Terms of Service

1. Eligibility

You must be at least 18 years old and capable of forming a binding contract to use the Service. You must have a U.S. mobile phone number capable of carrier-based call forwarding and a compatible iPhone. By using the Service, you represent that you meet these requirements and that all information you provide is accurate.

2. Your Account

You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your login credentials (Apple Sign-In or email/password) and for all activity under your account. Notify us promptly at privacy@tryscreendoor.com if you suspect unauthorized use. One account is permitted per person.

3. Description of the Service

ScreenDoor answers your incoming calls with an AI receptionist before your phone rings. When you sign up, we provision a dedicated phone number through our telephony vendor, Twilio, and you dial a carrier-specific code to forward all calls on your personal number to that ScreenDoor number. Your personal number is never disclosed to Callers and never changes.

When someone calls you:

• Known spam numbers and numbers you have blocked are silently disconnected.
• Callers in your contacts or on your trusted list are connected straight through to your phone — no AI is involved and no disclosure is played.
• Unknown Callers first hear a recorded disclosure (identifying our AI and stating the call may be transcribed) and a beep. No Caller speech is sent to our AI vendor or transcribed until the disclosure and beep have played (the telephone network necessarily carries the call’s audio signal to route and connect the call itself, including during the disclosure, but that is distinct from AI processing or transcription). The AI then holds a brief conversation, capped at 60 seconds, to determine whether the call is spam or legitimate. Legitimate calls ring through to your iPhone as an internet-based call. If you don’t answer, the AI may take a text message.

You can review your call log, transcripts, and AI summaries in the app, and manage blocked numbers, trusted contacts, your AI greeting (chosen from a fixed set of pre-approved scripts), quiet hours, and other preferences.

4. Third-Party Services You Are Relying On

The Service depends on infrastructure and services we do not control, including your mobile carrier’s call-forwarding feature, Twilio (telephony), OpenAI (AI voice screening and transcription), Apple (push notifications, Apple Sign-In, and, once billing is live, In-App Purchase), Supabase (data storage), Railway (application hosting), and RevenueCat (subscription management, once live). Outages, errors, or changes at any of these providers can affect the Service, including your ability to receive calls, as described in Section 6.

5. Call Screening — What the AI Can and Cannot Do

The AI screening feature uses automated speech understanding to judge whether a Caller is a spam caller or a legitimate one, and it is not perfect. The AI can misclassify calls — it may let through a call you would have preferred to block, or block or route to voicemail a call you would have wanted to take live. You are responsible for reviewing your call log and adjusting your blocked/trusted lists, screening mode, and quiet hours to fit your needs. We do not guarantee the accuracy of any AI verdict, transcript, or summary.

AI screening conversations are capped at 60 seconds by design. Calls to numbers on your trusted or contacts list, and calls from blocked or known-spam numbers, are never sent to the AI.

6. How the Service Works — Structural Risks You Must Understand

Unconditional forwarding means ScreenDoor sits in the path of 100% of your inbound calls. Because your carrier is instructed to forward all calls unconditionally to your ScreenDoor number, ScreenDoor — not your carrier and not your phone — becomes the thing your calls depend on reaching you at all. This has consequences you must understand and accept before using the Service:

You acknowledge and accept these risks as a condition of using the Service. We recommend keeping your carrier’s forwarding-disable code accessible outside the app (for example, written down) in case the app itself is unreachable during an outage.

7. Subscriptions, Free Trial, and Billing

Current status. As of the date of these Terms, ScreenDoor is available free of charge during an early-access period, with no in-app billing enforced. This Section 7 describes the subscription plans and terms that will apply once paid subscriptions launch. We will update this Section with the final, live offering before we begin charging any subscriber, and your continued use after that update, or your purchase of a subscription, constitutes acceptance of the terms then in effect.

Once enabled, subscriptions will be billed through Apple’s In-App Purchase system and managed via RevenueCat. The plans we currently intend to launch are:

• Standard — $9.99/month, with a fair-use allotment of approximately 600 AI-screened/bridged minutes per month.
• Pro — $17.99/month, with approximately 2,500 minutes per month, all AI voices, and the ability to write a custom greeting suffix.

We expect each plan to include a 14-day free trial (limited to one introductory offer per Apple ID, per Apple’s rules). AI-screening conversation legs are capped at 60 seconds per call regardless of plan.

Fair-use minute allotments. The minute allotments above are soft, fair-use limits intended to reflect typical usage, not hard technical caps enforced mid-call. A minute is counted for any AI-screened or bridged call leg for the duration described in your plan’s published terms at the time. We do not currently offer minute rollover between billing periods or metered overage billing; if your usage substantially and repeatedly exceeds your plan’s fair-use allotment, we may, at our discretion, ask you to upgrade to a higher plan, or apply reasonable measures such as throttling or limiting additional AI-screened minutes until your next billing period, and we will describe the specific mechanics here before they take effect.

Apple’s required disclosures (effective once billing launches): Payment will be charged to your Apple ID account at confirmation of purchase. Subscriptions automatically renew unless auto-renewal is turned off at least 24 hours before the end of the current period. Your account will be charged for renewal within 24 hours prior to the end of the current period, at the then-current price for the plan you selected. You can manage your subscription and turn off auto-renewal at any time by going to your Apple ID Account Settings after purchase. Any unused portion of a free trial period, if offered, will be forfeited when you purchase a subscription, where applicable. We do not process payments directly and cannot issue refunds ourselves — refund requests must be directed to Apple in accordance with Apple’s policies.

8. Subscription Lapse and Number Release

If your subscription lapses (once billing is live), we will send you an email warning and a push notification, and provide a 3-day grace window shown in the app together with your carrier’s forwarding-disable code and a one-tap dialer to disable forwarding. We send these warnings before your number may be released, but we do not guarantee that you will see, open, or read any warning we send, and sending a warning is not a representation that you have actually been notified. It is your responsibility to check the app or your email/notifications during this period.

After the grace window, your dedicated ScreenDoor number may be released back to our carrier’s general number pool. A released number may eventually be reassigned to a different customer. If forwarding on your personal number has not been disabled by the time your number is released, your calls will continue to be forwarded to that number, which may then be unused or may belong to an unrelated third party — meaning your calls could fail to connect, or could potentially be answered by someone else entirely. Resubscribing after release provisions a new, different number and does not restore your old one. Your call history is retained through a lapse and is not deleted merely because your subscription ends.

You are solely responsible for disabling carrier call forwarding before or promptly after your subscription lapses, or before your number is otherwise released, if you no longer wish ScreenDoor to be in your call path. We are not liable for calls that fail to connect, or that are delivered to an unrelated third party, as a result of forwarding remaining active after your number has been released.

9. Your Responsibilities Regarding Callers

You represent and warrant that you have the right to route calls made to your personal number through ScreenDoor’s AI screening process, and that your use of the Service complies with applicable law in your jurisdiction, including any consent requirements for call recording, monitoring, or transcription (such as the California Invasion of Privacy Act and similar “all-party consent” statutes in other states). ScreenDoor implements a spoken disclosure and beep before any Caller audio is processed (see our Privacy Policy, Section 13) as a consent mechanism, but you remain responsible for how you use the Service, including any custom greeting suffix text you submit (which is subject to moderation review and must not be unlawful, harassing, deceptive, or infringing).

You agree not to use the Service to: violate any law, including telemarketing and robocall laws; harass, threaten, or defraud any Caller; impersonate any person or entity; interfere with or disrupt the Service or its underlying infrastructure; or attempt to reverse-engineer, extract training data from, or abuse the AI screening system.

10. Intellectual Property

The Service, including its software, design, AI prompts, and disclosure scripts, is owned by Helix Networks LLC or its licensors and is protected by intellectual property laws. We grant you a limited, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable license to use the Service for your personal, non-commercial use, subject to these Terms and any additional license terms required by Apple (Section 19). You retain no rights to our software beyond this license, and you may not copy, modify, distribute, sell, or lease any part of the Service except as permitted by law or these Terms.

11. Service Availability; No Service Level Agreement

The Service is provided on an “as available” basis. We do not guarantee that the Service will be uninterrupted, timely, secure, or error-free, or that AI verdicts, transcripts, or summaries will be accurate. We may modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Service at any time, including for maintenance, upgrades, or vendor changes.

12. Disclaimer of Warranties

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW, THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE,” WITHOUT WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED, OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING WITHOUT LIMITATION WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTABILITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, AND ANY WARRANTY ARISING FROM COURSE OF DEALING OR USAGE OF TRADE. WE DO NOT WARRANT THAT ANY CALL WILL BE ACCURATELY SCREENED, THAT ANY CALL WILL REACH YOU, OR THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE AVAILABLE AT ANY PARTICULAR TIME, INCLUDING DURING AN OUTAGE AS DESCRIBED IN SECTION 6. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW THE EXCLUSION OF CERTAIN WARRANTIES, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE EXCLUSIONS MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

13. Limitation of Liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY LAW: (A) HELIX NETWORKS LLC AND ITS OFFICERS, EMPLOYEES, AND VENDORS WILL NOT BE LIABLE FOR ANY INDIRECT, INCIDENTAL, SPECIAL, CONSEQUENTIAL, EXEMPLARY, OR PUNITIVE DAMAGES, OR ANY LOSS OF PROFITS, DATA, GOODWILL, OR MISSED, DROPPED, MISCLASSIFIED, OR DELAYED CALLS, ARISING FROM OR RELATED TO YOUR USE OF THE SERVICE, EVEN IF WE HAVE BEEN ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGES; AND (B) OUR TOTAL AGGREGATE LIABILITY FOR ANY CLAIM ARISING OUT OF OR RELATED TO THE SERVICE WILL NOT EXCEED THE GREATER OF (I) THE AMOUNT YOU PAID US IN THE 12 MONTHS BEFORE THE CLAIM AROSE, OR (II) $100. SOME JURISDICTIONS DO NOT ALLOW CERTAIN LIABILITY LIMITATIONS, SO SOME OF THE ABOVE MAY NOT APPLY TO YOU.

14. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify, defend, and hold harmless Helix Networks LLC and its officers, employees, and agents from any claims, damages, liabilities, and expenses (including reasonable attorneys’ fees) arising from: your breach of these Terms; your violation of any law or the rights of any third party (including a Caller); or your misuse of the Service.

15. Termination

You may stop using the Service and delete your account at any time as described in our Privacy Policy. We may suspend or terminate your access to the Service if you breach these Terms, misuse the Service, or if we discontinue the Service, with notice where reasonably practicable. Upon termination, your dedicated ScreenDoor number will be released and your data will be deleted as described in our Privacy Policy. You remain solely responsible for disabling carrier call forwarding upon termination to avoid calls dead-ending at a number we no longer control.

16. Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, without regard to its conflict-of-laws principles, except to the extent preempted by U.S. federal law. Subject to Section 17, the state and federal courts located in Suffolk County, Massachusetts will have exclusive jurisdiction over any dispute not subject to arbitration.

17. Arbitration Agreement and Class Action Waiver

a. Informal resolution first. Before filing a claim, you agree to contact us at privacy@tryscreendoor.com and attempt in good faith to resolve the dispute informally for at least 30 days.

b. Agreement to arbitrate. If a dispute is not resolved informally, you and Helix Networks LLC agree that any dispute, claim, or controversy arising out of or relating to these Terms or the Service will be resolved by binding individual arbitration administered by the American Arbitration Association (“AAA”) under its Consumer Arbitration Rules, rather than in court, except as set out below. The arbitration will be seated in, or conducted by telephone/videoconference for a claimant located near, Boston, Massachusetts, unless you and we agree otherwise.

c. Class action waiver. YOU AND HELIX NETWORKS LLC AGREE THAT EACH MAY BRING CLAIMS AGAINST THE OTHER ONLY IN AN INDIVIDUAL CAPACITY, AND NOT AS A PLAINTIFF OR CLASS MEMBER IN ANY PURPORTED CLASS, CONSOLIDATED, OR REPRESENTATIVE ACTION. The arbitrator may not consolidate claims of more than one person and may not otherwise preside over any form of a representative or class proceeding.

d. Exceptions. Either party may bring an individual action in small claims court instead of arbitration for qualifying claims. Either party may seek injunctive or other equitable relief in court to prevent misuse of intellectual property or unauthorized access to the Service, pending completion of arbitration.

e. Right to opt out. You may opt out of this arbitration agreement by sending written notice to privacy@tryscreendoor.com within 30 days of first accepting these Terms, stating your name and that you opt out of arbitration. If you opt out, this arbitration agreement (including the class action waiver) will not apply to you, and disputes will be resolved under Section 16.

f. Fees. For claims under $75,000, we will pay all AAA filing, administrative, and arbitrator fees, consistent with the AAA’s Consumer Arbitration Rules and Consumer Due Process Protocol, unless the arbitrator determines your claim is frivolous, in which case fee allocation will follow the AAA’s rules. This arbitration agreement is intended to comply with the AAA’s applicable consumer due-process and clause-registration requirements.

g. Mass filings. If 25 or more similar arbitration demands against us are filed by or with the assistance of the same or coordinated counsel or entities within a short period, the AAA’s Mass Arbitration Supplementary Rules (or successor rules), including any applicable batching and staggered-fee procedures, will apply in place of the standard Consumer Arbitration Rules for those claims.

h. Severability. If the class action waiver in subsection (c) is found unenforceable as to a particular claim or request for relief, that claim or request will be severed and proceed in court, and the remainder of this arbitration agreement will still apply to all other claims.

18. Changes to These Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you in the app or by email before the changes take effect. Continued use of the Service after changes take effect constitutes acceptance of the revised Terms.

19. Apple-Required Terms (Applicable Because ScreenDoor Is Distributed Through the Apple App Store)

These Terms (including this Section 19) serve as your license agreement for the app itself, as well as the agreement governing the ScreenDoor telephony and AI service. The following terms are required by Apple Inc. (“Apple”) to be included whenever an app relies on a custom license agreement rather than Apple’s own standard end user license agreement, and apply in addition to the rest of these Terms:

1. Acknowledgment. These Terms are between you and Helix Networks LLC only, not Apple, and Apple is not responsible for the Service or its content.
2. Scope of License. Your license to use the app is limited to a non-transferable license to use the app on any Apple-branded product you own or control, as permitted by the App Store’s Usage Rules.
3. Maintenance and Support. Helix Networks LLC, not Apple, is solely responsible for providing maintenance and support for the Service, to the extent required by these Terms. Apple has no obligation to furnish any maintenance or support.
4. Warranty. Helix Networks LLC is solely responsible for any product warranties, whether express or implied by law, to the extent not effectively disclaimed. In the event of any failure of the app to conform to an applicable warranty, you may notify Apple, and Apple will refund the purchase price (if any) for the app to you; to the maximum extent permitted by law, Apple has no other warranty obligation with respect to the app.
5. Product Claims. Helix Networks LLC, not Apple, is responsible for addressing any claims relating to the app, including product liability claims, claims that the app fails to conform to legal or regulatory requirements, and claims arising under consumer protection or similar legislation.
6. Intellectual Property. In the event of any third-party claim that the app infringes intellectual property rights, Helix Networks LLC, not Apple, is solely responsible for the investigation, defense, settlement, and discharge of such claim.
7. Export Compliance. You represent that you are not located in a country subject to a U.S. government embargo or designated as a “terrorist supporting” country, and are not on any U.S. government list of prohibited or restricted parties.
8. Developer Name and Address. Helix Networks LLC, 1 Washington St., #1046, Boston, MA 02201, is the developer of record for ScreenDoor and is responsible for the app under these Terms.
9. Third-Party Terms of Agreement. You must comply with applicable third-party terms (for example, your wireless carrier agreement) when using the Service.
10. Third-Party Beneficiary. You acknowledge and agree that Apple and Apple’s subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these Terms, and that Apple has the right to enforce these Terms against you as a third-party beneficiary.

20. Miscellaneous

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Helix Networks LLC regarding the Service. If any provision of these Terms is found unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full effect. Our failure to enforce any right or provision will not be deemed a waiver. You may not assign these Terms; we may assign them in connection with a merger, acquisition, or sale of assets. We are not liable for delays or failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control.

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