Frequently Asked Questions

Answers to the most important topics around FeedFocus. The information describes the current state of the app; individual features may change in future versions. Binding rules are set out in the Terms, the Privacy Policy and the AI Transparency Statement.

General

What is FeedFocus?

FeedFocus is an iOS app for a distraction-free YouTube feed: it shows only the videos of the channels you subscribe to — in chronological order, without recommendations, Shorts or an endless loop. For videos, FeedFocus creates AI-powered summaries, and in the PRO tier the app turns them into automatic audio briefings (podcasts).

How are the summaries created?

Each summary is generated automatically from the transcript of the respective YouTube video. You receive running text, numbered key points, a time-saved estimate and an assessment of tone and source character. AI-generated content can be incorrect, incomplete or outdated and does not replace the original video — every summary contains a direct link to the source. Videos longer than 4 hours cannot be newly summarized. For videos running several hours but below this limit, the analysis may be limited to part of the content for technical reasons, for example when the speech is unusually fast and the amount of text is correspondingly large. Details are in the AI Transparency Statement and the Disclaimer.

Which AI is used, and is the content labeled?

FeedFocus uses models from Anthropic (Claude), Google (Gemini) and xAI (Grok) and does not develop its own AI models. All AI-generated content is labeled as such in the app; the providers and models used are disclosed in the AI Transparency Statement. Audio content is entirely AI-generated — there are no human speakers, all voices are synthetic.

What are AI perspectives and "Ask the Video"?

The multi-perspective feature examines a video from three angles (fact check, counter-position and synthesis), each from one AI provider. The final classification of a video is also AI-generated and does not constitute a recommendation. With "Ask the Video" you can ask questions about the content; the answer is generated solely on the basis of the video transcript and labeled as AI-generated.

Feed & channels

What do the symbols on the video tiles mean?

The ⚡ lightning bolt means: a summary already exists for this video — you can open it immediately without using up your quota. The 🔮 crystal ball means: AI perspectives are also available. If you tap a video without a lightning bolt, the summary is created fresh and counts toward your monthly quota.

What is Discover mode?

Discover shows — independently of your own subscriptions — summaries that have already been created by the entirety of FeedFocus users. It is ideal for browsing and is also the mode with which FeedFocus works entirely without a YouTube account (signing in with Sign in with Apple). You can add a YouTube connection later at any time.

How does the YouTube connection work, and what access does FeedFocus have?

The connection is read-only (the youtube.readonlyscope): FeedFocus reads the list of your subscribed channels and their new videos. There is no write access to your YouTube account (likes, comments, subscriptions). The YouTube token is created on your device and kept there in protected storage (iOS Keychain) — it is never transmitted to our backend or to third parties. You can disconnect at any time in the app settings under "Disconnect YouTube", or revoke the authorization via your Google security settings.

What is the watchlist?

Swipe right to save a video; use the "Saved" filter to call up your watchlist in the feed. PRO users can additionally create digests and briefings from it. Saved videos stay in your watchlist permanently — even once they are older than the roughly 8-day feed window. They disappear only when you remove them yourself (or delete your account).

I changed my YouTube subscriptions — FeedFocus doesn't show it yet.

A little patience: FeedFocus reconciles your channel list several times per hour, but not at the moment of the change. After the sync, a banner shows you how many channels have been added or removed. New videos from your channels usually appear within about 15 minutes of publication.

Can I search for a specific video to have it summarized?

Not currently — FeedFocus focuses on your subscription feed and Discover. A search is planned for a later version.

Can I save summaries or perspectives permanently?

There is no separate collection for summaries or perspectives. Instead, save the video to your watchlist: it stays there permanently, even after it has left your feed (by default, the feed shows roughly the last 8 days). When you reopen a saved video later, the summary (⚡) and any perspectives (🔮) you already created appear instantly and without using your quota again. Important: videos that are not in your watchlist can no longer be found in the app once the feed window has passed.

Why don't I see any YouTube Shorts?

FeedFocus deliberately filters Shorts out — the feed focuses on regular videos that can be meaningfully summarized.

Audio

What are audio digests and briefings?

An audio digest is an AI-generated podcast spoken from video summaries. A briefing is a rule that creates such digests automatically on your schedule (you set sources and time); alternatively you can generate a digest manually at the push of a button. Audio features are reserved for the PRO tier. There is no read-aloud of individual summaries — audio is always created as a digest or briefing.

I set up a briefing for tomorrow — why did I get one right away?

The time you set is a recurring time of day, not a one-off date in the future. When you create a daily briefing, it starts at the next check interval (every 15 minutes) as soon as the set time has already been reached for today. This first digest sums up the last 24 hours; after that the briefing runs regularly at your chosen time. (Weekly briefings only start right away if you create them on the chosen weekday after the set time.)

How long can I listen to an audio digest?

30 days from creation — after that it is marked "expired" and the audio file is deleted. Playback also runs in the background and can be controlled from the lock screen.

Are there additional narration voices?

Currently five voices are available — you can preview them in the settings and switch at any time.

Account, subscription & pricing

What's the difference between FREE and PRO?

FREE includes the distraction-free video feed, 10 units per month for AI summaries of new videos, and unlimited access to existing summaries from the shared pool. Audio features are not included in FREE. PRO includes, per calendar month, 100 units for AI summaries and 30 audio productions (digests and briefings combined), as well as the quotas for AI perspectives and "Ask the Video". The applicable limits are displayed transparently in the app.

How is my quota for AI summaries calculated?

The quota is measured by video length: One unit is consumed per started 60 minutes of video runtime (so 1 hour ≈ 1 unit). The runtime reported by YouTube is decisive. Videos longer than 4 hours cannot be newly summarized, including in briefings; a single video therefore uses no more than 4 units. You can still open existing summaries of such videos. Consumption is counted against the quota of your subscription tier; you receive a notice once the quota is reached. Unused quotas expire at the end of the respective period and are not carried over.

What does PRO cost, and can I try it?

PRO costs €5.99 per month or €64.99 per year (save 1 month). New customers can try PRO free of charge once for 7 days; during the trial period up to 7 audio productions are included. After expiry, the trial automatically converts into the subscription selected at the start, unless it is cancelled at least 24 hours before expiry.

How do I manage or cancel my subscription? Are there refunds?

Purchase, management and cancellation run exclusively via Apple (iOS Settings → your Apple ID → Subscriptions). A subscription renews automatically unless cancelled at least 24 hours before expiry. Refunds can only be made via Apple — we have no access to your payment data and cannot refund purchases processed via Apple.

What is "Restore Purchases" for?

It re-links an existing subscription with the app — for example after a reinstall or a device change with the same Apple ID. Nothing is purchased again, and no costs arise. If the app doesn't show your PRO, this is the first step; in addition, FeedFocus reconciles your plan automatically each time the app starts.

How do I delete my account, and what happens to my data?

You can permanently delete your account at any time in the app settings (Settings → Delete account). All user-related data is irreversibly removed (saved list, digests, settings, audio files, briefing rules); if a YouTube connection exists, the app first revokes the authorization granted to Google. Data stored by YouTube itself is not affected. Only a pseudonymized identifier remains (a hash that cannot be traced back to the person), which prevents usage limits from being circumvented by recreating an account. Details are in the Privacy Policy.

Settings & notifications

In which language do the app and summaries appear?

German and English are available — set separately for the app interface and for the summaries. For the summary language you have three options: "Automatic", "Always German" and "Always English". With "Automatic", summaries follow the video's language (if German or English), and audio digests or briefings are produced in German. If instead you explicitly choose "Always English", the digests and briefings are English too ("Always German" accordingly in German throughout).

I'm not getting any notifications (new videos, finished briefings).

Check whether notifications for FeedFocus are allowed in the iOS settings and enabled in the app. After a reinstall or a new sign-in, a single app restart helps so that your device re-registers for notifications.

I confirmed the newsletter by email, but the app doesn't show it.

Pull the view down once (refresh). If the status is still wrong after a second sign-up attempt, write to us at support@feedfocus.app.

Data protection & support

Where is my data processed?

Your account data is stored in our database (Supabase, hosted on AWS in the eu-west-1 region). For summaries, perspectives and audio, the AI providers receive only video transcripts and metadata as well as your questions about the video — no personal data. Transcripts are processed only transiently and deleted after 24 hours at the latest. We do not sell data, show no advertising and do no tracking. All details, processors and your rights can be found in the Privacy Policy.

How do I reach support?

For questions, problems or data-protection matters, reach us at support@feedfocus.app. Legal information is in the Imprint.