PipeSmart — Privacy policy

Summary in plain English

PipeSmart is a UK plumber's training and business app that runs almost entirely on your device. We do not operate a server that collects your data. The only data that leaves your device is:

• What you explicitly type or photograph for the optional AI tutor and photo fault diagnosis features (sent over HTTPS to Anthropic Claude).
• Files (PDFs, CSVs, backup zips) that you actively share via your device's share sheet to email, cloud storage, or another app.

We do not include any third-party analytics, advertising or tracking SDKs. We do not collect crash reports automatically.

What is stored on your device

The following is stored locally on your device using Android's SharedPreferences / iOS's NSUserDefaults and the app's documents directory:

• Onboarding profile (your role and goals)
• Customer records you create, jobs you log, time entries, materials, notes, service reminders, quotes, expenses and inventory
• Photos and voice notes you attach to jobs
• Bookmarks, quiz scores, checklist progress, spaced-repetition state
• Voice / text-to-speech preferences
• Your Anthropic API key, if you provide one
• An in-app diagnostics log (recent errors / warnings) used for troubleshooting

None of this is uploaded to any server we operate.

Camera and photos

The app requests camera and photo-library permission so you can:

• Attach photos to jobs (stored locally on your device only)
• Capture and annotate photos for your records
• Scan receipts — the text is read on-device using Google ML Kit, no image leaves the device
• Use the optional photo fault diagnosis — and only when you actively tap Analyse, the image is sent to Anthropic for analysis

Microphone

The app requests microphone permission so you can record short voice notes against a job (e.g. dictating combustion analyser readings while your hands are full). Voice notes are stored as audio files on your device only and are never uploaded.

Notifications

The app schedules local-only notifications on your device for:

• An optional daily learning reminder (off by default; you choose the time)
• Service follow-ups you schedule (e.g. annual boiler service) — the notification fires on the due date you chose

These are local Android / iOS notifications. We do not send push notifications from a server.

What we send to Anthropic when you use AI features

When you use the AI tutor chat or photo fault diagnosis, the following data is sent over HTTPS to api.anthropic.com:

• The text of your question or messages in the current chat
• The chat history of the current session (so the model has context)
• Any image you choose to attach (encoded in the request body)

Anthropic processes these requests under their own privacy policy at anthropic.com/privacy. We never see this data — it is sent directly from your device to Anthropic using your API key (or, if your build was distributed with a built-in demo key, that key).

Anthropic API key

If you provide your own Anthropic API key, it is saved on this device only. We never transmit it to any server we operate. You can clear it at any time from the AI Tutor settings panel.

Backup and restore

The Backup feature creates a single zip file containing your data on your device, then opens your operating system's share sheet so you can save the zip wherever you choose (email, Drive, iCloud, AirDrop, USB). The backup is not encrypted — treat it like any other personal file.

We never upload backups to our servers. We never see them.

Analytics, tracking, advertising

The app contains no third-party analytics, advertising or marketing SDKs. It does not include Firebase Analytics, Google Analytics, Crashlytics, or any similar services. There are no in-app ads.

Children

The app is intended for working plumbers and apprentices aged 16 and over. It is not directed at children under 13 and does not knowingly collect any data from them.

Your choices

You can:

• Clear all stored data by uninstalling the app, or by clearing the app's storage from your device's Apps settings.
• Revoke camera, microphone or notification permission at any time from your device's operating system settings.
• Stop using the AI features and clear your Anthropic API key from Settings → AI Tutor.
• Delete individual photos, voice notes, customers, jobs and other records from inside the app at any time.

Data retention

Data you create stays on your device until you delete it or uninstall the app. We have no separate retention policy because we do not store your data on our servers.

Contact

Karitec is the publisher of PipeSmart. For privacy or data-protection questions, contact info@karitec.co.uk or visit www.karitec.co.uk.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the app evolves. The "Last updated" date at the top of this page reflects the most recent revision. Material changes will be summarised in the in-app Settings → Privacy screen.