Effective date: July 3, 2026
HearthVault is private by design. It is a local-first backup tool: your files stay on your own devices and your own home network. We do not run a cloud, we do not have user accounts, and we do not collect, transmit, sell, or store your personal data or the contents of your files. There is no advertising and no third-party tracking.
To do its job, the app reads the folders and files you explicitly choose to back up, and writes copies to the destinations you choose (for example another drive, an external disk, a synced cloud folder you select, or another computer on your local network). All of this happens on your own devices and local network, under your control. The app does not send this information to us.
None. The app does not contain analytics, telemetry, usage tracking, advertising identifiers, or crash reporting that sends data to us. We do not build a profile of you and we do not receive your file names, file contents, folder paths, IP address, or device identifiers.
If you use the optional Family Mesh add-on, backup copies travel only between your own devices over your local network, encrypted in transit with mutual TLS, using keys that are generated and stored only on your devices. This data does not pass through us and is not sent over the internet by the app. You are responsible for keeping your pairing key and your network private.
If you choose to back up into a folder that is synchronized by a third-party cloud service (such as OneDrive, Dropbox, or Google Drive), the app simply writes files into that local folder; the upload and any storage are performed by that third-party service under its own privacy policy and terms. We are not a party to that relationship and are not responsible for how that service handles your data.
You can delete any of this at any time. Uninstalling the app and deleting its data folder removes it.
The app and the Family Mesh add-on are purchased through the Microsoft Store. Payment, licensing, and any related personal data are handled by Microsoft under Microsoft's terms and privacy policy. We receive no payment details and no personal information about you from the purchase.
Because your data stays with you, its security depends primarily on your own devices, accounts, disks, and network. Family Mesh transfers between your devices are encrypted, but we cannot guarantee the security of hardware, operating systems, networks, or third-party services that are outside our control.
If you choose to email us (for support, feedback, or a bug report), we receive your email address and whatever you include in your message. We use them only to respond to you and to fix the issue, we do not add you to any mailing list, and we do not share them with anyone. You may ask us to delete the correspondence at any time.
The app is designed for data minimization: it processes data only locally on your devices and network, under your control, and we act as neither a controller nor a processor of any personal data on your behalf, because no personal data ever reaches us from the app. As we hold no data about you, requests to access, correct, port, restrict, object to, or erase data held by us have nothing to act on; you can exercise full control by editing or deleting the local files described above.
We do not collect, sell, or share personal information, and we have no personal information to disclose. "Sell" and "share" are used here as defined by California law. There is nothing to opt out of because no data is collected.
The app is a general-purpose utility and is not directed at children. Because we do not collect personal information, we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.
We may update this policy as the app evolves. Material changes will be reflected in the app, on this page, and in the Microsoft Store listing, with an updated date.
For privacy questions, contact us at support@hearth-software.com or support@hearth-software.com.