📜 Terms & Conditions

Last Updated: September 2026

By accessing or using Group Study Timer ("the App", "we", "us", available at groupstudytimer.com), you agree to be bound by these Terms and Conditions. If you do not agree to these terms, please do not access or use our platform.

A. User Responsibilities

As a user of Group Study Timer, you agree to the following:

You must provide accurate information when creating your profile and during onboarding.
You must not use cheats, bots, scripts, automated web drivers, or tamper tools to interact with the App.
You must not attempt to hack, exploit, probe, reverse-engineer, or gain unauthorized access to the App, our servers, databases, or other users' accounts.
You must not misuse group features — this includes spamming group chats, abusing admin privileges, kicking users maliciously, or disrupting public study rooms.
You must not send unsolicited promotions, spam, commercial advertisements, or links through any feature of the App.
You must not engage in abusive, offensive, defamatory, harassing, sexually explicit, bullying, or hateful conduct toward any user.

B. Account Rules & Anti-Cheat System

We reserve the right to suspend, reset, or permanently ban your account without prior notice for any of the following:

Cheating & Automation: Utilizing scripts, headless browsers, or timer accelerators to gain an unfair advantage.
Timer Manipulation: Artificially inflating study time or falsifying focus metrics through any unauthorized technique.
Fabricated Sessions: Repeatedly logging manual sessions with false, inflated, or overlapping durations.
Exploiting Vulnerabilities: Taking advantage of software bugs, security flaws, or loopholes instead of responsibly disclosing them to our team.
Multi-Accounting: Creating alternate accounts to bypass bans, manipulate rankings, or abuse referral/rating systems.

Our automated anti-cheat system continually monitors for suspicious patterns, such as physically impossible study hours, synchronized session manipulation, and irregular telemetry signals.

C. Third-Party Integrations & Services

Group Study Timer relies on trusted third-party service providers to deliver cloud features. By using the platform, you acknowledge that your usage is also subject to their respective terms and service agreements:

Google Firebase & Google Cloud: Real-time database synchronisation, authentication, and hosting infrastructure.
Supabase: Scalable cloud database infrastructure for user records and analytics.
Cloud Storage for Firebase: Secure media hosting for profile avatars, custom wallpapers, group banners, and chat attachments (including images and voice notes).
Google reCAPTCHA v3: Automated bot and fraud defense (subject to Google's Privacy Policy and Terms of Service).
YouTube API Services: Group Study Timer uses YouTube API Services for focus music streams, ambient audio, and search capabilities. By using these features, you agree to be bound by the YouTube Terms of Service and acknowledge the Google Privacy Policy.
Spotify Embed Player & API Services: Group Study Timer provides background focus audio and playlists via the Spotify IFrame API and embedded players. By utilizing Spotify playback within the platform, you agree to be bound by Spotify's Terms and Conditions of Use and acknowledge the Spotify Privacy Policy.
Google Gemini API: AI-assisted educational query processing and monthly analytical reviews.
Analytics (Google Analytics & Microsoft Clarity): Site performance evaluation and user experience optimization.

D. Intellectual Property & Content Moderation

The website design, branding, logo, code, features, interface styling, and all original assets are the exclusive property of Group Study Timer and are protected under international copyright, trademark, and intellectual property laws.
You may not copy, duplicate, resell, redistribute, modify, or reverse-engineer any part of the App without express written consent from our team.
User-generated content (room names, chat messages, voice notes, study session notes) remains yours; however, you grant us a worldwide, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to transmit, store, and display such content to operate and moderate the platform.
Content Moderation: To ensure community safety, our automated systems and moderators may review public and room chat messages, voice notes, custom avatar uploads, and room descriptions to remove spam, abuse, malware, or illicit material. Uploaded media files and voice notes are hosted on Cloud Storage for Firebase and screened for violations.
DMCA / Copyright Takedown: If you believe user-submitted material infringes your copyright, notify us with proof of ownership at groupstudytimer@gmail.com for swift takedown.

E. Limitation of Liability

Group Study Timer is provided on an "as is" and "as available" basis without warranties of any kind, whether express or implied. We do not guarantee uninterrupted, secure, or error-free operation. We are not liable for:

Data Loss: Loss of study sessions, timers, or notes due to browser storage resets, server sync errors, or technical outages.
Downtime & Outages: Temporary unavailability resulting from scheduled maintenance, server failure, or third-party service disruptions.
Connectivity Failures: Internet drops, latency, or device incompatibilities on the user's end.
User Conduct & Disputes: Interactions, arguments, messages, or conduct between users in group chats, rooms, or community spaces.
Academic or Exam Outcomes: Any academic test results, competitive exam ranks, or admissions decisions. Group Study Timer is an educational productivity tool, not an academic institution.

To the maximum extent permitted by applicable law, Group Study Timer and its creators shall not be liable for any direct, indirect, incidental, special, or consequential damages resulting from the use of or inability to use the platform.

F. Updates & Changes to Terms

We reserve the right to revise or update these Terms and Conditions at any time.
Updates will be indicated by the "Last Updated" date at the top of this page.
Your continued use of Group Study Timer after revisions indicates acceptance of the updated terms.

G. Termination & Access Suspension

We reserve the right to take the following actions without prior notice or refund if a serious terms violation occurs:

Account Banning: Temporarily or permanently restrict your access to the platform.
Content Removal: Purge messages, room names, sessions, or profile records violating these standards.
Leaderboard Disqualification: Remove or blacklist accounts from global, national, or group rankings for verified leaderboard manipulation.

You may request voluntary account termination and data deletion at any time by contacting us at groupstudytimer@gmail.com.

H. Data Sharing & Third-Party Partnerships

By using Group Study Timer, you acknowledge and agree that we may share, license, or provide certain educational, profile, and study data with educational partners, researchers, or commercial organizations for academic analysis, educational insights, and platform optimization. This includes onboarding academic info and study duration patterns in aggregated or licensed formats. Private chat logs, authentication credentials, and AI queries are strictly excluded. For complete details and opt-out procedures, please consult our Privacy Policy.

I. Indemnification

You agree to defend, indemnify, and hold harmless Group Study Timer, its developers, operators, and affiliates from and against any claims, liabilities, damages, judgments, losses, costs, or expenses (including reasonable attorney fees) arising from:

Your access to or use of the App.
Your breach of any term outlined in these Terms and Conditions.
Any content submitted, posted, or transmitted by you through the platform.
Your violation of any third-party right or applicable statute.

J. Dispute Resolution & Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of India.
Any legal dispute, controversy, or claim arising out of or relating to these Terms shall be subject to the exclusive jurisdiction of the competent courts in India.
Before initiating any formal legal proceeding, you agree to contact us in good faith at groupstudytimer@gmail.com to attempt an informal resolution within 30 days.

K. Age Requirement (COPPA & Global Standards)

You must be at least 13 years of age (or 16 years of age in jurisdictions requiring higher age limits) to use Group Study Timer.
Users between the ages of 13 and 18 should use the platform under parental or legal guardian supervision.
We do not knowingly collect personal data from children under 13. Any such account will be terminated and data removed immediately upon notification.

L. Premium Membership & Payments

Group Study Timer provides an optional paid Premium membership ("Premium") featuring cosmetic profile enhancements and analytical study insights:

L.1 Pricing & Payment Terms

Premium is available as a Monthly (₹99/month) or Yearly (₹299/year) plan. Prices are in Indian Rupees (INR) and may be adjusted with advance notice.
Payments are made directly via UPI (Unified Payments Interface). We do not store or process your bank credentials or UPI PIN.
Premium is activated manually by our team within 12 to 24 hours of payment verification.
By submitting a payment, you warrant that you are authorized to utilize the payment account.

L.2 Included Premium Features

Cosmetic UI enhancements (animated avatar ring, gradient username display, badge icons).
AI-powered monthly study analytics (powered by Google Gemini, quota limits apply).
Support for animated avatar media (GIF uploads and preset motion avatars).
Premium features may evolve over time to introduce new capabilities or deprecate obsolete features.

L.3 Refund Policy

No Refunds on Activated Plans: Because digital services and visual perks are provisioned immediately upon activation, payments are strictly non-refundable once activated.
Delayed Activation Refund: If payment was confirmed but your account was not upgraded within 24 hours, you may request a full refund by contacting groupstudytimer@gmail.com with your transaction proof.
Unauthorized Transactions: In case of disputed or unauthorized charges, notify our support within 7 days.

L.4 Non-Auto-Renewing Subscriptions

Premium plans do not automatically renew. Your membership expires at the conclusion of your billing period unless manually renewed.
Upon expiration, your account reverts seamlessly to the free tier with zero study data loss.

L.5 Rule Violations & Premium Forfeiture

If an account is banned or suspended for violating anti-cheat rules or harassment guidelines, Premium access is forfeited immediately without refund.
Purchasing Premium confers no immunity from site rules, anti-cheat detection, or moderation policies.

L.6 Disclaimer on Competitive Advantage

Premium membership offers no timer speed acceleration, artificial streak boosting, or unfair leaderboard calculation advantages.
AI study recommendations are generated algorithmically and should be evaluated independently by the user.

M. Accuracy Disclaimer

Study durations, leaderboard rankings, and streak metrics are recorded on a best-effort basis and may occasionally suffer from browser sleep delays or synchronization latency.
AI-generated study materials and explanations are powered by Google Gemini and may occasionally contain inaccuracies. Users should verify critical academic facts.

N. Severability, Entire Agreement & Force Majeure

Severability: If any provision is deemed unlawful or unenforceable, that part shall be limited to the minimum extent necessary, and the remaining provisions shall remain fully in force.
Entire Agreement: These Terms and our Privacy Policy constitute the entire understanding between you and Group Study Timer regarding the App.
Force Majeure: We are not liable for non-performance or platform disruptions caused by events beyond reasonable control, including cloud provider outages, network infrastructure failures, or acts of God.

Contact Us

If you have any questions, inquiries, or need assistance regarding these Terms, reach out to us at:
📩 groupstudytimer@gmail.com