime Access costs USD 9.99 once and has no subscription or renewal. You activate it by pasting your license key in Nudge → Settings → Lifetime License Key and choosing Activate. A key needs no email and no code. One license key activates Nudge Lifetime on one Mac.
• Payments are processed by Paddle. Nudge does not store full card numbers.
• Refunds are handled according to the Nudge Refund Policy and applicable law.

2. Who we are

Nudge is operated by the business identified in the Contact section below. In these Terms, “Nudge,” “we,” “us,” or “our” means the operator of Nudge.

You are the person or organization using Nudge, referred to as “you” or “your.”

3. What Nudge does

Nudge provides focus tools for macOS.

Current and planned core functionality may include:

• Starting timed or open-ended focus sessions.
• Selecting one or more allowed apps for a session.
• Bringing focus back to allowed apps if you switch away.
• Blocking selected distracting websites in supported browsers during a session.
• Saving presets for repeated focus modes.
• Tracking focus time, session history, goals, streaks, and per-app focus time locally.
• Running from the main macOS app window and from the menu bar.
• Providing local notifications, sounds, and global hotkeys.
• Checking for app updates.
• Offering one free 7-day trial per Mac and paid Lifetime Access.

Nudge is not:

• A medical, mental health, or clinical treatment product.
• A guarantee of productivity, academic performance, employment performance, or wellbeing.
• A parental control system.
• An employee monitoring system.
• A network-level blocker unless a future version explicitly says so.
• A universal blocker that can block every website, app, browser, device, or workaround.

4. Eligibility

You may use Nudge only if you can legally agree to these Terms.

If you are under the age of legal majority where you live, you may use Nudge only with permission from a parent or legal guardian. Nudge is not intended for children under 13.

If you use Nudge for an organization, you confirm that you have authority to accept these Terms for that organization.

5. Your license to use Nudge

Subject to these Terms, we grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to download, install, and use Nudge on macOS devices you own or control.

You may not:

• Sell, rent, lease, sublicense, or redistribute Nudge without permission.
• Copy Nudge except as needed for normal installation and backup.
• Reverse engineer, decompile, or attempt to extract source code except where law allows it.
• Remove product notices, copyright notices, or license notices.
• Use Nudge to build a competing product using confidential or non-public parts of Nudge.
• Bypass trial, license, entitlement, or access controls.
• Abuse, interfere with, overload, or attack any Nudge backend, payment, update, analytics, or support system.

6. Local-first use and account status

Nudge’s core app experience is designed to work locally on your Mac.

The current local-first model means:

• Your focus presets, allowed apps, blocked domains, blocked apps, goals, settings, and local focus history are stored on your Mac by default.
• Nudge creates an account automatically on first launch, without an email or password. This account runs the one-time trial, purchases, and access checks.
• A license key, including a gift key, is activated by pasting it in Nudge → Settings → Lifetime License Key and choosing Activate. It needs no email and no code.
• Paid access may require Paddle transaction information, a license record, and server-side entitlement status.
• Optional future features such as cloud sync, account login, or backup may require additional account data and updated privacy disclosures.

If a feature says it requires an account, payment, network access, or sync, that feature may not work offline.

7. Seven-day trial

Each Mac receives one free 7-day trial with every feature, measured using server time. It starts automatically the first time you open Nudge while connected to the internet and your account is created, and needs no email, password, or payment card. Reinstalling the app, clearing the keychain, signing out, or creating a new account on the same Mac continues the same trial window and does not start a new trial. If that window has ended, the trial has ended.

When the original 7 days end, trial access stops. Lifetime Access is required to continue, including when a payment is still pending. Adding a card, reinstalling, or signing in again does not start another trial.

Optional payment card. Before your original 7-day trial ends, you may add a payment card through Paddle checkout. Nothing is charged at checkout. Unless you cancel before the original trial end date, USD 9.99 plus any applicable taxes shown at checkout is charged once on that date, and your account then receives Lifetime Access. Adding a card does not restart or extend the trial. The server-confirmed end date is shown before checkout. By adding a card, you authorize Paddle to make that single charge. After the trial ends, only a direct Lifetime purchase is available.

That single charge is the Lifetime Access purchase: it is not a subscription and there are no further charges. Paddle checkout may present it as a subscription because Paddle only offers trials that way; Nudge cancels that subscription right after the single charge, so it never renews.

You can cancel before the charge in Nudge → Settings → Account. If you cancel, nothing is charged and you keep access until the end of the 7-day trial.

There is one free 7-day trial per Mac. An account that has already had a trial, with or without a card, does not receive another. Nudge may decline a new trial when many new trials are started from the same network within 24 hours.

You may not manipulate device time, local data, app files, network requests, account identifiers, or device identifiers to reset or bypass the trial.

8. Lifetime Access

Nudge Lifetime Access is the only paid offer: USD 9.99, paid once, with no recurring subscription or renewal.

Lifetime Access may include:

• Focus sessions without a trial expiration gate.
• Unlimited or expanded presets.
• Schedules.
• Lock mode.
• Advanced analytics.
• Export/import.
• Stronger blocking tools.
• Optional sync or backup if added later.

Checkout shows the one-time price, currency, applicable taxes, and the features included.

Paddle asks for your email at checkout. Enter your own email address: it is the purchase email, and your receipt is sent there.

After verified payment, Lifetime Access works on the Mac where you bought it. Nudge also shows a license key on the success page and attempts to email the same key, also when your Nudge account has no email: to your account’s verified email if it has one, otherwise to the purchase email.

Activate a Lifetime license key by pasting it in Nudge → Settings → Lifetime License Key and choosing Activate. A key needs no email and no code. One license key activates Nudge Lifetime on one Mac.

9. Payments through Paddle

Paid purchases are processed through Paddle or another payment provider we name at checkout.

When Paddle is used:

• Paddle may act as the merchant of record, authorized reseller, payment processor, or billing provider depending on the checkout setup and applicable Paddle terms.
• Paddle may collect payment details, billing address, tax information, contact details, fraud-prevention information, and other checkout data.
• Paddle may issue invoices, receipts, tax documents, payment notices, and refund confirmations.
• Nudge does not store your full card number.
• Nudge may store the data needed to provide access, such as Paddle customer and transaction IDs, product and price IDs, purchase state, license state, refund or chargeback state, and entitlement status.

You must provide accurate billing information, including your own email address. You authorize Paddle and its payment partners to charge the one-time purchase amount and applicable taxes shown at checkout.

10. License activation

A browser checkout-completed message is not proof of payment. Nudge issues a key only after its server verifies Paddle’s signed payment notification.

After verified payment:

• The success page displays the license key while its secure retrieval link remains valid.
• Nudge attempts to email the same key to your account’s verified email if it has one, otherwise to the purchase email you entered at checkout; an email-delivery failure does not invalidate a paid purchase.
• The key is activated by pasting it in Nudge → Settings → Lifetime License Key and choosing Activate. It needs no email and no code, and it activates Nudge Lifetime on one Mac.
• Your local Nudge data remains on your Mac unless you delete it.

Keep the key private. Contact support if payment completed but the success page or email did not provide the key.

Gift keys. A gift key is activated like any other license key: it needs no email and no code, and it activates Nudge Lifetime on one Mac.

11. Refunds

Refunds are governed by the Nudge Refund Policy and applicable law.

Our intended customer-friendly policy is:

• Lifetime Access purchases are eligible for a refund request within 30 days of purchase.
• Refunds are normally processed through Paddle to the original payment method.
• An approved full refund or a chargeback may revoke the license and Lifetime Access.

Nothing in these Terms limits any mandatory consumer rights that apply to you.

12. Permissions and system access

Nudge needs certain macOS permissions to provide focus functionality.

Accessibility permission may be used to:

• Detect the active/frontmost app.
• Bring you back to an allowed app during a focus session.
• Support focus enforcement and related workflows.

Browser Automation permission may be used to:

• Read the active/current tab URL in supported browsers during an active focus session.
• Compare the active tab domain to your blocked domain list.
• Redirect a blocked tab to a local Nudge locked page.

Notifications may be used to:

• Tell you when a session completes.
• Tell you when a session ends because an allowed app was closed.
• Show other focus-related local messages.

Global hotkeys may be used to:

• Start a session.
• Pause or resume a session.
• Stop a session.
• Open the Nudge window.

You can manage these permissions in macOS System Settings and in Nudge settings where available.

If you deny or revoke permissions, some Nudge features may not work.

13. Blocking and enforcement limitations

Nudge’s focus enforcement has technical limits.

Unless a future version clearly says otherwise:

• App focus enforcement is reactive. Nudge tries to bring you back to allowed apps; it does not sandbox your Mac.
• Website blocking depends on supported browsers, macOS Automation permission, browser scripting behavior, and active/current tab detection.
• Website blocking is not global DNS, VPN, network, firewall, or content-filter blocking.
• Unsupported browsers, private browser behavior, browser updates, OS updates, multiple windows, background tabs, and permission changes may affect blocking.
• Strict mode and app blocking may terminate selected apps if enabled, but protected system apps may be excluded for safety.

You are responsible for configuring sessions, allowed apps, blocked websites, and blocked apps correctly.

14. Acceptable use

You agree not to use Nudge to:

• Violate laws or regulations.
• Infringe intellectual property or privacy rights.
• Interfere with someone else’s device without permission.
• Monitor, control, or restrict another person’s computer use without proper legal authority and consent.
• Bypass trial, license, entitlement, security, or payment controls.
• Send malware, spam, abusive requests, or attacks against Nudge infrastructure or third-party providers.
• Misrepresent Nudge’s functionality to others.

15. Your data and responsibility for configuration

You are responsible for:

• Choosing which apps are allowed.
• Choosing which domains are blocked.
• Checking whether your browsers are supported.
• Granting or denying permissions.
• Keeping your Mac, browsers, and Nudge app updated.
• Backing up local data if export/backup functionality is available.

If you delete Nudge, reset app data, reinstall macOS, modify local storage, or use cleanup tools, local Nudge data may be lost.

16. Updates and changes to the app

We may update Nudge to:

• Fix bugs.
• Improve focus features.
• Add or remove features.
• Improve security.
• Change trial or Lifetime Access feature boundaries.
• Update third-party integrations.
• Maintain compatibility with macOS and supported browsers.

Some updates may be required for continued use, especially if they affect security, billing, entitlement checks, or compatibility.

If Nudge is distributed outside the Mac App Store, updates may be provided through Sparkle, GitHub Releases, direct downloads, or another update channel.

17. Third-party services

Nudge may rely on third-party services, including:

• Paddle for one-time checkout, invoices, taxes, refunds, fraud prevention, and customer payment support.
• Mixpanel for product analytics if analytics are enabled.
• GitHub Releases, Sparkle, or related infrastructure for downloads and updates.
• Email providers or support tools for support requests if added.
• Hosting providers for the marketing website and policy pages.

Third-party services have their own terms and privacy policies.

We are not responsible for third-party services except where applicable law says otherwise.

18. Privacy

Your use of Nudge is also governed by the Nudge Privacy Policy.

The Privacy Policy explains:

• What data is stored locally.
• What data may be sent to analytics if enabled.
• What data Paddle processes for payments.
• What data may be used for trial and Lifetime Access entitlement checks.
• What the automatically created account holds and which hashed identifiers keep one free trial per Mac.
• Your choices and rights.

19. Intellectual property

Nudge, including its name, interface, design, code, branding, graphics, icons, documentation, and other materials, is owned by us or our licensors.

These Terms do not transfer ownership of Nudge to you.

You may give feedback, suggestions, or ideas. Unless we separately agree otherwise, you allow us to use that feedback without restriction or compensation.

20. Beta, previews, and experimental features

Some features may be marked beta, preview, experimental, or coming soon.

These features may:

• Change without notice.
• Be incomplete.
• Have bugs.
• Be removed.
• Require new permissions.
• Require a paid plan later.

Do not rely on beta features for critical workflows.

21. Disclaimers

Nudge is provided “as is” and “as available” to the fullest extent allowed by law.

We do not guarantee that:

• Nudge will be uninterrupted or error-free.
• Nudge will block every distraction.
• Nudge will improve productivity or focus outcomes.
• Nudge will be compatible with every macOS version, browser, app, or device configuration.
• Nudge will prevent all bypasses.
• Nudge will preserve all local data if your device, OS, storage, or app data changes.

Some jurisdictions do not allow certain disclaimers, so some disclaimers may not apply to you.

22. Limitation of liability

To the fullest extent allowed by law, Nudge and its providers will not be liable for indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary, or punitive damages, including loss of profits, loss of data, loss of productivity, business interruption, or device configuration issues.

To the fullest extent allowed by law, our total liability for any claim related to Nudge will be limited to the greater of:

• The amount you paid for Nudge in the 12 months before the claim; or
• USD $50 or the equivalent amount in GEL.

This limitation does not limit liability that cannot legally be limited, such as liability for fraud, intentional misconduct, or mandatory consumer rights.

23. Termination

You may stop using Nudge at any time.

We may suspend or terminate access to paid features if:

• Your purchase is refunded or charged back, or your license is revoked under these Terms.
• You violate these Terms.
• You abuse the trial, license, payment system, support system, or backend services.
• Continued access would create legal, security, or operational risk.

Termination does not automatically delete local data stored on your Mac.

24. Changes to these Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time.

If changes are material, we will take reasonable steps to notify you, such as updating the website, showing an in-app notice, or sending an email if we have your email.

Continued use of Nudge after updated Terms become effective means you accept the updated Terms.

25. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by the laws of Georgia, without regard to conflict-of-law principles.

Courts located in Tbilisi, Georgia will have exclusive jurisdiction unless applicable consumer law gives you the right to bring claims elsewhere.

Before filing a formal claim, you agree to contact us at support@nudgefocus.app so we can try to resolve the issue informally.

26. Contact

Questions about these Terms or required business information:

Email: support@nudgefocus.app
Phone: +995 555 182 149

Nika Dolidze, Individual Entrepreneur
Ivane Gravamadze 30, Tbilisi, 0100, Georgia
Identification number: 61001085814
Residence: Georgia
https://nudgefocus.app