Effective April 2026
The most important thing
SoundSense is a supplement, not a replacement.
Keep your smoke detectors, hearing dogs, flashing doorbells, bed-shaker alarms, and any other emergency notification system you already rely on. Software can fail. Phones can be dead or out of earshot. SoundSense adds awareness on top of your existing safety setup. It does not replace any piece of it, and we do not want it to.
Acceptable use
Use SoundSense for its intended purpose: personal sound awareness for yourself, for a family member, or for users in an organization you are authorized to support. Do not reverse-engineer the app, scrape its model, use it to harass or surveil someone without consent, or try to break its security. If you find a way to break something, tell us. See /security.
Your content
The sound fingerprints you train are yours. We do not claim ownership of them, we do not use them to train a shared model, and we do not share them with anyone else. They live on your device and, if you opt in to iCloud sync, in your own Apple-encrypted iCloud container. We cannot see them.
Free tier commitment
The SoundSense free tier, core sound awareness, preset sounds, basic haptics, on-device processing, is free and will stay free. If we ever need to change that commitment in a way that takes away functionality you already rely on, we will email you in advance and make sure you have another path forward.
Subscription terms
SoundSense+ is a monthly subscription, billed through Apple's In-App Purchase. You can cancel any time in your Apple ID subscription settings. If you cancel during a billing period, access continues until the end of that period and then ends without further charges.
If we offer a free trial, we will make the terms clear before you start it. There will not be an auto-charge surprise. If a trial is about to convert to a paid period, you will get a reminder in the app at least 48 hours before.
Disclaimer of warranties
We work hard. Software can still fail.
SoundSense is provided "as is" without any express or implied warranty. We do not guarantee that every sound will be detected, every alert will be delivered, or every classification will be correct. This is exactly why the first section of this page exists: do not use SoundSense as the only thing standing between you and a dangerous situation. It is one layer in a stack of safety tools, not the whole stack.
Limitation of liability
To the extent permitted by law, SoundSense is not liable for indirect, consequential, or incidental damages that arise from using the app, including damages arising from a missed or misclassified sound. Our total liability in any dispute is capped at what you paid us in the 12 months before the claim, or $100 if you are on the free tier. Some jurisdictions do not allow these limits, in which case the law of your jurisdiction controls.
Governing law
These terms are governed by the laws of the State of New York, USA, without regard to conflict-of-laws rules. Any dispute that cannot be resolved informally will be brought in the state or federal courts located in Monroe County, New York.
Changes
If we change these terms in a meaningful way, we will update the effective date above and, where we can, email you. Ongoing use after a material change means you accept the updated terms.
Contact
Anything here unclear or concerning? Email us.