What stays on your computer and what goes to the cloud

The short version, from the Privacy Policy:

• Your vehicle data stays on your computer unless you choose to use cloud features such as sync, share links or an AI explanation.
• The app never gives us a VIN we can read. The Shop console, which a shop uses on our website, is different – see the Privacy Policy.
• We don't sell your personal information, show ads, or use third-party advertising or analytics trackers.
• The app doesn't collect your location.

On your computer

Live vehicle data, drive recordings, reports you save, your settings, the crash log and your garage (vehicles, saved checkups, maintenance, and any customer details you enter) are stored on your computer. The garage is sealed with Windows data protection, locked to your Windows account. Photos and receipts are never uploaded.

Settings & plan → Privacy & diagnostics → Open Drive DTC data folder shows you where it all lives.

Optional cloud features

Cloud sync, share links, emailed reports, estimate approval links and family shares all put data in the cloud, and all of it is encrypted on your computer before it is uploaded. Drive DTC's servers hold copies they cannot read.

An AI explanation (Pro) is the exception, because something has to read a checkup to explain it. It is never sent on its own: nothing goes until you press Explain this. See What the app does send, below. See Sync your garage between computers and Your garage key and recovery key.

What the app does send

• Sign-in and license checks: your account or license code and a scrambled identifier for your computer, so a plan works only on the number of computers it allows.
• Vehicle confirmations: the first time a vehicle connects you confirm you own it or have permission. We do not store the VIN itself, only a one-way scrambled form, its last 6 characters, the manufacturer code and model year, with the date, your account or code, and the app version.
• Support tickets: your message, your account email (or the address you type on the website contact form), the app version and, if you leave Include diagnostics on, technical details. Your VIN is not included in diagnostics. Files you attach are kept where only you and Drive DTC support can open them.
• Crash reports and usage statistics: only if you turn them on. See Crash reports and usage statistics.
• Vehicle details and recalls: the VIN lookup and recall checks go to NHTSA directly.
• AI explanations: only when you press Explain this on a checkup. The trouble codes and what the app calls them, the readings, the score and the verdict, and the vehicle's year, make, model and engine are sent to Drive DTC's server, which passes them on to Anthropic, which provides the AI model, to be written up. Your VIN, your account, your computer and your location are never sent to Anthropic, and neither is anything you typed. Drive DTC's server sees your account and your computer's scrambled identifier, to check your plan and count how many you have had. It keeps that count, and does not keep the checkup or the explanation.

Delete it

You can delete your cloud data in the app at any time, and delete the account itself. See Delete your cloud data or your account.