Effective date: July 16, 2026
HearthWatch is a local-first app that shows, records and watches the IP security cameras you already own. In plain words: your camera video streams only to your own PC, your recordings stay on your own disk, and none of it ever reaches us. We do not have a server that receives it, there are no accounts, and we do not sell or share your data.
To show and record your cameras, HearthWatch connects to the cameras you add on your local network, using the address and login you enter, and receives their live video and audio. It writes the recordings and event snapshots you enable to a folder you choose on your own PC, and runs its person and vehicle detection on those frames locally. It can also browse and play back the recordings stored on a camera's own SD card, and control PTZ on cameras that support it. All of this happens entirely on your own devices and network, and none of it is sent to us.
The passwords you enter for your cameras are stored on your own PC, encrypted with Windows' Data Protection API (DPAPI) for your Windows user account, so the saved file is useless on another machine or account. They are used only to connect to your own cameras on your network, and are never transmitted to us or to anyone else.
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 video, snapshots, camera addresses, camera passwords, IP address, or device identifiers.
You can delete any of the app's own data at any time; uninstalling the app and deleting its data folder removes the rest. Your recordings stay where you saved them until you delete them yourself.
Beyond talking to your own cameras on your own network, the only network activity is the following, none of which sends us your video or personal data:
The app contains no third-party advertising SDKs, no analytics SDKs, and no cross-app or cross-site tracking. The "More from Hearth" suggestions promote only our own apps and websites and do not profile you.
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 your video and settings only locally on your own devices, 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 and recordings 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.
You are responsible for the cameras you connect and for using them lawfully, including any local laws about where cameras may be placed, recording of audio, and notifying people who may be recorded. HearthWatch is a tool for viewing and recording cameras you own or are authorized to access; it does not grant you any right to access cameras that are not yours.
Camera passwords are stored encrypted with Windows DPAPI as described above, and connections to your cameras use whatever security the camera and protocol support. Beyond that, because your data stays with you, its security depends primarily on your own devices, cameras, network and disks. No method of storage is completely secure, and you are responsible for securing your own devices and your backups.
We may update this policy as the app evolves. When we do, we will change the effective date above and post the updated policy at this URL.
For privacy questions, contact us at support@hearth-software.com or iam@nirnagar.com.