Terms of Service

Last updated: 2026-07-15

These terms govern your use of the Kestrel mobile app and the Kestrel sidecar (together, “Kestrel”), provided by Pingnest. By installing or using Kestrel you agree to them. If you do not agree, do not use Kestrel.

What Kestrel is

Kestrel is a client for your own self-hosted Frigate NVR. It connects directly to hardware you own and operate. Kestrel is an independent project and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the Frigate project. You are responsible for your own server, cameras, network, and for complying with all laws that apply to your recording and monitoring (including notice/consent requirements where you live).

Free and Pro

The core app — live view, recordings, review, settings, sidecar pairing and fully-local notifications — is free. Kestrel Pro unlocks the optional cloud push relay, which delivers alerts to your phone while the app is closed (see the Privacy Policy for exactly what it transmits). Cloud push is off until you enable it.

Subscriptions, billing and cancellation

• Plans. Kestrel Pro is offered as an auto-renewing annual subscription and, where available, a one-time lifetime purchase. The exact price, currency and billing period are shown on the purchase screen in the App Store / Google Play before you confirm.
• Auto-renewal. An annual subscription automatically renews at the then-current price at the end of each period unless you cancel at least 24 hours before it renews. Your app-store account is charged on renewal.
• Managing and cancelling. Manage or cancel anytime in your App Store (Settings → Apple Account → Subscriptions) or Google Play (Play Store → Subscriptions) account. Cancelling stops future renewals; Pro remains active until the end of the paid period. The lifetime purchase is a single charge with no renewal.
• Payments and refunds. All payments are processed by Apple or Google — we never receive your payment details. Refunds are governed by the store’s policies (Apple / Google); request them through the store where you purchased.
• Downgrade. If a subscription lapses or is refunded, cloud push stops and Kestrel returns to its free, fully-local behavior; your local features are unaffected.

Acceptable use

Use Kestrel only with servers and cameras you own or are authorized to access. Do not use it to break the law, infringe others’ privacy, disrupt the service, or attempt to abuse the cloud push relay (for example, relaying through it without a valid subscription). We may suspend access that abuses the relay.

Open-source components

The sidecar, the installer and this website are open source under the Apache License 2.0 and are governed by that license. These terms cover the mobile app and the hosted cloud push relay.

No warranty

Kestrel is provided “as is,” without warranties of any kind. It is a tool for viewing and being notified about your own system; it is not a certified security or life-safety service, and cloud delivery is best-effort and can be delayed or dropped by third-party push networks. Do not rely on it as your sole safety mechanism.

Limitation of liability

To the maximum extent permitted by law, Pingnest is not liable for indirect, incidental, or consequential damages, or for any loss arising from missed, delayed, or undelivered notifications, or from your use of or inability to use Kestrel. Nothing here limits liability that cannot be limited by law.

Changes

We may update these terms; material changes will be reflected by the “last updated” date above and, where appropriate, noted in the app. Continued use after a change means you accept the updated terms.

Contact

pingnestapp@gmail.com · Privacy Policy · Support