Summary
AV Companion does not include advertising, tracking, analytics, or an account system operated by Summa Cruxis LLC. We do not sell personal information. The app does not send home-control activity to a Summa Cruxis server.
The app handles information on your device, on your home network, and, if you enable household sharing, in your private or shared iCloud database. Summa Cruxis LLC receives information only when you choose to contact support or share a diagnostic file.
Home and room configuration
The app stores home and room names, equipment types, room preferences, favorite media apps, connection status, recent control state, and the local address of your home's AV Companion helper on your iPhone or iPad.
Control credentials
The helper-control credential used for live control is stored in the device Keychain. When the owner enables family sharing, a copy is included in the encrypted household profile described below and imported into each invited device's Keychain. The owner credential that permits configuration changes stays only in the owner device's Keychain and is not included in household sharing.
iCloud household sharing
If the household owner chooses Share with family, AV Companion stores the household configuration in the owner's private CloudKit database and uses an Apple private, read-only share to deliver it to invited participants. The shared configuration includes the credential needed to control the home helper. Public access to the share is disabled.
Apple processes iCloud and sharing information under Apple's privacy terms. AV Companion does not receive your Apple Account password.
Local-network communication
Live control, setup checks, device status, and now-playing information travel between the app and the AV Companion helper on your private local network. The helper may communicate with the televisions, receivers, speakers, streaming devices, and lighting systems configured in that home. Summa Cruxis LLC does not receive this local-network traffic.
Camera and QR codes
The app requests camera access only when you open the QR-code scanner used to connect a new or replacement owner device to the home Mac. The scanner reads QR codes only. Camera images are not saved or sent to Summa Cruxis LLC. The one-time join code is used in memory and is not included in diagnostics.
Now-playing artwork
When compatible audio equipment reports now-playing information, the app can request album artwork from a local device or from the media provider's artwork URL. That provider may receive information ordinarily included in a network request, such as an IP address and device or network information, and handles it under its own privacy policy. AV Companion does not use that request for tracking or advertising.
Diagnostics and support
You can ask the app to create a diagnostic JSON file. It can include the app version, home and room names, room configuration, device-status results, recent action results, connection times, and the remembered Apple TV viewer name. It does not include the home bridge credential, owner credential, pairing credentials, one-time QR tokens, Keychain values, or device IP or MAC addresses.
The diagnostic file is created in the app's temporary storage and leaves the device only when you choose a recipient in Apple's Share sheet. Review it before sharing. If you send it, or other information, to support, we use it only to respond to your request, diagnose the reported problem, protect the service, and keep records reasonably needed for support.
How information is used
Information handled by AV Companion is used to connect an authorized device to the correct home and room, carry out commands the user requests, display equipment state and now-playing information, remember preferences, share household access when the owner requests it, diagnose a problem when the user asks, and prevent unauthorized setup or control.
When information is shared
AV Companion shares information only as needed with the AV Companion helper and equipment on the user's local network; Apple CloudKit when the owner enables household sharing; household members whom the owner invites through Apple's sharing interface; a media provider that serves artwork requested by the app; a recipient the user selects when exporting diagnostics; and service providers required to operate email or this support website if the user contacts support.
We do not sell personal information or share it for cross-app advertising.
Retention and controls
Local preferences remain until they are changed or removed in the app, the app's data is cleared, or iOS removes them. A home's helper-control credential is removed from that device's Keychain when the corresponding home is removed in AV Companion. The separate owner setup credential is not part of that home-removal operation. Keychain items can otherwise remain until removed by AV Companion or iOS, or until the device is erased.
An iCloud household profile remains in the owner's iCloud storage while household sharing is in use. The owner can stop sharing or remove participants through the app's family-access controls. A family device removes imported household credentials after it learns that access was revoked. Contact support for help deleting an iCloud household profile.
Support communications are retained only as long as reasonably necessary to answer the request, maintain support records, resolve disputes, and meet legal obligations.
Security
AV Companion uses the iOS Keychain for local credential storage, a private encrypted CloudKit field for the household configuration and shared helper-control credential, one-time short-lived codes for owner-device enrollment, and authenticated requests to the home helper. No system can be guaranteed completely secure; keep devices, Apple Accounts, home networks, and the helper Mac protected and up to date.
Children
AV Companion is a home-control utility and is not directed to children under 13. It does not knowingly collect personal information from children.
United States availability
The app is currently offered in the United States. Information may be processed where Apple, the user's chosen support provider, or other service providers operate.
Changes
If this policy changes, the effective date above will be updated. Material changes will be reflected in updated product or App Store information.
Contact
For privacy questions, email privacy@summacruxis.com.