Threestrand Terms of Service

Last Updated: October 8, 2026 (Version 2.1)

Threestrand was previously named Anchor. This document applies to the app under either name.

Welcome to Threestrand. Please read these Terms of Service ("Terms") carefully before using the app.

Agreement to Terms

By downloading, installing, or using Threestrand, you agree to be bound by these Terms. If you don't agree, please don't use Threestrand.

What Threestrand Is

Threestrand is a digital wellness app designed to help you reduce phone addiction by:

Blocking distracting apps
Providing accountability through partners and families
Tracking your app usage
Supporting your goals with self-imposed time limits

Threestrand is a tool to support your digital wellness journey. It is not a medical device, therapy, or treatment for addiction.

Intended Use & Abuse Prevention

Threestrand Is For Voluntary Accountability

Threestrand is designed for voluntary, consensual accountability between adults who choose to support each other, and for families, where a parent or guardian and their teen use Threestrand together, openly.

Prohibited Uses

This app must NOT be used to:

Monitor or control someone without their genuine, freely-given consent
Coerce, pressure, or force someone into limiting their phone use
Facilitate domestic abuse, stalking, or controlling behavior
Monitor anyone who has not freely chosen to participate
Track a partner's location or communications
Install or run Threestrand on a teen's phone without the teen knowing it is there, or hide from them what their parent can see
Add a child under 13 to Threestrand

Your Right to Leave

Any adult may disconnect from a partner or leave a family at any time, for any reason, without the other person's permission. This is by design. We cannot and will not prevent it.

A teen in a family leaves through their parent or guardian, because the family is how the parent takes part. A teen can still always uninstall Threestrand, and nobody can prevent that; the family is told the app went quiet.

If You Are Being Coerced

If you are being forced to use this app against your will, or if someone is using it to control you:

You can uninstall the app at any time - no one can prevent this
National Domestic Violence Hotline: 1-800-799-7233
Text "START" to 88788 for help via text message
TheHotline.org for online chat support
Teens: Childhelp National Child Abuse Hotline, 1-800-422-4453 (call or text), or 988 for the Suicide & Crisis Lifeline

We take abuse seriously. If we become aware that Threestrand is being used for coercive control, we reserve the right to terminate the abuser's account.

Eligibility

Adults (18 and older) may use Threestrand on their own, with partners, or in a family.

Teens (13 to 17) may use Threestrand only as a member of a family on Threestrand that includes their parent or legal guardian. The parent or guardian:

Agrees to these Terms on the teen's behalf, and is responsible for the teen's use of Threestrand
Admits the teen to the family and confirms they are the teen's parent or legal guardian
Can see the information described in our Privacy Policy under Families, and nothing more

Children under 13 may not use Threestrand. If we learn that someone under 13 has an account, we will delete it.

By using Threestrand, you represent that:

You are at least 18, or you are 13 to 17 and your parent or guardian has agreed to these Terms for you
You have (or your parent or guardian has) the legal capacity to enter into these Terms
You are not prohibited from using the app under any applicable laws

Your Account

Account Creation

You can start using Threestrand on your own without an account. Partners and families need an account, which you create with an email address and password. Teens need an account, because a teen always uses Threestrand inside a family.

Your Responsibilities

You agree to:

Provide accurate information (like your display name)
Use Threestrand only for its intended digital wellness purpose
Respect your accountability partner's privacy and boundaries
Not attempt to circumvent Threestrand's blocking features through malicious means
Not reverse engineer, decompile, or tamper with the app

Accountability Partnerships

How It Works

You can connect with one or more accountability partners. When connected:

Your partner sees whether your protection is set up and holding, and the requests you send them (see the Privacy Policy for exactly what is shared)
You ask your partner when you want temporary access to a blocked app, and they answer
Both people receive notifications about important events

Mutual Consent

By entering a partner's code and completing the connection, you confirm that:

You are freely choosing to participate
You understand what data you will share (see Privacy Policy)
You understand what data you will receive about your partner
No one is forcing or coercing you into this partnership

Disconnecting

Either adult partner may disconnect at any time by going to Settings and removing the partnership. Disconnecting:

Takes effect immediately
Stops all data sharing
Does not require the other partner's approval
Allows both users to continue using Threestrand independently

We do not notify the other partner of the reason for disconnection.

Families

A family on Threestrand is a household: one or two adults, and optionally their teens.

Adults in a family are partners to each other and approvers for the teens. Either adult can answer a teen's request.
Teens ask a parent when they want temporary access to a blocked app. A teen cannot loosen their own setup or leave the family on their own; they can always make their setup stricter.
Family time (Phones away) pauses apps on every phone in the family for a set time. Calls, emergency services and Threestrand itself always stay available.
An adult who admits a teen confirms they are that teen's parent or legal guardian, and that the teen knows Threestrand is on their phone and what the family can see.
When the last adult leaves a family, the family ends and any teens in it are released from it.

Safety Features

Certain features cannot be disabled to ensure your safety:

Always Accessible

The following are always accessible, even when blocking or family time is on:

Emergency services (911, emergency dialer)
Your phone app and incoming calls
System settings
Threestrand itself
On Android, also the Play Store (for updates) and your keyboard apps

Boot Grace Period

If enabled, blocking is paused for 60 seconds after your phone restarts. This ensures you can always access Settings if something goes wrong.

Solo Mode

If you don't have an accountability partner, you can use Threestrand in "Solo Mode":

A random 6-digit PIN is generated
You store this PIN somewhere inconvenient (not on your phone)
The PIN is required to modify settings
You can reset Solo Mode by clearing app data, but this resets all your settings

Disclaimer of Warranties

THREESTRAND IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, either express or implied, including but not limited to:

Implied warranties of merchantability
Fitness for a particular purpose
Non-infringement
That the app will be uninterrupted or error-free
That defects will be corrected
That the app is free of viruses or harmful components

No Guarantee of Results

We do not guarantee that Threestrand will:

Reduce your screen time or phone addiction
Help you achieve any specific outcome
Work perfectly with all apps and devices
Block every app you want blocked, every time

Usage Data Accuracy

App usage statistics are provided for informational purposes only. They may not be 100% accurate due to:

Android system limitations
Apps running in the background
Device-specific behaviors
Timing of data collection

Do not rely on usage statistics for any purpose requiring precision.

Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW:

We Are Not Liable For:

Blocked App Consequences: Any damages arising from apps being blocked, including but not limited to:
- Missed messages, calls, or notifications
- Inability to access time-sensitive information
- Professional consequences (missed work communications)
- Personal consequences (missed social events)
- Financial losses
Partner Feature Misuse: Any misuse of the accountability features by you or your partner, including:
- Invasion of privacy
- Coercive or controlling behavior
- Disputes between partners
Data Accuracy: Any decisions made based on usage statistics that may be inaccurate
Service Interruption: Any interruption to the service due to:
- Server outages
- Firebase/Google service disruptions
- Internet connectivity issues
- App updates or maintenance
Third-Party Actions: Actions of any third party, including your accountability partner

Liability Cap

OUR TOTAL LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING FROM THESE TERMS OR YOUR USE OF THREESTRAND SHALL NOT EXCEED THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US FOR THREESTRAND IN THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM.

Some jurisdictions do not allow limitation of liability for certain damages. In such jurisdictions, our liability is limited to the maximum extent permitted by law.

Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless the developer and any affiliates from and against any claims, damages, losses, liabilities, costs, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from:

Your use or misuse of Threestrand
Your violation of these Terms
Your violation of any rights of another person
Any dispute between you and your accountability partner
Your content or information submitted through the app
Any claim that your use of Threestrand caused damage to a third party

Intellectual Property

Our Rights

Threestrand and its original content, features, and functionality are owned by the developer and are protected by copyright, trademark, and other intellectual property laws.

Open Source

Portions of Threestrand may be available under the MIT License. This does not grant you rights to the Threestrand name, logo, or branding.

Your Content

You retain rights to any content you submit (like your display name). By using Threestrand, you grant us a license to use this content solely to provide the service.

Modifications to the Service

We reserve the right to:

Modify or discontinue Threestrand (or any part of it) at any time
Add or remove features
Change these Terms

Notice of Changes

For significant changes to these Terms, we will:

Update the "Last Updated" date
Notify you through the app when practical

Your continued use of Threestrand after changes constitutes acceptance of the new Terms.

Termination

By You

You may stop using Threestrand at any time by:

Uninstalling the app
Deleting your data through Settings > Advanced > Delete My Data

By Us

We may suspend or terminate your access to Threestrand if you:

Violate these Terms
Use Threestrand for prohibited purposes (especially coercive control)
Engage in behavior that could harm other users

Effect of Termination

Upon termination:

Your right to use Threestrand ends immediately
We may delete your data (or you may request deletion)
Provisions that should survive termination (like Limitation of Liability and Indemnification) will continue to apply

Dispute Resolution

Informal Resolution First

Before filing any legal claim, you agree to try to resolve the dispute informally by contacting us through our GitHub repository. We'll try to resolve the issue within 30 days.

Arbitration Agreement

If we cannot resolve the dispute informally, any dispute arising from these Terms or your use of Threestrand will be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the American Arbitration Association's rules.

You agree to waive your right to:

A jury trial
Participate in a class action lawsuit
Participate in class-wide arbitration

Exceptions to Arbitration

The following are exempt from the arbitration requirement:

Small claims court actions (if your claim qualifies)
Requests for injunctive relief to stop unauthorized use or abuse of Threestrand
Claims related to intellectual property infringement

Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of Texas, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles.

General Provisions

Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable by a court of competent jurisdiction, that provision will be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it enforceable, or if modification is not possible, severed. The remaining provisions will continue in full force and effect.

Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and the developer regarding Threestrand, superseding any prior agreements or understandings.

No Waiver

Our failure to enforce any provision of these Terms does not waive our right to enforce it later. A waiver of any provision is only effective if in writing and signed by us.

Assignment

You may not assign or transfer your rights under these Terms without our prior written consent. We may assign our rights and obligations without restriction.

No Third-Party Beneficiaries

These Terms do not create any third-party beneficiary rights, except that your accountability partner may rely on the mutual consent provisions.

Force Majeure

We are not liable for any failure or delay due to circumstances beyond our reasonable control, including natural disasters, war, terrorism, riots, government actions, or internet/power outages.

Headings

Section headings are for convenience only and do not affect the interpretation of these Terms.

Contact Us

Questions about these Terms?

Email: support@anchorph.one
GitHub: github.com/hrweaver/anchor-legal

Summary of Recent Changes

Version 2.1 (October 8, 2026)

Renamed the app from Anchor to Threestrand. No change to what is collected or shared. Version 2.0 (September 25, 2026)
Teens 13 to 17 may use Threestrand inside a family that includes their parent or guardian, who agrees to these Terms for them. Children under 13 may not use Threestrand.
Added a Families section: roles, family time, what admitting a teen confirms, and what happens when the last adult leaves.
Prohibited using Threestrand on a teen's phone without the teen knowing, and added teen crisis resources.
Brought the account and partnership sections up to date: email accounts for partners and families, more than one partner, and what a partner actually sees.
Always-accessible list now covers iPhone.

Version 1.1 (January 20, 2025)

Added comprehensive abuse prevention section with resources
Added explicit mutual consent requirements for partnerships
Clarified that either partner can disconnect unilaterally
Added detailed limitation of liability provisions
Added indemnification clause
Added arbitration agreement and dispute resolution process
Added severability, entire agreement, no waiver, and assignment clauses
Added force majeure provision
Expanded disclaimer of warranties