_Ippo: reel counter and limiter for Android_

# Ippo accessibility service disclosure

Ippo uses an Android Accessibility Service to count the reels you watch and to block the next one after your daily limit. It looks only at the app name and event type, and cannot read your screen.

URL: https://nyutonlabs.in/ippo/accessibility  
Last updated: 8 November 2026  
Version: 1.0

## Why does Ippo use an accessibility service?

Counting reels and blocking the next one after your daily limit is Ippo's core purpose. The accessibility service is how Ippo does it.

Android has no other way for an app to know that a reel started inside another app. Without the service, Ippo cannot count reels and cannot block them.

## What does Ippo's accessibility service read?

Ippo uses an Android Accessibility Service. It reads only event metadata: that a reel was watched, and which app it was in. It does not read what you watch, messages, passwords or anything else on the screen.

Ippo's main service appears in Android's accessibility settings as **Ippo reel counter**. It is not limited to particular apps in its configuration, so Android sends it accessibility events from every app. For each event, Ippo looks at two things only: the name of the app and the type of event. It uses them to recognise a reel in Instagram and ignores everything else. It cannot read what is on your screen: the setting that would allow that (`canRetrieveWindowContent`) is turned off.

| Ippo reads | Ippo never reads |
| --- | --- |
| That a reel was watched | What you watch |
| Which app the reel was in | Your messages |
| With the web guard on: the web address in the browser's address bar | Your passwords |
| | The rest of the web page |
| | Anything else on the screen |

## Does Ippo read my screen, messages or passwords?

No. It does not read what you watch, messages, passwords or anything else on the screen. It cannot: the setting that would let it read screen content is turned off.

## What does the web guard read?

If you turn on the web guard (a second accessibility service, off by default), Ippo also reads the web address in the browser's address bar to tell that a new reel started. The address is never saved, logged or sent anywhere. It reads nothing else on the page.

## Does the data leave my phone?

No. Everything stays on the phone. Nothing is uploaded or sold.

Ippo stores the following on your phone, in the phone's own storage:

- Daily reel counts
- Your daily limit
- Session times
- Which hour of the day the reels were watched
- Steps earned
- Face-down time earned

This data never leaves the device.

## When does Ippo ask for this permission?

During setup, before it sends you to Android's accessibility settings. You turn the service on yourself; Android does not let an app turn it on for you.

Before that, Ippo shows one screen that says what the service is for:

> **Ippo needs accessibility access.**
> It lets Ippo notice when you swipe to the next reel in Instagram. That is the only thing it is used for.
>
> **What Ippo sees:** that a reel was watched, and which app it happened in.
> **What Ippo never sees:** what you watch, messages or passwords, anything else on your screen.
>
> Counted on this phone. Nothing is sent anywhere.
>
> Buttons: **Continue to settings** and **Not now**.

The web guard has its own explanation in Ippo's settings, and is off by default.

## What else does Ippo ask for?

| Permission or service | Why Ippo needs it |
| --- | --- |
| Accessibility service **Ippo reel counter** | To count reels and to block the next reel after your daily limit. This is Ippo's core purpose. |
| Accessibility service **Ippo web guard** (optional, off by default) | To count and block reels played in a mobile browser. |
| Activity Recognition | The step counter, for earning reels by walking. Ippo asks for it the first time you choose to walk. |

Activity Recognition is the only permission Ippo declares. Ippo sends no notifications. Face-down time is measured with the phone's motion sensor (accelerometer) while Ippo's earn screen is open, which needs no permission and runs no background service. Ippo's screen stays on the whole time.

## How do I turn off the accessibility service?

1. Open your phone's **Settings**.
2. Open **Accessibility**.
3. Find **Ippo reel counter** in the list of installed or downloaded apps. The name of this section varies by phone maker.
4. Turn it off. If you use the web guard, also turn off **Ippo web guard**.

You can also uninstall Ippo. That removes both services and all of Ippo's data.

With the service off, Ippo cannot count or block reels.

## Where is the full privacy policy?

Read the [Ippo privacy policy](/ippo/privacy). The wording on this page matches it exactly.