Privacy policy

What stays on your computer

The Sidebud companion runs on your computer. Your conversations, tasks, widget settings, and the API keys and account tokens for your integrations are stored there, in your operating system’s keychain or in files only your user account can read.

We do not receive copies of this data. The phone app talks to your computer directly after you pair them.

What our hosted service stores

If you create a Sidebud account, we store your name, email address, and sign-in details (for example, the ID of your Google or Apple account). When you sign in with Google or Apple we request only your basic profile and discard the provider’s access tokens.

We also store session records so you stay signed in, waitlist email addresses, and widgets you submit to the widget library, including the files you upload and the time you submitted them.

If you turn on “Sync settings to my account” on a computer, we also store the settings you chose to sync: voice choices, alert choices and contacts, agent profiles and their instructions, installed integrations and their settings (not folders), and customized integrations as files. Keys, account tokens, folders, and paths are never synced, and our server refuses anything that looks like a key. You can delete this copy at any time from the companion’s settings or your account page; it is included in your account export and deleted with your account.

Voice and AI providers

When you talk to Sidebud, your voice and messages are sent from your computer to the voice and AI providers you choose (for example Google Gemini or OpenAI), using your own keys. Their privacy policies apply to that data. Sidebud does not route it through our servers.

Crash reports and monitoring

When something breaks on our website or in the phone app, an error report is sent to Sentry (sentry.io), which we use to find and fix bugs. A report contains the error, where in our code it happened, the version of the app or site, and basic technical details such as the operating system.

Before a report leaves your device, we remove what you said and typed (prompts, transcripts, audio, and message text), along with keys, tokens, passwords, cookies, sign-in headers, email addresses, and file paths in your home folder. We do not record your screen or sessions, and reports do not include your name, email address, or IP address.

The companion on your computer sends crash reports only if you turn on “Send crash reports to Sidebud” in its Setup or Settings. It is off unless you turn it on, and you can turn it off at any time.

We use BetterStack (betterstack.com) to check that our website is up and to keep our servers’ logs, with the same details removed. It receives nothing from your computer or phone.

Cookies

We use cookies only to keep you signed in and to remember your language. We do not use advertising or cross-site tracking cookies.

How we use data

We use account data to run the service: to sign you in, contact you about your account, and review widget submissions. We do not sell your personal data or use it for advertising.

Keeping and deleting data

We keep account data while your account is open. You can download a copy of your data, or delete your account and its data, at any time on your account page; deleting it also signs out every computer. You can also email us to do either. Data on your computer is yours: uninstalling the companion and deleting its folder removes it.

Security

Phones and computers pair with keys that stay on each device. Account sign-in never grants access to your computer. No system is perfectly secure, but we work to protect the data we hold.

Children

Sidebud is not intended for children under 13 (or the minimum age in your country), and we do not knowingly collect their data.

Changes

If we change this policy, we will update this page and the date above. For significant changes we will let account holders know.