Terms of use

Readings are a guide, not a certified measurement

Phones aren’t calibrated measuring instruments. Readings vary with the phone, the browser, the case and the surface. Phones also can’t measure vibration faster than about 30 times a second. The how it works page explains these limits.

Labels like “Noticeable” or “Rough, check it” are based on published guidance or, for ceiling fans, a stated rule of thumb, used as a rough guide. They aren’t legal limits, engineering assessments, diagnoses or proof of damage.

Don’t rely on the site alone for decisions about:

• whether a building, vehicle or machine is safe,
• legal claims, disputes or insurance,
• buying or selling a home or a car,
• major repairs.

For those, get a qualified professional, such as a structural engineer, a licensed mechanic, an appliance technician or a vibration monitoring company.

Saved images, CSV files and PDF reports are for your own records and to start a conversation. They aren’t certified evidence.

Use it safely

You’re responsible for your own safety, and for others around you, when you use the tools.

• Never use the site while driving. On the car and steering wheel tests, a passenger places or holds the phone and must tick “I’m a passenger” before Start. The driver keeps their eyes on the road and hands on the wheel. Only drive at speeds that are legal and safe where you are.
• Keep your hands and phone away from moving parts. Turn a ceiling fan off before you tape the phone to it, tape the phone only to a part that doesn’t turn, never to a blade, and run the fan on the lowest speed only. Apart from that, never place a phone near running belts, shafts, blades or fan grilles.
• Secure the phone. Place or tape it so it can’t slide, fall or be thrown off. A phone that drops into a machine can break both.
• Don’t remove covers or guards to reach a better spot. Use the outside of the housing.
• Test motorcycles parked on their stand at idle, never while riding.
• The seismometer is not an earthquake warning system. If you feel strong shaking, drop, cover and hold on. Look at your phone later.

No warranty

The site is provided “as is”. We work to keep the tools and pages correct, but we don’t promise that they’re accurate, complete, always available or suitable for any particular purpose.

Limit of liability

As far as the law allows, we aren’t liable for any loss or damage that comes from using the site or relying on a reading. That includes damage to your phone, home, vehicle or machine, and any decision you make based on a result. Some places don’t allow some of these limits. Where that’s the case, they apply as far as the law there allows.

Content, links and ads

Guides and tables are general information, and their sources are named on the page. Standards change and mistakes happen, so check the original source before you act on a number. If you spot an error, please tell us.

Links to other websites, such as USGS or Caltrans, are there for your convenience. We don’t control those sites.

The site shows ads. We don’t endorse the products or services in them. Please don’t click ads just to support the site, and don’t ask others to.

You’re welcome to link to any page and to share your own saved results. Please don’t copy whole pages or the site’s code and publish them as your own.

Fair use of the site

Don’t try to break, overload or misuse the site, or use it for anything illegal.

Privacy

How the site handles data is covered in the privacy policy. In short: your readings never leave your phone.

Changes to these terms

We may update these terms. The date below shows the current version. If you keep using the site after a change, the new terms apply. Questions? Use the contact page.