CodeScout Privacy Policy

1. Overview

CodeScout is a local-first iPhone, iPad, and Apple Watch application for scanning, organizing, generating, locating, exporting, and sharing QR codes, barcodes, and smart-home pairing records. This Privacy Policy explains how CodeScout handles information when you use the application, the Apple Watch companion, and the website at codescout.heric.net (collectively, the “Services”).

CodeScout does not require a CodeScout account. Normal vault use, camera and photo analysis, code generation, organization, analytics, maps, and deterministic code classification occur on your devices. We do not sell personal information, use advertising SDKs, or engage in cross-context behavioral advertising.

2. Information you choose to store locally

CodeScout may store the following information in its local application container when you choose to provide it:

• Pairing payloads, setup numbers, QR codes, barcodes, device names, room names, protocol and category labels.
• Device metadata such as manufacturer, model, retailer, purchase date, MAC address, serial number, lifecycle status, host, port, native-app link, battery value, health status, notes, and review dates.
• Scan and generation history, including the decoded or generated payload, code format, title, and timestamp.
• Photos or cleaned code crops selected or captured for on-device detection and recovery.
• Floor-plan images, AR calibration/world-map information, device markers, and optional property-level coordinates.
• Role and guest-room preferences for the family-vault interface.

This local information remains on the device unless you deliberately export it, print it, share it, write a safe link to an NFC tag, or use optional encrypted iCloud family sharing.

Because pairing credentials can grant access to devices or networks, you should treat them as sensitive and protect access to your Apple devices.

3. Camera, photos, OCR, and code analysis

With your permission, CodeScout uses the camera or a photo you select to detect and decode supported codes. Perspective correction, cropping, contrast enhancement, OCR, payload verification, and deterministic classification run on device using Apple frameworks. CodeScout does not upload camera frames, selected photos, OCR text, or pairing payloads to a CodeScout-operated AI or analytics service.

You control whether to grant camera or photo access through Apple system controls. You can revoke permission in the Settings app on your device.

4. Location, maps, and augmented reality

If you grant location permission and choose to capture a location, CodeScout may store property-level latitude and longitude with a device record. Location is optional. CodeScout uses GPS for property-level discovery; it does not promise room-level GPS accuracy.

AR camera pose, floor-map calibration, and saved AR world-map data are used for indoor device placement and relocalization. These materials remain in the app’s local storage and are not included in the current encrypted CloudKit family-vault package.

You can revoke location permission in Apple Settings and delete associated device records or maps in CodeScout.

5. Apple Home and Home Assistant

If you authorize Apple Home access, CodeScout may read accessory names, homes, rooms, categories, reachability, and available battery values. CodeScout does not claim that Apple Home exposes original pairing secrets.

If you connect your own Home Assistant server, CodeScout sends the URL and bearer token directly from your device to the server address you provide. The URL and token are stored in Apple Keychain using a device-only accessibility class. They are not sent to CodeScout. You can use “Forget saved connection” in CodeScout to remove them from the device.

Information returned by Apple Home or Home Assistant is stored locally only when you choose to import it.

6. Optional encrypted family sharing through iCloud

If you deliberately create or accept a family-vault invitation, CodeScout uses Apple CloudKit and iCloud sharing. Before upload, selected vault fields are encoded into a package encrypted on device using a password-derived key and AES-256-GCM. The password is not included in the package or uploaded by CodeScout.

The encrypted package may include device identity, room, category, protocol, pairing payload, setup code, manufacturer, model, lifecycle status, timestamps, expiration date, notes, host, port, and native-app link. The current package does not include photos, cleaned code images, GPS coordinates, floor plans, AR maps, purchase details, MAC addresses, serial numbers, local scan history, or Home Assistant credentials.

Apple processes CloudKit account, sharing, delivery, security, and operational information under Apple’s terms and privacy policies. CodeScout may receive anonymous, container-specific CloudKit identifiers and error/operation information needed to operate and troubleshoot sharing. We do not use CloudKit data for advertising or profiling.

Vault owners can use “Remove my encrypted iCloud vault” in CodeScout to delete the CloudKit zone they own. Participants may also stop participating through Apple’s sharing controls. Local records are not automatically deleted when a CloudKit share is removed.

7. Apple Watch

When the Apple Watch companion is available, CodeScout uses Apple WatchConnectivity to send a device snapshot from the paired iPhone to the paired Watch. The snapshot may include a device identifier, name, room, category symbol, protocol title, pairing payload, setup code, update time, and generated QR image. This communication occurs through Apple’s paired-device services and is cached locally on the Watch for access there.

8. NFC tags and Universal Links

CodeScout can program a compatible NFC tag with an opaque URL such as https://codescout.heric.net/d/<device-uuid>. The NFC tag does not contain the pairing credential, vault password, notes, location, or other device metadata.

When the URL is opened, the installed app attempts to match the opaque identifier to a local record. The website fallback does not retrieve the local device record or pairing credential.

9. Purchases

CodeScout Plus purchases are processed by Apple through StoreKit and the App Store. Apple handles payment credentials. CodeScout receives product identifiers and verified entitlement or transaction status needed to unlock features and restore purchases. CodeScout does not receive your full payment-card details and does not send StoreKit transaction information to a CodeScout-operated server.

Apple’s privacy policy and App Store terms govern Apple’s handling of purchase information.

10. Website information

The CodeScout website is intended to be a static site. We do not intentionally use advertising pixels, cross-site tracking, fingerprinting, newsletter collection, or nonessential cookies.

Our hosting and content-delivery provider, currently expected to be Cloudflare, may automatically process standard request information such as IP address, date and time, requested URL, user agent, referring URL, security events, and diagnostic information to deliver and protect the site. That provider handles information under its own terms and privacy commitments and acts as a service provider where applicable.

If website analytics, support forms, or additional vendors are introduced later, this policy must be updated before those features are enabled.

11. How we use information

We use information only as needed to:

• Provide scanning, recovery, organization, generation, export, map, NFC, Watch, and authorized integration features.
• Carry out an iCloud share or App Store purchase that you request.
• Protect the security and reliability of the Services.
• Respond to support, privacy, or legal requests that you send to us.
• Comply with applicable law and enforce our terms.

We do not use pairing payloads, photos, precise location, Home data, Home Assistant data, or vault contents for advertising, data brokerage, or hosted AI training.

12. Sharing and service providers

We disclose information only when you request a feature, when necessary to provide the Services, or when lawfully required. Relevant providers may include:

• Apple, for the App Store, StoreKit, iCloud, CloudKit, push notifications, maps, Home, WatchConnectivity, and other operating-system services.
• Cloudflare, if used to host, deliver, and protect the static website and Universal Link files.
• A recipient you select when you use Apple’s share sheet, print, AirDrop, export, or CloudKit invitation tools.
• Your own Home Assistant server or another local endpoint that you configure.

We require service providers under our control to protect personal information consistently with this policy and applicable law. Services you independently choose, including Apple, your network operator, Home Assistant installation, printer, or sharing destination, may also be governed by their own terms.

13. Retention and deletion

• Local vault records, scan history, photos, maps, and preferences remain until you delete them in CodeScout or remove the app and its data, subject to Apple platform behavior and device backups.
• Home Assistant connection information remains in Apple Keychain until you use CodeScout’s forget control, replace the credential, erase relevant Keychain data, or erase the device. Apple Keychain items may survive an app reinstall depending on platform behavior.
• Apple Watch snapshots remain cached on the Watch until replaced, the app is removed, or Watch data is erased.
• Encrypted CloudKit family-vault data remains until the owner removes the CloudKit vault/share, the relevant iCloud account removes it, or Apple deletes it under its policies.
• Website security and request logs are retained by the hosting provider according to its configured retention periods.
• Support correspondence is retained only as long as reasonably necessary to resolve the request, meet legal obligations, and protect legal rights.

To request access to or deletion of information held directly by CodeScout, contact codescoutsupport@heric.net. Most CodeScout information is controlled directly on your device or in your private iCloud account, so we may not possess or be able to identify it.

14. Security

CodeScout uses platform security features, Apple Keychain for Home Assistant credentials, local on-device processing, CloudKit access controls, and client-side encryption for family-vault packages. No method of storage or transmission is completely secure. You are responsible for protecting device passcodes, Apple IDs, vault passwords, exported files, printed stickers, NFC tags, and the physical devices associated with your records.

15. Your choices and privacy rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to know, access, correct, delete, restrict, object to, or obtain a portable copy of personal information, and to appeal or complain to a regulator. You may also have rights concerning the sale or sharing of personal information. CodeScout does not sell personal information or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.

You can exercise applicable rights by contacting codescoutsupport@heric.net. We may need to verify your request. We will not discriminate against you for exercising privacy rights. Information stored only on your device must generally be accessed, exported, corrected, or deleted by you on that device.

16. Children

CodeScout is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child provided information to us, contact codescoutsupport@heric.net. Age thresholds may be higher in some countries.

17. International use

Apple, Cloudflare, and other providers may process information in countries other than your own. Where required, applicable safeguards govern international transfers. Contact codescoutsupport@heric.net for information relevant to your jurisdiction.

18. Changes to this policy

We may update this policy when the Services or legal requirements change. We will post the revised policy at https://codescout.heric.net/privacy, update the effective date, and provide additional notice when legally required.

19. Contact

For privacy questions or requests: codescoutsupport@heric.net