Accessibility permissions can look alarming. They are the same permissions used by screen readers and automation tools. This article explains why AuraLock asks for them and what happens on your device.
What the Accessibility permission does
The Accessibility service lets AuraLock observe which app is currently in the foreground. That is its entire job. It is how AuraLock knows when you open an app outside your Aura, so it can show the boundary screen instead of letting the app open freely.
Without this, AuraLock would have no way to enforce your boundary while you move between apps.
What AuraLock does with it
AuraLock uses the Accessibility service for three things. It detects when you switch to an app. It compares that app against the apps that stay alive in your Aura. And it shows the boundary screen only when you open something outside the Aura.
It does not read your screen content, collect text, or transmit anything. Everything happens on your device.
Why not block apps at the system level?
Android does not allow regular apps to block other apps outright. A focus boundary has to be enforced by observing and responding, which is exactly what the Accessibility service enables. AuraLock is transparent about this. The permission has one purpose, and it is the purpose you asked for.
Display over other apps
A related permission, Display over other apps, lets AuraLock draw its overlay. This includes the timer ring, the “Return to Aura” button, and the boundary screen. The overlay runs only while an Aura is active, and only on your device.
Usage access
Usage access gives AuraLock awareness of app usage. Combined with Accessibility, it helps AuraLock respond correctly when you open an app outside the Aura. It also powers the private insights that show how much time you protected.
Permission health
Every permission’s status is visible in one place. The Permission health screen in AuraLock shows which permissions are granted, which need attention, and how to fix them. It includes a one-tap Fix all now action. If your device revokes a permission silently, which can happen after updates, AuraLock tells you plainly and guides you back.
Privacy
All of AuraLock’s data lives on your device. That includes sessions, whitelists, schedules, journal entries, and insights. There is no account, no cloud sync, and no analytics telemetry. Permissions exist to serve your focus boundary, and nothing else.
You can review what each permission is for in the Permission health screen at any time, and you can remove permissions whenever you want.