Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 29, 2026

FocalReader helps you focus while reading by dimming the page around a movable spotlight. The reading features run entirely on your device. Two optional features you choose to turn on — Explain (AI) and a Pro account — involve our server and a few named third parties, described below. We never sell your data.

1. What runs on your device (the core features)

The focus overlay, Smart Window, haze, Auto Dim, and PDF viewer all run locally in your browser. They do not read, store, or transmit the content of the pages you read — the extension only uses your cursor position to know where to draw the overlay.

Your preferences (size, opacity, tint, haze, paused sites, etc.) are saved locally by your browser. If browser sync is on, they may sync across your own devices via your Google or Firefox account, governed by your browser vendor's privacy policy. They never pass through our servers.

2. Explain (AI) — only when you use it

Explain (AI) is optional. When you trigger it on a paragraph (Alt+Shift+E), only that paragraph is sent to our Cloudflare Worker, which forwards it to our AI provider (Anthropic, via Cloudflare's AI Gateway) to generate the plain-language explanation returned to you. We do not send the rest of the page, the page URL, or your browsing history.

To enforce the free daily limit, each request includes a random, anonymous install identifier generated on your device. It is not linked to your identity and is not used for tracking. The paragraph is used only to produce your explanation; it is not used to build a profile of you and is not sold. It may be transiently processed or logged by the providers in section 7 under their own policies.

3. Pro accounts and sign-in

Pro is optional. If you upgrade, you sign in with your email address: we send a one-time code to that address (via our email provider, Resend) and, once verified, store your email and subscription status on our server (Cloudflare D1) to keep you signed in and unlock unlimited explanations. A sign-in token is stored locally in your browser. Free users do not need an account.

4. Payments

Pro subscriptions are processed by Lemon Squeezy, our payment provider. Checkout happens on their page — we never receive or store your card details. Lemon Squeezy notifies our server of your subscription status (and the email used at checkout) so we can activate Pro. See Lemon Squeezy's privacy policy for how they handle payment data.

5. Feedback and email

If you send feedback from the extension, or email us at support@focalreader.com, we receive your message and your email address (if you provide one), used only to reply. We do not add you to any marketing list.

6. What we don't collect

• No analytics, telemetry, or usage tracking.
• No browsing history, bookmarks, tabs, or form data.
• No page content — except the single paragraph you explicitly ask Explain (AI) to rewrite.
• No card or bank details (payments are handled entirely by Lemon Squeezy).

7. Third parties we use

We share data with these providers only to deliver the features above, and only the data each needs:

• Cloudflare — hosts our Worker, database, and AI Gateway (handles the explained paragraph, your account email, and subscription status).
• Anthropic — processes the paragraph you explain to generate the explanation.
• Resend — delivers your one-time sign-in code email.
• Lemon Squeezy — processes Pro payments.

8. Permissions, and why they're needed

• activeTab / content scripts on all URLs — draw the overlay on the page you're reading, and (only when you use Explain or sign in) send those requests to our Worker.
• storage — remember your preferences and, for Pro, your sign-in token.
• declarativeNetRequest / webRequest — replace the browser's built-in PDF viewer with FocalReader's own so the overlay works on PDFs.

9. Data retention and deletion

On your device: preferences and your sign-in token are stored locally and removed when you uninstall the extension (or reset from the Settings page).

On our server: if you created a Pro account, we retain your email and subscription status until you ask us to delete it. Email support@focalreader.com to delete your account and the data associated with it.

10. Children

FocalReader is intended for general audiences. We do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. Pro sign-in requires an email address, which we ask you not to provide for anyone under 13.

11. Changes to this policy

If we change what we collect or how we handle data, we'll update this page and bump the "Last updated" date above. For anything substantive (e.g., adding a new third party) we'll also note it on the extension's Chrome Web Store and Firefox Add-ons listings.

12. Contact

Questions or concerns? Email support@focalreader.com and we'll respond as soon as we can.