Vmote1Who we are
Vmote for iPhone and Apple Watch is published on the App Store by Swift Applications Inc., trading as Swift Apps, a company registered in Canada ("we", "us", "our"). We are responsible for the information described in this policy. When it says "Vmote" or "the app", it means the Vmote remote app for iPhone with its Apple Watch app, widgets and controls, listed on the App Store as "Vmote: Remote for Vizio". You can reach us at support@swiftsofts.com.
2Your home network
Vmote talks directly to your TV over your home Wi-Fi, using the control service built into VIZIO SmartCast TVs, VIZIO Home Screen TVs and onn. TVs that run VIZIO OS. Your key presses and the text you type travel from your iPhone to your TV on your own network, over an encrypted connection (HTTPS). They are not sent to our servers.
iOS asks you to allow Local Network access. Vmote uses it only to find your TV (with Bonjour, SSDP discovery, a short check of the usual TV ports on your own network, or the IP address you type), to talk to the TV you choose, and, for a paired TV set to Quick Start, to send a standard wake-up message (Wake-on-LAN). Vmote looks only for VIZIO TVs and, in the Cast tab, for devices you can cast to. It does not collect, store or share information about other devices on your network.
The first time you connect, your TV shows a 4-digit code. When you type it into Vmote, the TV gives the app a pairing token so it can send commands. The token is stored in your iPhone's Keychain with "this device only" protection, so it is not synced to iCloud Keychain, and it is only ever sent back to that same TV.
3What stays on your iPhone
To keep you connected and make the remote feel instant, Vmote saves the following only on your iPhone:
| What | Why |
|---|---|
| Your TVs: the name the TV reports (or the name you give it), its local network address, model, the network hardware (MAC) address used to wake it, and the identifiers the TV reports about itself | To find and reconnect to the right TV, even if its address changes, and to wake it |
| The pairing token each TV gave Vmote, in the iOS Keychain | To send commands without pairing again |
| The apps on each TV with their names and icons, and the apps you pinned | To show your apps instantly and put your favorites on the remote |
| Recent items: copies of photos and videos you recently cast, with a small thumbnail | To let you cast them again from Recent items without asking for Photos access |
| Your settings: remote layout, language, haptics, the two privacy switches and similar choices | To remember how you like Vmote |
| Simple counters, such as the number of successful key presses | To decide when to show Apple's rating prompt |
We never receive this information. It stays on your iPhone until you remove it (see Your choices and rights). For the widgets and the Watch app, a small snapshot (such as the saved TV and the result of the last key press) is kept in storage shared only between Vmote's own parts on your devices.
4Typing and dictation
Vmote does not have microphone or speech-recognition permission and never records audio. Dictation is your iPhone keyboard's own feature (the mic key): iOS handles your voice under Apple's terms and gives Vmote only the resulting text. Vmote sends that text, or anything you type, to the TV's text field over your home network. What you say and type is not sent to us or to analytics services, and is not stored by Vmote.
5Usage statistics and crash reports
To find bugs and see which features are used, Vmote uses two services from Google Firebase in the iPhone app (they are not in the widgets or the Watch app): Google Analytics for Firebase, in the version without the advertising-identifier library, and Firebase Crashlytics. Both are on by default. Each has its own switch in Vmote > Settings > Privacy: Share usage statistics and Send crash reports. Collection stops from the moment you turn a switch off, and everything else keeps working.
Usage statistics (Google Analytics for Firebase)
- App-instance ID: a random identifier for this installation of Vmote. It is not your name, your Apple Account or your advertising identifier, which Vmote cannot read.
- Device and app information: iPhone model, iOS version, language and app version.
- Screen and feature events: for example that a screen was opened, a TV was found, paired or connected (with a general result such as "timeout"), a feature such as the keyboard, Cast or the Apps tab was used, or the Vmote Pro screen was opened, all from fixed lists.
- Purchase events: the product ID, name and price of a Vmote Pro purchase or renewal, which Analytics measures from the App Store on its own.
- Approximate location: country, region or city, which Google derives from a masked IP address. Vmote never uses Location Services and has no location permission.
Crash reports (Firebase Crashlytics)
- Crash logs and stack traces: where in the code a crash or error happened, and the state of the app at the time.
- Device and app information: iPhone model, iOS version and app version.
- A Crashlytics installation ID, used to count how many installations a crash affects, and a short list of fixed status words recorded just before the crash.
Never included: your TV's name, serial number or network addresses, pairing tokens or codes, what you type or say, what you watch, the photos or videos you cast, or your advertising ID. As a safety net, Vmote also scrubs network addresses, hardware addresses and long codes out of error messages before they are sent. Vmote turns off advertising-ID collection in Analytics and does not use Firebase for advertising.
Learn how Google handles this data in Firebase privacy and security, Firebase's App Store data disclosure and How Google uses information from sites or apps that use its services.
6Casting photos and videos
The Cast tab sends photos and videos from your iPhone to your TV, when your TV supports it. Vmote casts photos and videos only: it has no web browser and does not cast web links.
- Your photos and videos: you pick them with the iOS photo picker, which gives Vmote only the items you choose (Vmote has no Photos permission). They are served from your iPhone directly to your TV over your home network, only while you cast. Vmote does not upload them to us or to any cloud service.
- Google Cast: casting uses Google's Cast software on your iPhone and the Cast receiver built into your TV. Vmote switches off the Cast software's optional analytics logging, but the software may still handle limited technical information, such as device discovery, casting-session events and device and app details. See Google's Privacy Policy. We include these kinds of data in the App Privacy details we give Apple.
- AirPlay: for videos, iOS can show its own AirPlay picker. AirPlay is handled by iOS under Apple's terms.
- Recent items: the copies described in What stays on your iPhone are kept in the app's private storage and are excluded from backups.
7Subscriptions and purchases
Vmote Pro is sold through Apple's in-app purchase system (StoreKit). Apple handles the payment, your Apple Account and any refund; we never see your card or bank details. The app only asks Apple whether you have an active subscription so it can unlock the Pro features. Google Analytics measures purchases and renewals from the App Store (product ID, name and price), as described above. Manage or cancel a subscription in your Apple Account settings (Settings > your name > Subscriptions). Apple's handling of your purchase is described in Apple's Privacy Policy, and purchases are covered by Apple's standard Terms of Use (EULA).
8The seven data types we declare
Apple asks every app to list the data it collects. These are Vmote's answers in App Store Connect. None of it is linked to your identity and none of it is used to track you. The Firebase and Cast entries are listed because that software can handle these kinds of data; the two switches in Settings > Privacy control the usage statistics and crash reports.
| Data type | What it is in Vmote | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Device ID | A random app-instance ID per install (Firebase Analytics), a Crashlytics installation ID, and the identifier Google's Cast software may use. Not the advertising identifier (IDFA), and not the vendor identifier (collection is off). | Analytics, App Functionality |
| Purchase History | Analytics' own measurement of Vmote Pro purchases and renewals from the App Store: product ID, name and price. | Analytics |
| Product Interaction | Screens opened, features used, and whether pairing and connections worked, from fixed lists. Casting events when the Cast tab is used. | Analytics, App Functionality |
| Coarse Location | An approximate location (country, region or city) that Google derives from a masked IP address. Vmote never uses Location Services. | Analytics |
| Crash Data | Crash reports: where in the code a crash happened and the state of the app. | App Functionality |
| Performance Data | Reliability and performance information from Google's Cast software when you cast. | Analytics, App Functionality |
| Other Diagnostic Data | iPhone model, iOS and app version, short status words recorded before a crash, and the Cast software's diagnostic data. | App Functionality, Analytics |
Everything else is not collected: name, e-mail, phone number, contacts, physical address, precise location, photos or videos, audio, browsing or search history, advertising data, payment or financial information, health data and sensitive information. We do not use the advertising identifier (IDFA).
9No tracking, no advertising ID
Vmote does not track you. It currently shows no ads, contains no advertising SDK, does not ask for App Tracking Transparency permission, does not combine data with other companies' apps or websites, and does not give data to data brokers. We do not sell your personal information and we do not share it for targeted or cross-context behavioral advertising. Vmote Pro stays ad-free.
10Other services
App names and icons from VIZIO
To show your TV's apps with their names and icons, Vmote downloads VIZIO's public app list (from scfs.vizio.com) and app icon images (from image-api-prod.smartcasttv.com) when you are online. Like any web request, this lets those servers see your IP address. Nothing else is sent: no account and nothing that identifies your TV. Their handling is covered by their own terms.
App configuration file
When it starts, Vmote downloads a small settings file from GitHub's servers (gist.githubusercontent.com). It tells the app, for example, which features are part of Vmote Pro and whether to show the first-run tips. The request contains no personal data and no identifier from Vmote. As with any website visit, GitHub's servers see your IP address; we do not receive it. See the GitHub General Privacy Statement.
E-mail support
Settings > Send feedback opens a message in your own Mail app, which you can read and edit before sending; nothing is sent until you press Send there. If you e-mail us, we receive your e-mail address and whatever you write, and use them only to answer you.
App Store rating prompt
Vmote may occasionally show Apple's built-in rating prompt. It is handled by iOS and the App Store; we only see a public rating or review you choose to post.
11Apple Watch, widgets, Siri and notifications
The Vmote Watch app sends each button press to Vmote on your iPhone through Apple's Watch connection, and your iPhone sends it to the TV; the watch itself does not talk to your TV. Widgets, Control Center and Action button controls and Siri Shortcuts send a single button press, or open the app, using the TV you already paired and the details stored on your iPhone. None of them includes Firebase or the Cast software, and none of them sends anything to us.
Notifications: Vmote asks to send notifications only when you start a sleep timer, so it can tell you when the timer ends. These are local notifications created on your iPhone. Nothing is sent to us, and Vmote does not use push notifications.
12Permissions
| Permission | What Vmote uses it for |
|---|---|
| Local Network | Finding your TV and Cast devices on your Wi-Fi and sending them commands, photos and videos. Vmote cannot work as a remote without it. |
| Notifications (optional) | Telling you when a sleep timer ends. Asked only when you start a timer. |
| Internet access | Loading your TV's app names and icons, the app configuration file, the statistics and crash reports described above, and Apple's purchase system. |
Vmote does not ask for access to your microphone, speech recognition, camera, photo library, location, contacts or Bluetooth, and does not ask to track you.
13Who receives data
We share information only with the providers described above, so they can provide their services to us:
- Google receives usage statistics and crash reports (Firebase Analytics and Crashlytics) and runs the Cast software when you cast. See Google's Privacy Policy.
- Apple processes your purchases, your device backups and the App Store.
- GitHub serves the app configuration file, and VIZIO's servers serve app names and icons. They see your IP address.
- Your own TV receives your commands, typed text, photos and videos, because that is what a remote does.
We may also disclose information if the law requires it, to protect our rights or users' safety, or as part of a merger or sale of the business, in which case this policy continues to apply.
14How long we keep it
- On your iPhone: until you remove a TV, clear data in the app, or delete Vmote.
- Usage statistics (Analytics): up to 14 months, then deleted or aggregated.
- Crash reports (Crashlytics): up to 90 days.
- Google Cast technical data: kept by Google for a short time before it is aggregated, under Google's policies.
- Support e-mails: as long as needed to help you, then deleted within 24 months.
15Security and backups
Commands to your TV travel over an encrypted connection (HTTPS) on your home network. Pairing tokens are kept in the iOS Keychain, which Apple protects with your device's hardware. Data sent to Firebase is encrypted in transit. No method of transmission or storage is 100% secure, but we work to protect your information.
Backups: your saved TVs, settings and favorites are part of your iPhone's own backup (iCloud or a computer), so they can come back on a new iPhone. Pairing tokens use "this device only" Keychain protection and are not restored to another iPhone, so you pair again there. Recent items, app lists and icons are excluded from backups. Backups are stored by Apple under Apple's terms; we cannot see them.
16Your choices and rights
- Usage statistics and crash reports: turn off Share usage statistics or Send crash reports in Vmote's Settings > Privacy at any time. Collection stops from then on.
- Local Network and notifications: change either in iPhone Settings > Privacy & Security > Local Network and Settings > Notifications.
- Start fresh: deleting Vmote removes everything it stored on your iPhone and gives it a new app-instance ID if you install it again, so new statistics cannot be linked to old ones.
- Delete data we or our providers hold: e-mail support@swiftsofts.com with the subject "Privacy request". Because the statistics are not linked to your identity and we do not know your app-instance ID, we usually cannot find one person's records; we will help as far as we can, and the switches above stop future collection.
Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the right to access, correct or delete your personal information, to object to or restrict how it is used, to withdraw consent, and to data portability. This includes rights under Canada's PIPEDA and provincial laws, the EU and UK GDPR, and US state laws such as California's CCPA/CPRA. We process usage statistics and crash reports on the basis of our legitimate interest in keeping Vmote working and improving it, and you can object at any time with the switches above. To make a request, e-mail support@swiftsofts.com. We will respond within the time the law requires and will not treat you differently for exercising your rights. You may also complain to your local data protection authority, including the Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada.
17Children
Vmote is a general-audience utility and is not directed at children under 13 (or the minimum age in your country). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has sent us personal information, contact us and we will delete it.
18International transfers
Swift Applications Inc. is based in Canada. Our service providers, such as Google and Apple, may process information in the United States and other countries. When information leaves your country, we rely on the providers' safeguards, such as Standard Contractual Clauses, to protect it.
19Changes to this policy
If Vmote changes in a way that affects your privacy, for example if a future version adds advertising to the free version, we will update this page and its effective date before that version is released. Significant changes will also be mentioned in the app's release notes or in the app.
20Contact us
Swift Applications Inc. (Swift Apps), Canada
E-mail: support@swiftsofts.com
Help with the app: Vmote Support
21Affiliation
Vmote is an independent app and is not affiliated with, endorsed by or sponsored by VIZIO, Inc. or Walmart. VIZIO, SmartCast and onn. are trademarks of their respective owners, mentioned only to describe the TVs Vmote works with.
Apple, iPhone, Apple Watch, iCloud and App Store are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Cast and Firebase are trademarks of Google LLC. App names and icons shown in Vmote belong to their respective owners.