AI Terminal — Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2026-05-17 · Applies to AI Terminal iOS (org.aiterminal.app) and Android (org.aiterminal.app) apps (version 1.0.0+) and AI Terminal desktop daemon (Mac / Linux / Windows / WSL).

Who We Are

AI Terminal lets you remotely control terminal sessions on your computer from your phone — including any AI coding agent (aider, Cursor CLI, Codex, etc.) or any PTY-based application. This policy explains how we handle your data.

Data We Collect

Data	Purpose	Stored
Device identifier (random UUID, not Android ID / IDFV)	Identify your phone for pairing persistence and trial calculation	Relay server
Public key (end-to-end encryption)	Establish encrypted channel between your phone and computer; relay cannot decrypt	Relay server + paired computer daemon
Device name	Display in device management UI (e.g. "iPhone 15 Pro" / "Xiaomi 13 Pro")	Paired computer daemon + local device
Push notification token (FCM on Android, APNs on iOS)	Notify your phone when AI tasks finish or require approval	Relay server
Subscription status	Validate App Store / Google Play subscription tier	Relay server

Optional Telemetry & Feedback (Opt-in)

The following data is collected only if you enable it in Settings → Privacy. All toggles are OFF by default; first-launch consent dialog respects your choice (declining keeps everything off).

Data	Purpose	Processor	Region
App usage analytics (screen views, button clicks)	Improve UI / feature prioritization	Firebase Analytics (Android), built-in (iOS)	Google global
Crash reports (stack trace, device model, OS version)	Fix bugs faster	Self-hosted GlitchTip (Sentry-compatible)	Operator infrastructure
In-app feedback (your text message, contact email if provided)	Respond to your feedback	Self-hosted backend	Operator infrastructure

Anonymity: Telemetry uses a randomly generated install UUID (not Android ID / IDFV, not your device identifier). We do not link telemetry to your subscription or pairing identity. You can wipe and regenerate the install UUID at any time via Settings → Privacy → Reset Telemetry ID.

Opt-out: Toggle off in Settings → Privacy at any time. Past data submitted while opt-in cannot be retroactively recalled (technical limitation), but no further data will be sent.

Data We Do NOT Collect

Terminal session content — All commands, AI prompts, AI responses, and outputs are end-to-end encrypted between your computer daemon and phone. The relay only forwards encrypted bytes. We cannot read your sessions.
Your AI provider API keys — All API keys (for any AI provider) stay on your computer daemon. Never uploaded.
Files in your codebase or projects — Files stay on your computer. Only what you actively send via in-app file transfer is encrypted and routed through the relay.
Personal identity — We do not require account signup; we do not collect your name, phone number, or persistently log IP address (IP is only used for TCP connection setup).
Location — No GPS or network location collected.
Contacts / SMS / call logs — We don't request these permissions.
Advertising identifiers — No ad SDKs integrated.

iOS Platform Permissions

The iOS app may request the following permissions on first use:

Camera (NSCameraUsageDescription): Scan the QR code shown by your desktop daemon to pair devices.
Photo Library — read (NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription): Pick photos to send to your paired computer.
Photo Library — write (NSPhotoLibraryAddUsageDescription): Save received images to your local photo library.
Face ID / Touch ID (NSFaceIDUsageDescription): Verify your identity before approving a new device pairing or sensitive action — biometric data stays on your phone and is never transmitted.
Local Network (NSLocalNetworkUsageDescription): Discover your desktop daemon on the same Wi-Fi network for low-latency LAN mode.
Bonjour Services (NSBonjourServices: _aiterminal._tcp): mDNS-based local network device discovery.
Push Notifications (APNs): Alert you when an AI task completes or requires approval (only if you opt-in).

All permissions can be individually toggled in iOS Settings → AI Terminal. Disabling a permission makes the corresponding feature unavailable, but the app continues to function for other operations.

AI Terminal also includes a PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy manifest (Apple 2024+ SDK requirement) declaring all Required Reason APIs used by the app.

Sensitive data (biometric, encryption keys) is stored exclusively in iOS Keychain, accessible only to the AI Terminal app.

Android Platform Permissions

Camera: Scan QR code for device pairing.
Biometric / Fingerprint (USE_BIOMETRIC): Verify identity for sensitive actions.
Post Notifications (Android 13+): Receive task completion alerts via Firebase Cloud Messaging.
Network State / Internet: Connect to relay infrastructure.
Read Media Images (Android 13+) / Read External Storage (older): Pick photos to send for file transfer.

Sensitive data is stored in Android Keystore, accessible only to the AI Terminal app.

iOS In-App Purchases (StoreKit)

iOS subscriptions are processed through Apple App Store In-App Purchases (StoreKit). Payment information is collected and processed by Apple and never passes through AI Terminal servers. We only receive subscription status (active / expired / tier) from Apple in order to unlock Pro features. Refunds and cancellations are managed through iPhone Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions.

Android In-App Purchases (Google Play Billing)

Android subscriptions are processed through Google Play Billing. Payment information is collected by Google and never passes through AI Terminal servers. We only receive subscription status from Google.

Relay Infrastructure

AI Terminal operates 4 relay PoPs (Beijing / Hong Kong / US-West / EU on Hetzner) to route encrypted WebSocket traffic between your desktop daemon and mobile app. Relay servers:

Do not decrypt your session content (end-to-end encryption between daemon and app)
Do not log session content or commands
Do log connection metadata (timestamp, region, bandwidth) for at most 30 days, used solely for service reliability monitoring

If your desktop and phone are on the same Wi-Fi network, AI Terminal automatically switches to LAN-direct mode (relay is bypassed entirely).

Third-Party Services

Apple App Store / Google Play Store: For app distribution. Standard Apple / Google privacy practices apply to download metadata.
Firebase Cloud Messaging (Android): For push notifications, if you opt-in. Notification payload is minimal (e.g. "AI task complete") and contains no session content.
APNs (iOS): For push notifications, same minimal payload principle.
Self-hosted GlitchTip (Sentry-compatible): For crash reports, if you opt-in. Reports include stack traces and device model, but no session content.

Your Data Control Rights

Unpair Device: In-app Manage Devices → unpair. Server-side device_id and pairing_token are deleted immediately.
Delete All My Data (GDPR / CCPA): Email [email protected]. Processed within 30 days, including unpairing all devices and erasing relay-side records.
Data Portability (GDPR): Request a copy of your data via the same email. Provided within 30 days in a machine-readable format.
Withdraw Consent: Telemetry / Crash Reports can be disabled any time in Settings → Privacy.

Data Retention: device_id + pairing_token are deleted immediately when you unpair. Relay connection logs are retained for at most 30 days then auto-purged. Crash reports retained for at most 90 days.

Children's Privacy (COPPA)

AI Terminal is not intended for use by children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children under 13. If we become aware that a user is under 13, we will delete their data immediately.

Closed Beta Disclosure

AI Terminal is currently in closed beta. During beta:

The app and infrastructure are under active development
Service availability is not guaranteed
Beta testers receive permanent Pro access in exchange for feedback
You can opt out of beta at any time — your data is deleted within 30 days

Policy Updates

We will notify users of material changes via in-app notification at least 7 days before they take effect. The current version of this policy is always available at ai-terminal.org/privacy.html.

Contact

General: [email protected]
Data protection / privacy: same email, subject "Privacy Request"
In-app feedback: Settings → Feedback