SMART LAUNCHER
Launch games, apps, folders, websites and actions from one clean Windows dashboard.
Last updated: 28 May 2026
Summary
HOOKS is a Windows desktop application that runs locally on your PC. It is designed to launch apps, control smart-home devices, manage lighting, run scenes, provide audio controls, and integrate with services you choose to connect.
HOOKS does not run ads, sell personal data, or use third-party analytics. HOOKS also does not operate a cloud service for storing your Home Assistant, Tuya, Discord, smart-home, or device credentials.
Your configuration and integration details are stored locally on your PC unless you choose to sync, back up, export, or share them using your own tools.
Scope
This policy explains what HOOKS processes, stores, and transmits while you use the app. It applies to the Windows app distributed through the Microsoft Store or direct download.
Some features connect to external services that you choose to configure, such as Home Assistant, Discord, Microsoft Store, SteamGridDB, Tuya, smart-light platforms, or web search providers. Those services are governed by their own privacy policies.
What HOOKS Does
- Launches apps, games, folders, websites, shortcuts, scripts, and configured actions.
- Controls supported smart-home devices, lights, switches, scenes, sensors, alarms, vacuums, climate devices, and media player ON/OFF commands.
- Sends commands to services or devices you configure, such as Home Assistant, Philips Hue, Nanoleaf, Govee, Twinkly, WLED, Tuya, IP devices, webhooks, and other local or remote endpoints.
- Reads screen frames locally to calculate colours for Ambient Lighting.
- Reads system audio and mixer information to display and control volume, mute states, routing, inputs, outputs, and active audio sessions.
- Registers global hotkeys and handles configured keyboard or controller inputs.
- Monitors presence signals such as PC idle state or gamepad activity where enabled.
- Connects to your local Discord client where Discord integration is enabled.
- Checks Microsoft Store licensing, trial, and entitlement information where required.
- Uses image search, artwork search, or configured web search providers where you choose to use those features.
Data Processed On Your Device
HOOKS stores configuration files locally under your Windows user profile, typically:
Documents/ENGINUOUS Apps/Hooks/
These files may include:
- App settings.
- Shortcut configuration.
- Scene configuration.
- Light and smart-home device entries.
- Ambient lighting settings.
- Profile settings.
- Hotkey settings.
- Power automation settings.
- Presence detection settings.
- Local authentication or entitlement tokens.
- Icon, artwork, Hero Art, and scene image references.
Screen Contents For Ambient Lighting
When Ambient Lighting is enabled, HOOKS processes screen information locally to calculate lighting colours.
Screen frames are processed in memory. HOOKS does not upload screen contents to our servers.
Audio And Mixer Information
HOOKS may read audio device names, mixer sessions, mute states, volume levels, routing information, and active audio sessions so it can display and control your audio setup.
This information is used locally by the app and is not sent to us.
Hotkeys, Controller Input And Presence Signals
HOOKS may listen for configured hotkeys, controller input, idle time, and presence-related signals.
These inputs are used to trigger the actions you configure. HOOKS does not record keylogs or store general keyboard input.
Data Sent To Services You Configure
HOOKS sends data only where needed to perform the actions you configure.
This may include:
- Light commands such as ON/OFF, brightness, colour, colour temperature, scenes, effects, and ambient lighting updates.
- Home Assistant service calls, entity commands, scenes, sensor requests, and device control requests.
- Tuya device or scene commands where configured.
- Webhook requests.
- IP Hook or HTTP requests.
- Discord RPC commands to your local Discord client where Discord integration is enabled.
- Microsoft Store licensing or entitlement checks where required.
- Search requests to your selected web search provider when using search or image search features.
- Artwork lookup requests to services such as SteamGridDB where you choose to use artwork features.
The data sent depends on the feature you use and the service or device you configure.
HOOKS does not route these requests through a HOOKS cloud server. Requests are made from your PC to the service, device, endpoint, or provider you have configured.
Credentials And Tokens
HOOKS may store credentials, tokens, keys, endpoint URLs, device IDs, or integration settings that you provide so it can connect to the services and devices you configure.
HOOKS does not operate a cloud server for storing Discord, Home Assistant, Tuya, or smart-home credentials. These details are stored locally on your PC.
Home Assistant
Home Assistant connection details, including the server URL and long-lived access token, are stored locally on your PC.
Where supported, sensitive Home Assistant data is protected using Windows Data Protection API so it is encrypted for the current Windows user.
HOOKS uses this information only to connect to the Home Assistant instance you configure.
Tuya
Tuya integration details are stored locally on your PC.
HOOKS uses these details to communicate with the Tuya devices or services you configure. HOOKS does not store Tuya credentials on a HOOKS server.
Discord
Discord integration is configured through your own Discord application setup and connects through the local Discord client using Discord RPC.
HOOKS does not store Discord tokens on a HOOKS server.
Any Discord-related authorisation, account access, or permissions are handled through Discord’s own systems and the local Discord client.
Microsoft Store Licensing
Where Microsoft Store licensing or trial checks are used, HOOKS may store local entitlement or authentication tokens so the app can confirm access, trial status, or purchase status.
Microsoft Store licensing and purchase information is handled through Microsoft’s systems.
Other Integrations
Some devices or services may use local tokens, keys, bridge usernames, IP addresses, or endpoint URLs.
These values are stored locally on your PC where required for the integration to work.
You can remove integrations, delete configuration files, or uninstall HOOKS at any time.
Discord Integration
If Discord integration is enabled, HOOKS connects to the Discord client running locally on your PC using Discord RPC.
Discord may show an authorisation prompt when first connected. HOOKS uses the connection to display voice status and provide supported voice controls, such as showing current voice channel information, mute/deafen state, voice members, or joining/leaving calls where supported.
HOOKS does not operate Discord itself, does not store Discord tokens on a HOOKS server, and does not provide a Discord cloud service.
Discord account data remains governed by Discord’s own policies.
Microsoft Store
If you install HOOKS from the Microsoft Store, Microsoft may collect install, update, crash, purchase, trial, entitlement, and diagnostic information as described in Microsoft’s own privacy terms.
That processing is controlled by Microsoft, not by HOOKS.
What We Do Not Do
HOOKS does not:
- Sell personal data.
- Display ads.
- Use third-party analytics.
- Upload your screen contents to our servers.
- Upload your audio to our servers.
- Upload your local configuration to our servers.
- Store your Home Assistant credentials on a HOOKS server.
- Store your Tuya credentials on a HOOKS server.
- Store your Discord tokens on a HOOKS server.
- Track your general keyboard input.
- Require a HOOKS account for normal app use.
Your Choices And Controls
You can:
- Disable features such as Ambient Lighting, Discord integration, hotkeys, presence detection, smart-home integrations, and power automations.
- Remove devices, shortcuts, scenes, profiles, lights, and smart-home actions from inside the app.
- Delete local configuration files under
Documents/ENGINUOUS Apps/Hooks/. - Remove stored credentials or tokens by deleting the relevant integration or configuration.
- Use local-network endpoints where supported to keep control traffic on your LAN.
- Choose whether to use optional web-based features such as image search, web search, or artwork lookup.
Close HOOKS before manually deleting configuration files.
Data Retention
HOOKS keeps configuration and credentials on your device until you delete them, reset the app, remove the integration, or uninstall the app.
Uninstalling HOOKS may leave configuration files in your Documents folder so your settings can be reused later. You can delete this folder manually if you no longer want to keep the data.
We do not retain a copy of your local configuration.
Children’s Privacy
HOOKS is not directed to children. If you are under 13, use the app only with parent or guardian permission.
International Use
HOOKS does not transfer your local app configuration to us.
Any data transfers occur between your PC and the services, devices, endpoints, or providers you choose to configure. Those transfers are subject to the relevant provider’s own terms and privacy policies.
Changes To This Policy
We may update this policy when HOOKS features or data practices change.
The “Last updated” date shows when this document was last revised.
Contact
For privacy questions or support, contact: