Last updated: August 28, 2026. This policy describes the data practices of the current version of Ahead.
No account required
You can create and manage countdowns without signing in.
Information Ahead uses
- Countdown content: titles, dates, repeat settings, colors, icons, and other choices you make for your countdowns.
- Photos and artwork: images you choose for countdown cards, used only to display those cards and matching widgets.
- Approximate location on iOS and iPadOS: if you allow location access, Ahead processes approximate location to suggest a country holiday calendar. The Android app does not request location access.
- Product interaction analytics: Ahead sends aggregate app-open, widget-adoption, and countdown-creation interactions. App-open events distinguish a cold process launch from a later warm foreground activation. Widget events contain only the widget kind, size family, and count increase. Creation events contain the outcome and approved categorical feature choices; holiday events also include stable holiday identifiers and whether each selected holiday has artwork. These events do not include widget configuration, selected countdown IDs, holiday titles, dates, or artwork data or source.
- Advertising data on iOS and iPadOS: after you authorize App Tracking Transparency, the free Apple-platform app uses Appodeal and mediated advertising providers, including BidMachine, Google AdMob, and AppLovin MAX. These providers collect or receive advertising identifiers and other device identifiers, IP addresses, IP-derived approximate location, device and network information, ad views, clicks and other ad interactions, and diagnostics and performance data. If you decline or are restricted from tracking authorization, Ahead does not initialize those advertising providers or display ads. Android version 1.1 does not initialize Appodeal or render ads.
How information is used
Countdown content, photos, artwork, and approximate location are used for app functionality: creating countdowns, showing cards, suggesting holiday calendars, and rendering widgets.
Product interaction analytics are used to understand aggregate app use, widget adoption, and which creation features and holiday choices are useful. Analytics are sent through the Just About Normal relay without an account or persistent user, device, installation, session, or advertising identifier. Stable holiday identifiers may indicate country or religious interests.
On iOS and iPadOS, Ahead requests your App Tracking Transparency authorization before it initializes advertising providers. If you decline or are restricted from tracking authorization, Ahead does not initialize those providers, make ad requests, or display ads. If you authorize, advertising providers use advertising and device data to request and deliver ads, limit how often ads appear, measure ad performance, detect fraud, maintain security, and diagnose and improve their services. They may share this data with other providers participating in the ad request. Ahead disables precise-location collection in its Apple ad configuration, requests non-personalized advertising, and does not intentionally send countdown titles, dates, artwork, holiday selections, or other countdown content to advertising providers. Requesting non-personalized ads does not stop providers from using identifiers or other data for ad delivery, measurement, fraud prevention, security, or diagnostics. Android version 1.1 does not initialize Appodeal, make ad requests, or render ads; its later live-ads release will require updated disclosures.
Device storage and iCloud
Ahead stores countdown content and selected artwork on your device. The Android app keeps this data in local app storage and disables Android cloud backup. Apple-platform versions may sync countdown content and selected artwork through your private Apple iCloud account using CloudKit. Just About Normal does not require or operate a separate Ahead account.
Apple processes iCloud data under Apple's privacy policy. Apple and iCloud are trademarks of Apple Inc.
Advertising, tracking, and data sharing
The free iOS and iPadOS app requests App Tracking Transparency before it initializes Appodeal and mediated providers. If you decline or are restricted from tracking authorization, Ahead does not initialize those providers or display ads. If you authorize, Ahead configures Appodeal to request non-personalized ads, but ad providers may still recognize a device and process data for ad delivery, measurement, fraud prevention, security, diagnostics, and other purposes described in their policies. A regional consent or privacy-options form may appear where required, and device privacy settings may offer additional controls. Android version 1.1 does not initialize Appodeal or display ads; a future Android live-ads release will update this policy and the Google Play Data Safety form. Native macOS and WidgetKit extensions do not include the ad SDK. Product interaction analytics remain separate, are not linked to an account or persistent identifier, and are not used for tracking. Ahead does not sell countdown content or intentionally share it with advertisers or data brokers.
For details about the advertising providers' practices and privacy choices, read the Appodeal Privacy Policy, BidMachine Privacy Policy, Google Privacy Policy, and AppLovin Privacy Policy.
Support
If you contact support, we use the information you provide to respond to your question or bug report. Visit Ahead Support to reveal the support email address.
Changes
We may update this policy as Ahead changes. Material updates will be reflected on this page.