Terms of Service

Tempered is made by Tempered Software LLC, a Texas limited liability company that does business as Tempered. In these terms, "we" and "us" mean that company, and it is the party you agree with when you use the app, this website, or a paid plan. It is owned and run by Ian Jackson, its sole developer. The app and its installer are code-signed in his own name, so Windows shows "Verified publisher: Ian Jackson" when you install.

Tempered is currently in beta and provided "as is," without warranties of any kind. We work hard to make every change safe and reversible, but we cannot guarantee the software is free of bugs or suitable for every system. To the fullest extent allowed by law, Tempered and its creators are not liable for any damages arising from use of the software.

Tempered never modifies your system without your explicit action. Each optimization states what it does and shows its current state. Tweaks, startup changes and suspended processes can be reverted from the Undo Center. One-way actions (ending a process, uninstalling an app, cleaning junk files, removing a threat) are recorded there but cannot be undone. You are responsible for reviewing and approving the changes you apply. We recommend keeping a system restore point before large batches of changes (Tempered does not create one for you). This also covers the optional "Let the advisor run commands" setting (off by default): if you turn it on, you are responsible for reviewing and approving each command the AI advisor proposes before it runs, the same as any other action. Updates work the same way: Tempered checks for a new version and downloads it in the background on its own, but it installs one only when you click "Restart & update" in the app.

These are hard limits in the product, not just promises:

• No registry "cleaning" — registry writes are only for specific, documented, revertible tweaks.
• No kernel drivers, process injection, or game-memory access, for anti-cheat safety. Game Mode suspends background apps and restores them after, and the gaming tweaks are documented, revertible Windows settings.
• No fabricated "issues found" counts and no fake urgency.

You agree not to:

• Use Tempered to harm a system you do not own or have permission to manage.
• Reverse engineer the advisor service, abuse its quotas, or attempt to extract API keys.
• Resell or redistribute the software as your own.

Your subscription is with Tempered Software LLC. A free tier is available at no cost. Paid plans (Torque and Torque Max) are recurring subscriptions billed through Stripe, either monthly or at a discounted rate billed annually — current pricing is shown at checkout and on the pricing section of the site. Subscriptions renew automatically at the end of each billing period until cancelled. You can manage or cancel your subscription at any time through Stripe's Customer Portal (Settings → Account in the app); cancelling stops future renewals; the current billing period is not refunded, except under the first-charge refund described below. Checkout opens from inside the app. Stripe collects your email there, and your plan is matched to your account by that email, so use the same address you sign in with. Tempered never sees or stores your card details.

Torque free trial. Torque's monthly plan offers a 7-day free trial, started from inside the app (Settings → Account, or the upgrade sheet on any Torque feature) by a signed-in account with a confirmed email address. A payment card is required to start it; nothing is charged at signup. The conversion date and the price that follows — $7.99 a month — are shown before you enter a card, in the consent checkbox and again under the submit button. When the trial starts, we also send a confirmation email stating those terms, the conversion date, and a cancel link. Unless you cancel before day 7, the trial converts to a paid monthly Torque subscription on day 7, which then renews monthly like any other subscription. On day 4 we send one reminder email with a cancel link, unless you have already cancelled; the link opens a page that asks for one confirming click (automated link scanners follow plain links, so the page confirms first). The reminder is a required service notice about a pending charge, so it is sent even if you have unsubscribed from our other mail. You can cancel at any time from Settings → Account in the app (Stripe's Customer Portal); a cancelled trial stays on until day 7, after which your account returns to the free tier. During the trial, deep scans are capped at 3 of each (4 for Security & malware); quick scans and the Ask budget are Torque's normal daily amounts. Each person may use one trial, ever — anyone who has or has had a Tempered subscription is not eligible. The annual plan has no trial and is a direct purchase. The free tier is not a trial and does not expire.

First-charge refund. The first charge of any subscription — a trial that converted, a direct monthly or annual purchase, or the first charge after upgrading to a higher plan — is covered by a 14-day, no-questions-asked full refund, worldwide. Email [email protected] within 14 days of that first charge and we will refund it in full; the refund ends the subscription at once. Later renewals are not covered: cancelling stops future renewals, and the current period is not refunded. If you are in the EU or UK, your statutory right of withdrawal is unaffected by this policy.

We may update these terms as Tempered evolves. Material changes will be reflected by the date at the top of this page. Continued use after an update means you accept the revised terms.

Questions about these terms? Email [email protected] or use the contact page.