Last updated: August 9, 2026
VinSnipe is a tool for automotive technicians: scan a vehicle's VIN and get oil, filter, tire, and other service data back. This page explains what the app does and doesn't do with your data.
VinSnipe has no backend of its own. We — the developer — do not receive, store, or have access to the VINs you scan, the vehicles you look up, or any information about how you use the app. There are no user accounts, no analytics, and no advertising in this app.
Your scan history, app settings, and cached lookup results are stored locally on your device only, using standard iOS storage. This data is never transmitted anywhere by us and is deleted if you delete the app.
VinSnipe asks for camera access to scan the VIN barcode on a vehicle's door jamb or windshield. Camera frames are processed on-device to read the barcode/text and are not saved, transmitted, or shared. You can also type a VIN in by hand instead of using the camera.
When you look up a vehicle, VinSnipe sends the VIN (or the vehicle details decoded from it) directly to the following third-party services, over an encrypted connection:
vpic.nhtsa.dot.gov) — a free, public U.S. government API that decodes a VIN into make/model/year/engine information. This is standard, publicly available vehicle data, not personal information about you.generativelanguage.googleapis.com) — used only when the app's built-in database doesn't have a part or spec for a vehicle. In that case, the vehicle's decoded details are sent to Google's Gemini API to search for the missing information. See Google's Gemini API terms and privacy information for how Google handles that request.Neither of these requests includes your name, email, account information, or any way to identify you personally — VinSnipe has no user accounts to begin with.
VinSnipe does not collect or have access to your location, contacts, photos (beyond the live camera feed used only for scanning), health data, financial information, or any personally identifiable information.
VinSnipe is a professional tool for automotive technicians and is not directed at children. We do not knowingly collect information from children.
If how VinSnipe handles data changes, this page will be updated and the "Last updated" date above will change.
Questions about this policy: vinsnipeapp@gmail.com