lights out

terms of use

effective · 10 september 2026

these terms are the agreement between you and Betterdays Studio for using lights out. the short version: lights out helps you put your phone down at night. it is a tool, not a doctor, and it is not a lock you cannot open.

by downloading or using lights out (the “app”), you agree to these terms. if you do not agree, please do not use the app. this agreement is between you and Betterdays Studio, the app studio behind johnnybuildstech, run as a sole trader based in the united kingdom (“we”, “us”). it is not an agreement with apple or google.

what lights out is

lights out is a bedtime app blocker and wind-down tool. you choose a bedtime and the apps you want out of the way, and the app puts a shield in front of them until morning. it also runs daytime focus blocks and per-app daily limits, and offers wind-down sessions built from published, cited techniques. everything you create stays on your device. see the privacy policy for exactly what that means.

what lights out is not, please read this

lights out is not a medical device and does not provide medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.

  • the wind-down content draws on published techniques, including approaches used in CBT-I. the app is not CBT-I therapy and is not a substitute for a qualified clinician.
  • if you have insomnia, a sleep disorder, or any health concern, please talk to a professional. do not use this app in place of that conversation.
  • sleep durations read from apple health or health connect are shown for your own interest. they are not a clinical measurement.

blocking is best effort, not a guarantee

the shield runs on your phone’s own controls: screen time / family controls on iphone, and the accessibility, usage access and overlay permissions on android. that means it works as well as those systems allow, and no better.

  • blocking can be interrupted by the operating system, by a phone restart, by battery optimisation, by revoking a permission, or by uninstalling the app.
  • a determined person can always get around it. that is by design: your phone is yours, and an emergency has to be able to win.
  • never rely on lights out to block anything safety critical. your phone app, emergency calls, and system functions are never blocked.

the override and your passcode

hard override asks for a passcode you set. that passcode is stored only on your device, in the keychain or encrypted storage. we never see it and we cannot reset it. if you forget it, the way back is to delete and reinstall the app, which also clears your data. export a backup from settings if you can. this is the deliberate trade: a passcode we could reset would not be a passcode.

subscriptions and billing

lights out is free to use with a limited set of blocks and tracks. premium unlocks the rest.

  • purchases are handled by apple or google, not by us. your payment details never reach us.
  • a subscription renews automatically until you cancel it. cancel at any time in your app store or google play account settings. cancelling stops the next renewal; it does not refund the current period.
  • where a free trial is offered, the store shows you its length and price before you confirm. if you cancel before it ends, you are not charged.
  • the lifetime option is a one-time purchase for the premium features as they exist and as they develop in this app. it is not a promise of future separate apps.
  • refunds are handled by the storeunder apple’s or google’s policy, not by us. we cannot issue a refund on their behalf, though we will always try to help you reach them.

your content

your journal entries, worry notes, schedules and history are yours. they live on your device and we have no copy and no access. we claim no rights over them.

acceptable use

please do not attempt to reverse engineer, resell, or redistribute the app, use it to block or restrict someone else’s device without their knowledge and consent, or use it in any way that breaks the law where you are.

availability and changes

we may update the app, change or remove features, or stop distributing it. we will not deliberately remove a feature you paid for while your purchase is active. because the app runs offline, an existing install keeps working even if we stop publishing updates.

liability

the app is provided “as is”. to the extent the law allows, we are not liable for indirect or consequential loss, for lost sleep, missed notifications, missed calls or messages arising from apps you chose to block, or for data loss on a device we have no access to. nothing here limits liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or for anything else that cannot lawfully be limited. if you are a consumer, your statutory rights are unaffected.

governing law

these terms are governed by the law of england and wales. if you are a consumer resident elsewhere, you keep the protections of your local law.

contact

questions about these terms? the support page has the best way to reach a human.