Privacy Policy

CloudEx Inc. ("we", "us", or "our") operates the "Next Small Step" app (the "Service"). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices available to you. By using the Service, you are deemed to have agreed to the practices described in this Policy.

1. Our Core Principle

Next Small Step helps you break big goals into small tasks and shows you only the one next step to take. Breaking goals down (templates, splitting by pattern or by questions, writing a plan), choosing the next step, the focus timer, reminders, and your records all run entirely on your device. There is no AI built into the app, no account, and no sign-up. Your goals and tasks are yours: they are stored on your device, and we never view, collect, upload, or transmit them to our servers. Specifically, we do not have access to any of the following:

  • The goals and tasks you write, their notes, due dates, estimates, and order
  • Your focus records (when and for how long you worked) and your log of what you have done
  • The templates you save yourself
  • Text you share into the app from other apps, such as an answer from an AI assistant

Your goals and tasks leave your device only through actions you take yourself: handing a request to another app with "Ask an AI", sharing or exporting, or saving a backup file (Section 2).

2. Your Goals and Tasks, and What Leaves Your Device

  • Where they are kept: Your goals, tasks, notes, focus records, and your own templates are stored in the app's private database on your device. Your settings are stored in the app's private storage.
  • "Ask an AI": The app has no AI of its own. When you use "Ask an AI" on a task, the app first shows you the request text: the task's name, the goal (and any parent tasks) it belongs to, and the task's note if it has one. That text is passed only to the app you choose from Android's share sheet (for example, an AI assistant), or copied to your clipboard if you choose to copy it. The app itself sends nothing. What happens to the text after that is governed by the app you chose and its own privacy policy.
  • Text you share into the app: When you share text from another app (for example, an AI assistant's answer) and add it as tasks, the text is read on your device and stays there.
  • Exports and backups you create: Sharing a goal as text, exporting a CSV file, saving a plan as a PDF (Premium), and saving a backup file (a ZIP file) send the data only to the app or the place you choose. Files are saved through Android's file picker, so the app can access only the file or folder you pick. Automatic backup (Premium) writes a backup once a day to a folder you choose and keeps the latest 7 there.
  • App lock (Premium): The app lock uses Android's own authentication screen (fingerprint, face, or your device's PIN, pattern, or password). Android performs the check and tells the app only whether it succeeded; the app never receives your fingerprint, face data, or PIN.
  • When anything leaves your device: Only when you do one of the above yourself. We never receive any of it.

3. Information We Collect

3.1 Information Collected Automatically

  • Anonymous crash reports: Via Firebase Crashlytics. When the app crashes, we collect the stack trace, device model, OS version, and app version. This does not include personally identifiable information. The app never puts the names or contents of your goals and tasks into crash reports, logs, or custom keys.
  • Purchase information: We use purchase tokens issued by Google Play to verify your one-time "Premium" purchase. We never receive any payment information such as credit card numbers.
  • List of our other apps: To show our other apps, the app downloads their names, descriptions, and icons from our content server (static files hosted on Cloudflare Pages). The request contains no personal data from the app. As with any request to a web server, the server receives your device's IP address as part of the connection. Tapping an app in the list opens its page on Google Play.

3.2 Information Stored Only on Your Device

  • Goals and tasks: Names, notes, due dates, estimates, repeat settings, the tasks you picked for today, and their order. They are used only to show your goals, choose the next step, and send the reminders you set.
  • Focus records and your log of what you have done: When and for how long you focused and what you completed. They are used only for the Today summary, the done log, charts and insights, and (Premium) estimates adjusted to your pace.
  • Your own templates: The breakdowns you save as templates.
  • App settings: Display options, how the next step is chosen, reminder times, the app lock setting, and whether Premium is unlocked.
  • Information kept only on this device: The focus timer's state, how far reminders have been shown, your current energy and free time, the folder chosen for automatic backup, and whether the review prompt and the introduction have been shown. These are never included in Android backups.
  • Android backup: If backup is turned on in your device settings, Android may include your goals, tasks, and settings in the backup it saves to your own Google account, and may copy them to a new phone when you transfer your data. The information listed in the previous item is always excluded. This is handled by Android; we have no access to it.
  • When you uninstall: Uninstalling the app or clearing its data deletes everything stored in the app. Backup files and other files you saved elsewhere (including automatic backups in the folder you chose) remain until you delete them.

3.3 Information We Explicitly Do Not Collect

  • Your goals, tasks, notes, focus records, or templates
  • Your name, email address, phone number, or contacts (the app has no account or sign-up)
  • App usage statistics or your device's advertising ID (the app does not include Firebase Analytics or any other analytics service, and does not use the advertising ID)
  • A history of the websites you visit or the contents of your communications
  • The contents of your screen or of other apps

3.4 Permissions the App Requests and Their Purposes

Next Small Step uses the following OS permissions only for the stated purposes:

  • Notifications (POST_NOTIFICATIONS, Android 13+) — Shows the reminders you set (the daily next step, reminders for each goal, due dates, and the evening review) with "Done" and "Later" buttons, the ongoing notification while the focus timer runs, and the alert when the time is up. All your goals and tasks can be used without it.
  • Run at startup (RECEIVE_BOOT_COMPLETED) — Sets your reminders and the end of a running focus timer again after your phone restarts or the app is updated.
  • Vibration (VIBRATE) — A short vibration when the focus time is up while the focus screen is open.
  • Internet and network state (INTERNET / ACCESS_NETWORK_STATE) — Used only for anonymous crash reports, Google Play purchase verification, in-app reviews and in-app updates, downloading the list of our other apps, and showing this privacy policy in the app. Goals, tasks, the focus timer, and reminders do not require an internet connection.
  • Biometrics (USE_BIOMETRIC / USE_FINGERPRINT) — Used only for the app lock (Premium) when you turn it on.
  • Google Play billing (com.android.vending.BILLING) — Used only for the one-time Premium purchase.

The app does not request access to your contacts or to your device's storage as a whole, and does not use exact alarms, foreground services, accessibility services, or display over other apps.

4. How We Use Information

The limited information we collect is used only for the following purposes:

  • Operating and maintaining the Service
  • Verifying your Premium purchase
  • Diagnosing and fixing crashes
  • Responding to support inquiries
  • Complying with applicable laws

5. Third-Party Services

Next Small Step uses the following third-party services. Each service has its own privacy policy.

  • Firebase Crashlytics (Google LLC) — anonymous crash diagnostic data
  • Google Play Billing (Google LLC) — the one-time Premium purchase; payment is completed on Google Play, and we receive only a purchase token
  • Google Play In-App Review and In-App Updates (Google LLC) — let you rate the app (asked only after you complete a step) and install updates without leaving it; handled by Google Play
  • Cloudflare Pages (Cloudflare, Inc.) — hosts the static list of our other apps

Next Small Step does not include Firebase Analytics or any other analytics service, and does not use your device's advertising ID.

6. Data Retention

  • Crash reports: retained for 90 days, then deleted.
  • Your goals, tasks, records, templates, and settings on your device: kept until you delete them, uninstall the app, or clear the app's data.
  • Automatic backups (Premium): the latest 7 are kept in the folder you chose, and older ones are deleted automatically. Backup files you save yourself are kept until you delete them.

7. International Data Transfers

We are based in Japan. The infrastructure used for crash diagnostics and for hosting the list of our other apps may be located in various countries. When you use the Service, the minimal information described above may be processed outside your country of residence under standard contractual safeguards.

8. Your Rights

Depending on where you reside (e.g., the EEA, UK, California, Japan), you may have the right to request access to, correction of, or deletion of the limited information we hold. You can:

  • Delete goals and tasks in the app at any time, or uninstall the app or clear its data to erase everything stored in it
  • Turn off reminders in the app, or withdraw the notification permission in your device settings at any time
  • Turn off Android backup for your device in your device settings
  • Contact us at the address below to make a request regarding the information we hold

9. Children's Privacy

Next Small Step is not directed to children under the age of 13 (or the minimum age applicable in your region). If we inadvertently collect information from such a child, we will delete it promptly upon being contacted.

10. Changes to This Policy

This Privacy Policy may be updated from time to time. The latest version is always published at this URL together with its effective date. We will also notify you within the app of significant changes as appropriate.

11. Contact

For questions about privacy, data requests, or to report concerns, please email us at .

If you contact us from within the app, your email app opens with a draft that includes the app version, Android version, and device model to help us look into your question. Nothing is sent until you send it yourself, and you can edit the draft first. We use your email address and your message only to reply to you.

CloudEx Inc. (Japan)

Effective Date: October 28, 2026