Nodes and limits
Where the data comes from.
And what a view key can and cannot show.
Your own monerod
Running your own monerod means queries stay on hardware you control. Public daemons often refuse get_transactions; that is a daemon privacy rule, and full private scanning needs the person’s own unrestricted daemon.
Explorer-assisted mode
Optional and labeled. It shares the address and private view key with xmrchain.net.
Check important amounts
A malicious or broken node or explorer can show wrong figures. Important amounts should be checked against a second source.
No new subaddresses
The app cannot create new subaddresses.
No outgoing spends
The app cannot display outgoing spends.