> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.vanticlab.com/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Manage privacy controls

> How to exclude applications, set time windows, pause signal detection, and delete your data.

## Exclude an application

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Privacy Hub">
    Click the Vantic IQ menu bar icon and select **Privacy Hub**, or go to **Preferences → Privacy Hub**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go to Application Exclusions">
    Select **Application Exclusions** in the Privacy Hub.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Add the application">
    Select the app from the list or type its name. The exclusion takes effect immediately — no restart required.
  </Step>
</Steps>

Password managers, banking applications, and system credential prompts are permanently excluded and do not appear here. They cannot be re-included.

## Set a time window exclusion

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open the Privacy Hub">
    Click the Vantic IQ menu bar icon and select **Privacy Hub**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Go to Time Windows">
    Select **Time Window Exclusions**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Define the window">
    Set the days and hours you want excluded. The exclusion applies from this point forward — it does not remove previously collected data from those windows.
  </Step>
</Steps>

## Pause and resume signal detection

Click the Vantic IQ menu bar icon and select **Pause Context Collection**. The icon dims to indicate the paused state.

To resume, click the menu bar icon and select **Resume**.

Pausing does not delete data and does not affect your Friction Score history.

## Delete your data

Open the Privacy Hub and select **Purge Data**. Choose the scope:

* **Last hour** — removes events from the last 60 minutes
* **Last day** — removes events from the last 24 hours
* **All workflow data** — removes all workflow signal events
* **Delete account** — removes everything, including patterns, Context Hints, audit records, and your profile

<Warning>
  Deletion is permanent and cannot be undone. Deleting workflow events does not automatically delete Friction Score patterns derived from them. Patterns are separate records — delete them explicitly or via account deletion.
</Warning>

***

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Privacy Hub" icon="sliders" href="/privacy-data/privacy-hub">
    Full reference for exclusions and deletion controls.
  </Card>

  <Card title="Data & retention" icon="database" href="/privacy-data/data-and-retention">
    What is stored and for how long.
  </Card>
</CardGroup>