Privacy Policy
Effective May 10, 2026
The short version
- We don't sell your data, ever.
- We don't include third-party advertising or analytics SDKs.
- We don't track you across other apps or websites.
- You can permanently delete your account and all its data from inside the app.
Slick Engineering & Consulting, Inc. ("Slick Engineering," "we," "us") operates the CarSense mobile application ("CarSense" or "the Service"). This Privacy Policy explains what information we collect, how we use it, and the choices you have. If you have any questions, email ios-support@slick-engineering.com.
1. Information we collect
We collect only the information needed to make CarSense work for you.
| Category | What it is | Why we need it |
|---|---|---|
| Account | Email address, optional name, encrypted password | To authenticate you and sync your data across devices |
| Vehicle records | VIN, make, model, year, mileage, optional nickname | To run vehicle-specific diagnoses and recall lookups |
| Diagnostic history | OBD2 trouble codes, freeze-frame data, AI explanations, mileage at scan | To show your scan history and provide context for follow-up diagnoses |
| AI conversations | Messages you send to the diagnostic AI | To answer your questions about your vehicle |
| Approximate location | Coarse latitude/longitude — only when you tap "find shops near me" | To return nearby repair shops; not stored |
| Subscription status | Tier (Free / Pro / Lifetime) and expiry — from Apple / Google | To unlock paid features |
| Crash reports | Anonymized stack traces and device model when the app crashes | To find and fix bugs; emails, request bodies, and authentication tokens are stripped before transmission |
2. Information we do NOT collect
- Tracking across other apps or websites. We have no third-party tracking SDKs.
- Advertising identifiers. We don't show ads and don't read the IDFA / GAID.
- Contacts, photos, microphone, or camera — except when you actively use the camera to scan a VIN barcode (the image is processed locally on your device and is not uploaded), or the microphone for voice diagnostic input (audio is sent to our server only for the duration of the request and is not retained).
- Precise / continuous location. We only request approximate location at the moment you ask for nearby repair shops.
- Payment card numbers. Apple and Google handle all in-app subscription payments; we never see your card.
3. Permissions the app requests
| Permission | What it's for |
|---|---|
| Bluetooth | To connect to your OBD2 adapter and read vehicle data. CarSense scans for BLE devices in the foreground only. |
| Location (When In Use) | To find repair shops near you when you tap the "Find Shops" button. We don't track your location in the background. |
| Camera | To scan a VIN barcode when adding a vehicle. Processed locally; the image is never uploaded. |
| Microphone & Speech Recognition | Optional — to ask diagnostic questions by voice. Audio is sent to our server only when you initiate a voice request and is discarded after transcription. |
4. How we use your information
- To provide diagnostic explanations specific to your vehicle
- To save your scan history so it's available across your devices
- To process subscription purchases and unlock paid features
- To send transactional emails (account notifications, password reset)
- To detect bugs and improve the app via crash reporting
- To provide customer support when you contact us
We do not use your information to train AI models without your data being limited in scope to what's required for the in-session diagnosis.
5. Third-party services we use
CarSense uses a small number of infrastructure providers, described here by category:
- Cloud hosting — Stores your account, vehicle records, and scan history. Located in the United States.
- AI diagnostic engine — Processes your trouble codes and vehicle context to generate explanations. Your AI conversations are sent to this provider for processing only.
- Object storage — Stores small public assets such as repair shop logos. Does not contain personal data.
- Email delivery — Sends password reset and transactional emails.
- Crash reporting — Receives anonymized crash data with PII stripped before transmission.
- Payment processing — Apple App Store handles iOS subscription payments; Google Play handles Android subscription payments. We never see card data.
Each provider is contractually bound to use your data only to provide their service to us, and only the categories of data listed above are shared with each.
6. Data retention and deletion
We keep your data as long as your account is active. You can delete your account at any time from inside the app: Profile → Delete Account. Deletion is immediate and permanent — your account record, vehicles, scan history, AI conversations, quotes, and any reviews you've left are removed from our database. Backups are retained for up to 30 days for disaster recovery and are then permanently destroyed.
If you have an active Apple or Google subscription, you must cancel it separately in the platform's subscription settings (we cannot cancel it on your behalf). Deleting your CarSense account does not stop the platform's recurring charge.
7. How we protect your information
- All network traffic between the app and our servers is encrypted with TLS 1.2 or higher.
- Passwords are stored as bcrypt hashes, never in plaintext.
- Authentication tokens are stored in the iOS Keychain or Android EncryptedSharedPreferences — never in user-readable storage.
- Our database is restricted to localhost access only and uses a non-superuser application account with minimum required privileges.
- We don't log emails, payment payloads, or authentication tokens; sensitive fields are redacted before any logs are written.
8. Children's privacy
CarSense is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us information, contact ios-support@slick-engineering.com and we will delete it.
9. Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or export your personal data, and to object to certain processing. You can exercise these rights at any time by emailing ios-support@slick-engineering.com. Account deletion is also self-service from inside the app.
10. International data transfers
Our servers are located in the United States. If you use CarSense from outside the United States, your information will be transferred to and processed in the United States, where data protection laws may differ from those in your jurisdiction.
11. Changes to this policy
If we change this policy in a way that affects how we collect or use your data, we'll notify you in the app or by email before the change takes effect. The "Effective" date at the top of this page reflects the latest revision.
12. Contact
Questions, complaints, or requests under this policy: ios-support@slick-engineering.com
Slick Engineering & Consulting, Inc.
Attn: Privacy