This Privacy Policy explains how Biofects Butler ("Butler"), a companion client that requires an existing Home Assistant system and does not operate as a standalone smart-home service, handles information when you use the Android application and its Home Assistant custom integration. Biofects can be contacted at support@biofects.com.
Information Butler handles
- The Home Assistant URL you select or discover.
- Home Assistant OAuth access and refresh tokens.
- Entity states, device and area metadata, dashboard profiles, calendars, weather, statistics, camera or media URLs, and service results requested from your Home Assistant instance.
- Voice audio recorded when you use push-to-talk or enabled wake-word features, plus transcripts and responses returned by Home Assistant.
- App settings, display registration, device model, viewport class, assigned dashboard, and theme.
- A one-way hash derived from Android's device-scoped identifier, used to prevent duplicate display registrations. Butler does not send the original Android identifier to Home Assistant.
- For the Free edition, advertising and consent information processed by Google Mobile Ads and Google User Messaging Platform.
How information is used
Butler uses this information to authenticate with your Home Assistant instance, render your dashboard, execute actions you request, operate your configured Assist pipeline, remember display assignments, prevent duplicate registrations, and provide advertising in the Free edition.
Where information goes
Product functionality communicates with the Home Assistant instance you choose. Voice audio is sent to that instance and may then be handled by local or third-party providers you configured in Home Assistant. Biofects does not proxy or receive your Home Assistant credentials, smart-home state, camera content, voice audio, transcripts, or commands.
The Free edition uses Google Mobile Ads. Google and its advertising partners may process IP-derived general location, product interactions, diagnostics, advertising identifiers, app set identifiers, and related device or account identifiers for advertising, analytics, consent, and fraud prevention under Google's policies. Butler does not intentionally include Home Assistant data in ad requests.
The private Paid evaluation does not include Google Mobile Ads or UMP. UniFi Connect uses the same Free or Paid APK as other compatible Android devices, so advertising behavior follows the installed edition. The Paid edition is not currently available for purchase.
Storage and security
Home Assistant OAuth credentials are stored in the Android app's private storage using an Android Keystore-backed encryption key. Android backup is disabled for application data. Dashboard profiles and display assignments are stored by the Butler integration in your Home Assistant configuration. HTTPS is recommended; local HTTP remains available for user-managed local networks.
Retention and deletion
Local credentials and settings remain until you sign out, clear app storage, or uninstall Butler. Home Assistant dashboard profiles and display registrations remain until removed through Butler Dashboards or the integration is removed. See Delete Butler Data for instructions.
Permissions
- Internet: required to connect to Home Assistant and, in Free, request ads.
- Microphone: used only when voice or wake-word functions are active. Touch controls remain available if denied.
- Advertising identifiers: may be accessed by Google Mobile Ads in the Free edition.
Your choices and rights
You may deny microphone permission, disable wake-word operation, revisit available advertising privacy choices in Free, sign out, clear local storage, delete display registrations, or revoke Butler's authorization in Home Assistant. Depending on applicable law, including Texas privacy law, you may have rights concerning personal data controlled by Biofects. Because current product data remains on your device and Home Assistant system, most deletion is performed directly there. Contact us for questions or requests.
Children
Butler is a smart-home administration tool and is not directed to children under 13. Biofects does not knowingly collect children's personal information through a Biofects account service.
Changes
We may update this policy when Butler's features or data practices change. The effective date above identifies the current version. Material new cloud, billing, analytics, or licensing features will be reviewed and disclosed before public release.