Terms of Service

1. Agreement to Terms

By downloading, installing, accessing, or using Tether ("the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, you may not use Tether.

These Terms constitute a legally binding agreement between you and Tether, LLC ("Tether," "we," "us," or "our"). Please read them carefully.

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you through the app or by email at least 30 days before the changes take effect. Your continued use of Tether after the effective date constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms.

2. Eligibility and Account

2.1 Eligibility

You must be at least 13 years old to use Tether. If you are under 18, you must have permission from a parent or legal guardian who agrees to these Terms on your behalf.

2.2 Account Creation

To use Tether, you must create an account using a valid mobile phone number from a recognized mobile carrier. Voice-over-IP, landline, and toll-free numbers are not supported; we verify line type via a third-party carrier lookup at signup (see the Privacy Policy for details). Tether uses phone OTP (one-time password) as its sole sign-in method. You agree to provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration and to update such information to keep it accurate.

During Tether's limited-release period (soft launch), creation of new accounts is restricted to phone numbers on an allowlist. You may request access at tetherup.app/request-access; this restriction will be removed when the general-availability launch is announced.

By providing your phone number and requesting a verification code, you expressly consent to receive SMS messages from Tether and our SMS service provider (Telnyx), including OTPs, security alerts, and account notifications. Message frequency varies. Message and data rates may apply. You may opt out of non-transactional SMS by replying STOP. For full SMS terms, visit tetherup.app/sms.

2.3 Account Security

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your account credentials and for all activities that occur under your account. You agree to immediately notify us of any unauthorized use of your account.

Tether provides the following security features:

• Multi-factor authentication (SMS OTP)
• Biometric authentication support (processed locally on your device)
• Linked device management
• Session management and active session monitoring

3. Subscription Plans

3.1 Available Plans

Free Tier

• Up to 2,000 contacts
• Device contact import
• Unlimited cloud sync
• Up to 15 custom circles
• Up to 10 shared circles
• Up to 5 custom fields per contact
• Smart deduplication
• Full offline support

Tether+

A paid subscription available as a monthly or annual plan. Current pricing is shown in Settings → Subscription.

• Everything in Free
• Unlimited custom circles and custom fields
• Cloud backup
• Priority sync and support
• Address autocomplete and validation
• Expanded shared circle limits

Lifetime Founder's Edition

• All Tether+ features for the operational life of the Service
• Limited edition — no recurring charges
• One-time purchase (current pricing shown in Settings → Subscription)

Lifetime Plan holders receive at least 90 days' notice of any change of control event. In the event of company dissolution, sale, or transfer, the successor entity will honor Lifetime Plan benefits for a minimum of 12 months.

Subscription details, pricing, and feature limits are subject to change. Current pricing and limits are always available in the app's subscription settings.

3.2 Billing and Payment

Payments are processed through Apple App Store (iOS) and Google Play Store (Android) via RevenueCat. Subscriptions automatically renew unless you cancel before the renewal date.

If your payment method fails, your account may be downgraded to Free tier if payment is not resolved within 14 days.

3.3 Cancellation and Refunds

You may cancel your subscription at any time through the Apple App Store or Google Play Store. Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing period.

We offer a 7-day money-back guarantee for first-time subscribers. Refund requests must be submitted to [email protected] within 30 days of the charge.

3.4 EU/UK Cooling-Off Period

EU and UK consumers may withdraw from a purchase within 14 days without reason. Contact [email protected] to exercise this right.

4. Your Data and Content

4.1 Ownership

You retain full ownership of all contact data and personal information you store in Tether. We do not claim any ownership rights over your contacts or the data you input.

4.2 Data Handling Principles

• Your contacts are YOUR data — we store them, we don't own them
• We will never sell, license, or monetize your contact data
• We will never use your contacts for advertising or marketing
• We use end-to-end encryption (TLS 1.3) for all data in transit
• Data at rest is encrypted using AES-256

4.3 Beta Features

Beta Features are provided "AS IS" without warranty. Tether has no liability for your use of Beta Features and may discontinue them at any time without notice.

5. Acceptable Use

You agree not to:

• Use automated tools to extract or scrape data
• Attempt to bypass security measures or access controls
• Store contacts for bulk marketing or spam purposes
• Use the Service for any illegal purpose
• Share your account credentials with others
• Attempt to interfere with or disrupt the Service

Accessibility

Tether is committed to WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility, including screen reader support, Dynamic Type, dark mode, and keyboard navigation for iPad.

6. Privacy

Your use of Tether is also governed by our Privacy Policy, which describes how we collect, use, and protect your information. By using Tether, you consent to the data practices described in the Privacy Policy.

6.1 Automatic Connections (Autoconnect)

By syncing your device contacts with Tether, you consent to our comparing your contacts' verified phone numbers against those of other Tether users. When two users have each other's verified phone numbers saved, a connection may be automatically created ("Autoconnect"). You may remove any connection at any time, and you may adjust your sharing preferences in Settings → Privacy → Tier Defaults.

6.2 Default Sharing Tiers

Tether uses four sharing tiers to control what information is visible to your connections: Close, Professional, Community, and Unassigned. When a new connection is created (whether manually or via Autoconnect) and the connected user has not been assigned to a specific circle, the Unassigned tier defaults apply. You can review and modify the fields shared at each tier in Settings → Privacy → Tier Defaults. It is your responsibility to review these defaults. Tether is not liable for information shared under your configured tier defaults.

6.3 Events and Co-hosts

When you invite a contact to an event and add a co-host, the co-host can see the invited contact's display name and email address (captured as a per-RSVP snapshot). The co-host may save a copy of those fields to their own address book if they reuse the guest list for a future event. You are responsible for obtaining any consents required by applicable law before inviting a contact to an event on Tether, including events where you have added a co-host. See the Privacy Policy for full details.

6.4 Data Retention and Deletion

Deleted contacts are soft-deleted for 30 days (recoverable), then permanently deleted. If you delete your account, it enters a 30-day cooling-off period during which you may cancel by signing back in. After 30 days, all data is permanently hard-deleted. Connections with other users are severed immediately upon deletion initiation. Encrypted backups are purged within 90 days. For full details, see our Privacy Policy.

6a. Copyright (DMCA)

Tether respects intellectual property rights. If you believe content on the Service infringes your copyright, submit a DMCA notice to [email protected]. We maintain a repeat infringer policy and may terminate accounts of repeat infringers.

6b. User Disputes

Tether is not responsible for the actions, content, or data of other users. You are solely responsible for your interactions with other users and release Tether from any related claims.

7. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

8. Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of Tether shall be resolved through binding individual arbitration in New York, New York under the rules of the American Arbitration Association, except for disputes that may be brought in small claims court.

Arbitration Opt-Out

You may opt out of the binding arbitration provision by sending written notice to [email protected] within 30 days of creating your account. If you opt out, disputes will be resolved in the state or federal courts located in New York, New York.

8a. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Tether, LLC, its affiliates, officers, directors, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including reasonable attorneys' fees) arising from your use of the Service, your content, your participation in shared directories, or your violation of these Terms or applicable laws.

9. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by and construed in accordance with the laws of the State of New York, without regard to conflict of law principles.

10. Contact Us

General Support: [email protected]
Legal Matters: [email protected]
Billing: [email protected]

We aim to respond within 5 business days.

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This is a summary of key provisions. The full Terms of Service document is available at tetherup.app/terms. Effective April 15, 2026.