The short version
This Privacy Policy describes how Tether Audio ("we", "us", or "our") handles information in connection with the Tether Audio iOS application (the "App") and the companion Tether Sender desktop program ("Tether Sender"). The policy is short because there is very little to describe.
Information we collect
We collect no information. The App does not ask you to create an account, does not request your name or email address, and does not read your contacts, photos, location, microphone, or any other personal content on your device.
In the App Store's privacy disclosure, Tether Audio is listed as "Data Not Collected". That disclosure is accurate and complete.
Your audio
The App's only purpose is to play audio sent from your computer. That audio:
- travels over the USB cable connecting your computer and your iPhone, and over no other path;
- is decoded and played in real time and is never written to disk on either device;
- is never uploaded, sampled, fingerprinted, or analysed for content;
- is discarded from memory as soon as it has been played.
We have no way to hear, see, or retrieve what you play. Neither does anyone else through the App.
Data stored on your device
The App stores a small number of preferences locally on your iPhone so that they persist between launches. These are:
- the listening port number;
- your chosen latency preset (Low, Normal, or Stable);
- how long the App should keep listening after a disconnect;
- whether to mix with other apps and whether to pause when headphones are unplugged.
These settings never leave your device. They are not synced to iCloud, not backed up to our servers (we have none), and are removed when you delete the App. The statistics panel (underruns, dropped packets, drift correction) is computed on the fly and is not retained.
Network access
The App communicates only with Tether Sender running on the computer at the other end of the USB cable. It does not use Wi-Fi, cellular data, or Bluetooth for audio or for anything else, and it does not contact any remote server. If you inspect network traffic from the App, you will find none.
Tether Sender, the desktop program, likewise sends audio only down the USB cable to your iPhone. It does not phone home. Tether Sender is open source, and you can review its code on GitHub.
Purchases and subscriptions
Tether Audio is offered as a subscription purchased through Apple's App Store. Payment is handled entirely by Apple. We do not receive your name, payment details, billing address, or Apple ID. Apple provides us only with anonymised, aggregated sales reporting.
Apple's handling of your purchase information is governed by Apple's Privacy Policy. You can manage or cancel your subscription at any time in your Apple ID settings.
Third parties
We do not share data with third parties, because we have no data to share. The App does not embed third-party SDKs for analytics, advertising, attribution, crash reporting, or social features.
The only third party involved in your use of the App is Apple, in its role as the operator of the App Store and the provider of iOS.
Children's privacy
The App does not collect personal information from anyone, including children under the age of 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your jurisdiction). Because no data is collected, no parental consent mechanism is required. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information by some other means, contact us and we will delete it.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, privacy laws such as the GDPR (European Union and United Kingdom) or the CCPA/CPRA (California) may give you rights to access, correct, delete, or port your personal data, or to object to its processing.
We honour these rights fully. In practice, any request will receive the same answer: we hold no personal data about you, so there is nothing to access, correct, delete, or port. You are welcome to contact us to confirm this at any time.
Changes to this policy
If we ever change how the App handles information, we will update this page and revise the effective date at the top. Where a change is material, we will also describe it in the App's release notes on the App Store. Continued use of the App after a change takes effect means you accept the revised policy.
Contact
Questions about privacy? Write to [email protected]. We read every message.