Short version: Your garage, repair projects, documents, and saved guides stay in the app's local storage on your device. AI repair guides are generated in the cloud so they can be grounded in real, vehicle-specific sources: the app sends your repair request and the relevant excerpts from your manuals — over an encrypted connection — to the developer's proxy and an AI provider (Anthropic), which also performs web searches based on your vehicle and request to find and cite real sources. That data is used solely to generate your guide, isn't linked to your identity, and isn't used to train AI models; your full documents never leave your device. Some devices can also generate a basic guide entirely on-device (for example, offline), with nothing sent anywhere. If you have iCloud enabled, your data also lives in your own personal iCloud account and syncs across your devices — the developer still can't see it. No accounts, no analytics, no ads, no tracking. Subscriptions are handled by Apple.
This app is published by the developer of rocks.clarke.tech.aicertifiedmechanic. Contact: support@clarke.rocks.
The app stores what you create — vehicles, repair projects and their steps and parts, saved guides, and any documents you add. This data lives on your device in Apple's SwiftData store and, if you have iCloud enabled, in your personal iCloud account's private database (Apple's CloudKit), syncing across your devices. It stays within your personal iCloud storage — the developer cannot see or access it.
When you add a document to a vehicle's library (a manual PDF, a wiring diagram, a receipt photo), the file is stored on your device and is never uploaded to the developer. The app reads from your Files or Photo library only the specific file you choose to import.
If you connect a Wi-Fi OBD2 adapter and scan your vehicle, the trouble codes and freeze-frame data are read directly from your car to your device over the adapter's local Wi-Fi network — nothing is sent to the developer at scan time. Saved scans live on your device (and, if enabled, your personal iCloud), like the rest of your garage. If you later ask the AI Mechanic to diagnose a scan, the codes and freeze-frame values are included in your request to the cloud guide service, exactly like the text of any repair question (see section 3).
To give you accurate, vehicle-specific guidance, repair guides are generated in the cloud and grounded in real sources. When you generate a guide, the app sends your vehicle details, your repair request, any trouble codes and freeze-frame data from an OBD2 scan you chose to diagnose, and any relevant excerpts it selected from your manuals — over an encrypted (HTTPS) connection — to the developer's proxy and then to Anthropic's Claude API, used solely to generate your guide.
To ground the guide in real, current information, the AI performs web searches based on your vehicle and repair request (for example, the year, make, model, and the job) and cites the sources it used. This data is not linked to your identity and is not used to train AI models. Your full documents and photos never leave your device — only the trimmed text excerpts needed for the guide. The proxy verifies your subscription (or meters your free guides) and does not store your request — it logs only access/verification details, never your vehicle data or repair text.
When you ground a guide in your documents, the app searches your own uploaded manuals on your device and selects the most relevant passages — this retrieval always happens locally, and only the selected excerpts are sent.
On supported devices (iPhone 15 Pro or newer, or an Apple Silicon Mac, with Apple Intelligence enabled), a basic guide can also be generated entirely on-device using Apple's on-device foundation model — for example when you're offline. In that case your details are processed entirely on your device and are not transmitted anywhere; such guides are labeled unverified because they aren't grounded in web sources.
Apart from cloud guide generation (section 3) — which transmits your request, any trouble codes you choose to diagnose, and the manual excerpts needed to produce a guide, and performs web searches based on your vehicle and request — the app does not collect:
Premium subscriptions are sold and billed by Apple through the App Store. Refunds, cancellations, and payment issues are handled by Apple. To manage or cancel, go to Settings → [your name] → Subscriptions on your device.
AI-generated repair guidance can be incomplete or wrong. Always cross-check the factory service manual, use proper tools and supports, and consult a professional for safety-critical work. The app and developer are not liable for repairs you perform.
The app is not directed to children under 13 and does not knowingly collect personal information from children. Because the app collects no personal information, no special handling is required.
Data at rest on your device is protected by iOS data protection. iCloud-synced data is encrypted by Apple in transit and at rest. The developer does not store any of your content.
If this policy changes materially, the "Last updated" date will be revised and a notice will appear in a future app update.
Questions or requests: support@clarke.rocks.