Terms of Use

These Terms of Use ("Terms") constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Hearth Technologies ("Hearth", "we", "us", or "our"), a company registered in the United Arab Emirates, governing your access to and use of the Hearth mobile application (iOS and Android), the website at hearth.family, and all related services (collectively, "Services").

By creating an account, downloading the app, or otherwise accessing the Services, you confirm that you have read, understood, and agree to be bound by these Terms and our Privacy Policy, which is incorporated herein by reference.

If you do not agree to these Terms, you must not access or use the Services. If you are accepting on behalf of an organisation, you represent that you have authority to bind that organisation to these Terms.

We reserve the right to update these Terms at any time. Material changes will be communicated with at least 30 days' notice as described in Section 14 below.

To use Hearth, you must:

• Be at least 13 years of age. Users aged 13 to 17 must have verifiable parental or legal guardian consent before creating an account.
• Have the legal capacity to enter into a binding agreement under the laws of your jurisdiction.
• Not be prohibited from receiving services under the laws of the UAE, your country of residence, or any applicable jurisdiction.
• Not have had a previous Hearth account terminated for a Terms violation, unless expressly permitted by Hearth Technologies in writing.

Parental responsibility: If you allow a person under 18 to use Hearth under your account or family circle, you are fully responsible for their compliance with these Terms, their use of the Services, and any content they post or share.

Hearth is not directed to children under 13. If we discover an account belonging to a child under 13, we will terminate it immediately and delete all associated data.

Registration: You must create an account to use Hearth. You may register using:

• Email address and password
• Sign in with Apple
• Sign in with Google
• Passwordless magic link (email-based)

You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and to keep your profile information up to date. Providing false information, including a false date of birth to circumvent age restrictions, is a material breach of these Terms.

Account security: You are responsible for:

• Maintaining the confidentiality of your password and authentication credentials.
• All activity that occurs under your account, whether or not authorised by you.
• Notifying us immediately at [email protected] if you suspect unauthorised access to your account.

Hearth Technologies will not be liable for any loss or damage arising from your failure to maintain account security. We reserve the right to disable accounts that we reasonably believe have been compromised.

One account per person: You may not create or operate multiple active Hearth accounts. Each person is entitled to one account at a time.

Permitted Uses: Subject to these Terms, Hearth grants you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to:

• Access and use the Hearth app on your personal device(s) for personal, non-commercial family connection purposes.
• Invite family members to your family circle.
• Use all features available under your subscription tier.

Prohibited Activities: You must not:

• Stalk or harass: Use the location sharing or messaging features to monitor, track, or harass any person without their knowledge and explicit ongoing consent. Enabling location sharing for another user without their consent is strictly prohibited and may result in immediate account termination and referral to law enforcement.
• Post harmful content: Share content that is abusive, threatening, discriminatory, sexually explicit, or otherwise offensive or illegal.
• Impersonate: Impersonate any person or entity, or falsely claim any affiliation with a person or organisation.
• Reverse engineer: Decompile, disassemble, reverse engineer, or otherwise attempt to derive the source code of the app or its AI models.
• Bypass security: Circumvent, disable, or interfere with security features, rate limits, authentication systems, or access controls.
• Scrape or automate: Use bots, scrapers, scripts, or automated tools to access, index, or extract data from the Services.
• Transmit malware: Upload, transmit, or distribute any viruses, worms, malicious code, or other harmful software.
• Commercial exploitation: Use the Services or any content therein for commercial purposes without our prior written consent.
• Overload systems: Submit an unreasonable number of requests or otherwise overload, disrupt, or impair the infrastructure underlying the Services.
• Violate laws: Use the Services for any unlawful purpose, including but not limited to violating data protection laws, intellectual property laws, or applicable export controls.

Violation of these prohibitions may result in immediate account suspension or termination without refund, at our sole discretion, and may be reported to appropriate authorities.

Your Ownership: You retain full ownership of all content you create, upload, or share through Hearth — including mood notes, voice recordings, photos, and captions ("User Content").

Licence to Hearth: By submitting User Content, you grant Hearth Technologies a limited, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive licence to store, reproduce, transmit, and display your User Content solely as necessary to operate and deliver the Services to you and your family circle. We do not use your User Content for marketing, advertising, AI model training, or any purpose beyond operating the Services.

Content Responsibility: You are solely responsible for your User Content and represent that:

• You have all necessary rights to submit the content.
• The content does not infringe any third-party intellectual property rights, privacy rights, or other legal rights.
• The content does not violate these Terms or any applicable law.

AI-Generated Content: When you use Hearth's AI features, the app may generate suggestions, responses, or voice content on your behalf. You acknowledge that:

• AI-generated content is produced by automated systems and may not always be accurate, appropriate, or suitable for your specific circumstances.
• AI suggestions are for supportive connection purposes only — they do not constitute medical, psychological, therapeutic, legal, or emergency advice.
• You exercise independent judgement before acting on any AI-generated suggestion.
• Hearth Technologies is not liable for any outcomes arising from following AI-generated suggestions.

Content Removal: We reserve the right, but not the obligation, to review, remove, or restrict access to any User Content that we determine, in our sole reasonable discretion, violates these Terms, applicable law, or causes harm to users or third parties.

Subscription Tiers: Hearth offers the following plans:

Prices are in UAE Dirhams (AED) and are inclusive of applicable VAT. Hearth reserves the right to change pricing with 30 days' advance notice to existing subscribers.

Billing & Auto-Renewal: Paid subscriptions are billed on a monthly basis through your Apple App Store or Google Play account. Subscriptions auto-renew at the end of each billing period unless cancelled at least 24 hours before the renewal date. Your account will be charged within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period.

Cancellation: You may cancel your subscription at any time through your device's App Store (iOS: Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions; Android: Google Play → Subscriptions). Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period. You will retain access to premium features until that date.

Refund Policy: All subscription purchases are processed by Apple or Google. Refund eligibility is governed by their respective policies:

• Apple: Submit a refund request via reportaproblem.apple.com.
• Google: Refund requests may be submitted within the Google Play refund window or directly through Google Play support.

Hearth Technologies does not directly process payments and cannot issue refunds outside of the Apple and Google refund mechanisms. If you believe you have been incorrectly charged, contact us at [email protected] and we will assist in resolving the issue with the relevant store.

Free Trial: Where a free trial is offered, you will not be charged during the trial period. If you do not cancel before the trial ends, your chosen plan will auto-renew and you will be charged.

Downgrade: If you downgrade to a lower plan and your current family circle size exceeds the new plan's limit, you will be prompted to remove members before the downgrade takes effect.

The Hearth name, logo, brand identity, app design, user interface, source code, algorithms, AI models (excluding third-party AI APIs), and all related intellectual property are the exclusive property of Hearth Technologies or its licensors and are protected by UAE intellectual property law, international copyright law, and applicable treaties.

Nothing in these Terms transfers any intellectual property rights to you. You may not:

• Copy, reproduce, distribute, or create derivative works based on any Hearth content or software without our express written permission.
• Use the Hearth name, logo, or branding in any way that suggests endorsement or affiliation without prior written consent.
• Remove, obscure, or alter any proprietary notices, labels, or marks.

Your User Content remains your property (see Section 5). Any feedback, suggestions, or ideas you provide to us about the Services may be used by us freely without obligation to you.

By You: You may terminate your account at any time by selectingSettings → Edit Profile → Delete Account within the app. Termination is effective upon processing of your deletion request. Refer to our Privacy Policy for details of what data is retained post-deletion.

By Hearth: We reserve the right to suspend or permanently terminate your account, with or without notice, if:

• You materially breach these Terms and fail to cure the breach within 7 days of notice (where notice is given).
• You engage in conduct that we determine, in our reasonable discretion, poses a risk of harm to other users, third parties, or Hearth Technologies.
• You use the Services for any illegal or fraudulent purpose.
• We are required to do so by law or legal process.
• Hearth Technologies ceases to operate the Services.

For serious violations (e.g., harassment, stalking, illegal activity), termination may be immediate without prior notice. In less serious cases, we will endeavour to provide notice and an opportunity to remedy.

Effect of Termination: Upon termination, your right to access and use the Services ceases immediately. Sections of these Terms that by their nature should survive termination (including Intellectual Property, Disclaimers, Limitation of Liability, Indemnification, and Governing Law) shall survive.

AS IS / AS AVAILABLE: THE HEARTH SERVICES ARE PROVIDED ON AN "AS IS" AND "AS AVAILABLE" BASIS WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EITHER EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT LIMITED TO IMPLIED WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, AND NON-INFRINGEMENT.

Hearth Technologies does not warrant that:

• The Services will be uninterrupted, error-free, or available at any particular time or location.
• Any defects or errors will be corrected.
• The Services are free of viruses or other harmful components.
• The results of using the Services will meet your requirements or expectations.

AI Content Disclaimer: AI-generated suggestions, responses, and voice interactions provided through Hearth are for general family connection support only. They are not and must not be construed as professional medical advice, psychological counselling, mental health treatment, legal advice, financial advice, or emergency services. If you or a family member is in crisis, please contact a qualified professional or emergency services in your country.

Location Disclaimer: Real-time location data displayed in the Family Map feature may be subject to GPS inaccuracies, network delays, or device limitations. Do not rely solely on Hearth location data for safety-critical decisions.

Third-Party Services: Hearth is not responsible for the availability, accuracy, content, or practices of third-party services integrated within the app (including OpenAI, ElevenLabs, Firebase, or Supabase). Use of these services is subject to their respective terms and policies.

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, HEARTH TECHNOLOGIES AND ITS OFFICERS, DIRECTORS, EMPLOYEES, AGENTS, LICENSORS, AND SERVICE PROVIDERS SHALL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY:

• INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, PUNITIVE, OR EXEMPLARY DAMAGES;
• LOSS OF PROFITS, REVENUE, DATA, GOODWILL, OR ANTICIPATED SAVINGS;
• BUSINESS INTERRUPTION OR COST OF SUBSTITUTE GOODS OR SERVICES;
• DAMAGES ARISING FROM RELIANCE ON AI-GENERATED CONTENT;
• DAMAGES ARISING FROM LOCATION SHARING FEATURES OR THEIR INACCURACIES;

ARISING OUT OF OR IN CONNECTION WITH YOUR USE OR INABILITY TO USE THE SERVICES, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES.

IN ANY CASE, OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY TO YOU FOR ALL CLAIMS ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THESE TERMS OR THE SERVICES SHALL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF: (A) THE TOTAL AMOUNT YOU PAID TO HEARTH TECHNOLOGIES IN THE 12 MONTHS IMMEDIATELY PRECEDING THE CLAIM, OR (B) AED 500 (FIVE HUNDRED UAE DIRHAMS).

Some jurisdictions do not allow the exclusion or limitation of certain damages. In such jurisdictions, our liability is limited to the maximum extent permitted by law. Nothing in these Terms limits liability for: (i) death or personal injury caused by our negligence; (ii) fraud or fraudulent misrepresentation; or (iii) any other liability that cannot be excluded or limited by law.

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Hearth Technologies and its officers, directors, employees, agents, licensors, and service providers from and against any and all claims, liabilities, damages, judgements, awards, losses, costs, expenses, or fees (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or related to:

• Your violation of these Terms;
• Your User Content or any content you submit, post, or share through the Services;
• Your use or misuse of the Services, including the location sharing and AI features;
• Your violation of any applicable law or the rights of any third party;
• Any claims by family members or third parties arising from your use of their data within Hearth (e.g., adding someone to a family circle without consent).

We reserve the right to assume exclusive control of the defence of any matter subject to indemnification by you, at your expense. You agree to cooperate fully with our defence of such claims.

These Terms and any dispute arising out of or in connection with them shall be governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the United Arab Emirates, specifically the laws of the Emirate of Dubai, without regard to its conflict of law provisions.

If you are a consumer residing in the European Union, you benefit from any mandatory consumer protection provisions of the law in your country of residence that cannot be overridden by contract. Nothing in this section limits those rights.

If you are a consumer residing in the United Kingdom, Australian Consumer Law or other applicable consumer protection legislation may apply certain non-excludable protections. Nothing in these Terms overrides those protections.

Good Faith Resolution: Before initiating any formal proceedings, you agree to attempt to resolve any dispute informally by contacting us at [email protected] with a written description of the dispute and your proposed resolution. We will respond within 30 days and attempt to resolve the dispute in good faith.

Binding Arbitration: If the dispute cannot be resolved informally within 60 days, the parties agree to submit the dispute to binding arbitration under the rules of the Dubai International Arbitration Centre (DIAC), conducted in the English language in Dubai, UAE. The arbitrator's award shall be final and binding on both parties.

Exceptions: Either party may seek urgent injunctive or equitable relief from a court of competent jurisdiction to prevent irreparable harm without first engaging in the informal dispute resolution or arbitration process.

Class Action Waiver: To the extent permitted by applicable law, you agree that any dispute resolution proceedings will be conducted on an individual basis only and not as part of a class, consolidated, or representative action.

Consumer Rights: If you are a consumer resident in a jurisdiction that grants you the right to bring claims before local courts regardless of arbitration clauses (e.g., EU consumer residents), this section does not affect those rights.

We may revise these Terms from time to time. For material changes— changes that affect your rights or obligations — we will provide at least 30 days' advance notice via in-app notification and/or email to the address on file.

Your continued use of the Services after the effective date of any revised Terms constitutes your acceptance of those Terms. If you do not agree to the revised Terms, you must stop using the Services and may delete your account before the effective date.

Entire Agreement: These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Hearth Technologies regarding the Services and supersede all prior agreements or understandings.

Severability: If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions shall continue in full force and effect, and the invalid provision shall be modified to the minimum extent necessary to make it valid and enforceable.

Waiver: Our failure to enforce any right or provision of these Terms shall not constitute a waiver of that right or provision unless expressly acknowledged and agreed to in writing.

Assignment: You may not assign or transfer these Terms or any rights hereunder without our prior written consent. We may assign our rights and obligations under these Terms without restriction.

No Third-Party Beneficiaries: These Terms do not confer any rights on any third party.

Language: These Terms are written in English. In the event of any conflict between the English version and any translation, the English version shall prevail.

Contact: For questions about these Terms, contact us at [email protected].