Privacy Policy

Helmsman is a CarPlay Driving Task copilot published by Phillip Holland. It helps you speak a destination into being, then hands that place to Apple Maps on the car display. This policy describes what the app uses, why, and who processes it. We do not run an account system on this website, and we do not sell personal information.

Contact: Phillip Holland, support@thehelmsman.app.

What this app is

Helmsman is used in the car, on CarPlay. It is not a Maps clone. It does not provide turn-by-turn directions itself. Apple Maps does that after Helmsman hands off a pin. This website (https://thehelmsman.app) is a public information site only. It does not collect accounts, waitlist emails, or analytics.

Location (When In Use)

If you grant Location When In Use, Helmsman uses your location on the device to search for places around you and to hand a destination to Apple Maps. Location is not used to track you over time, is not sold, and is not stored on a Helmsman server. You can revoke location access in iOS Settings. Without it, place search and Maps handoff that depend on where you are will not work as intended.

Microphone

If you grant microphone access, Helmsman uses it so you can talk a trip into existence. Audio is captured to fulfill that voice request. We do not sell recordings, and we do not use the microphone for advertising. You can revoke microphone access in iOS Settings. Without it, voice input will not work.

Voice processing (xAI)

Voice audio is sent to xAI's voice API so the spoken request can be understood and turned into a place or trip. xAI acts as a processor for that purpose. We do not use that processing to build advertising profiles. Do not include information in a voice request that you do not want a processor to receive.

MapKit

Place search, geocoding, and Maps handoff use Apple MapKit. Apple processes map queries under Apple's terms and privacy policy. Helmsman uses MapKit to find a place and to put that pin into Apple Maps. Helmsman does not replace Apple Maps.

Saved places (iCloud Key-Value Storage)

Saved places (for example favorites you keep in the app) are stored with iCloud Key-Value Storage (KVS) associated with your Apple ID. That data stays in your iCloud account. Helmsman does not operate a separate cloud account for saved places. If you sign out of iCloud or delete the app's iCloud data, those saved places follow Apple's iCloud deletion and retention rules.

What we do not do

• We do not sell your personal information.
• We do not run third-party advertising or tracking pixels in the app or on this site.
• We do not require an Helmsman account, password, or waitlist email to use the product.
• We do not use your location, microphone, or saved places for ads.

This website

thehelmsman.app is a public site: home, privacy, support, and terms. It does not set a tracking cookie for advertising, and it does not include an analytics pixel unless a host-level tool (such as Vercel Analytics) is turned on later. By default, analytics are off.

Children

Helmsman is a driving assistant for use with CarPlay. It is not directed at children. Do not use it if you cannot legally operate a vehicle.

Your choices

iOS permission toggles control location and microphone. Apple ID and iCloud settings control KVS saved places. Siri and CarPlay settings control whether you can talk to Helmsman from the dash. To ask a question about this policy, email support@thehelmsman.app.

Changes

If this policy changes in a material way, we will update the date at the top of this page. Continued use of the app after an update means you are using the product under the revised policy.

Contact

Phillip Holland
support@thehelmsman.app
https://thehelmsman.app