Why Sanctuary uses the Accessibility Service
Sanctuary Launcher asks for the Android Accessibility Service permission. It is a sensitive request and it deserves a straight answer. This page explains exactly why the app needs it, what it detects, the five things it never does, and how to revoke it.
Demonstration Video
(Coming soon)
Why does Sanctuary need Accessibility?
Sanctuary's core feature is the Intention Gate—a brief pause that asks "What are you opening this for?" before a distracting app loads.
If you only ever opened apps by tapping their icon on the Sanctuary home screen, we wouldn't need Accessibility. However, Android allows apps to be opened in many ways:
- Tapping a push notification
- Clicking a web link that opens an app directly (like a YouTube or Instagram link)
- Using an app widget
- Switching via the "Recent Apps" overview
The Android Accessibility Service is the only reliable way for Sanctuary to detect that a specific app has entered the foreground, regardless of how it was launched. When it detects an app you have chosen to limit, Sanctuary briefly covers the screen to show the Intention Gate or the Daily Limit wall.
What we explicitly DO NOT do
- We do not read the content of your screen.
- We do not log or read your keystrokes.
- We do not read your messages, emails, or form fields.
- We do not capture your passwords.
- We do not send accessibility data off your device.
Is this permission optional?
Yes. You can use Sanctuary as a calm, text-based home screen without ever granting the Accessibility permission. However, without it, Intention Gates and App Limits will only trigger if you launch the app directly from the Sanctuary app drawer or essentials list. They will not trigger if you open the app via a notification or recent apps.
How to turn it off
If you grant the permission and later change your mind, you can revoke it at any time in your Android system settings:Settings → Accessibility → Downloaded Apps → Sanctuary → Off
Revoking the permission does not delete anything or disable the launcher. Sanctuary continues to work as a calm, text-first home screen, and gates continue to trigger for apps you open from within Sanctuary itself.
Where this fits with the rest of our privacy commitments
The Accessibility Service is the most powerful permission Sanctuary requests, and it is the only one that could plausibly be abused, which is why it gets its own page. Everything else follows the same rule: Sanctuary has no account, no advertising SDKs, no behavioral analytics, and no developer-operated cloud. Nothing this permission observes is transmitted anywhere, because there is nowhere for it to go. Read the full privacy policy.