This Privacy Policy describes how Swiftfox Studio ("we", "us", "our") handles information in connection with the macOS applications we publish under the Swiftfox Studio brand (the "Apps") and the website at swiftfox.studio (the "Site"). It applies uniformly to every App we ship - Anchored, Aqumi, Await, CatPod, NoMore, Pawodoro, Recess, and Sweep - and to any future App we publish under the same brand.
We are an independent macOS studio. Our default posture is to collect as little as possible: your content - documents, notes, media, and app data - stays on your Mac and is never sent to us. The Apps do contact our servers for a few narrow, anonymous purposes - update checks, configuration, aggregate usage analytics, and crash diagnostics - each described below and none tied to your identity.
1. Who we are
Swiftfox Studio is an indie software brand operated by Galip Öztürk, an independent developer based in Türkiye, who is the data controller responsible for the processing described in this policy. We do not operate as a registered legal entity at this time. For any privacy-related question or request, write to us at [email protected] - this is our single point of contact for privacy matters.
2. What this policy covers
This policy covers:
- The Apps you install on your Mac.
- The Site you browse at swiftfox.studio.
- Any updates, support communications, or purchase flows mediated through the App Store.
It does not cover third-party services you may choose to use alongside our Apps (for example, your own iCloud account, a podcast host, or a music streaming service), which are governed by their own privacy policies.
3. Information we collect
We collect the minimum we need to make the Apps work and to keep them updated and reliable.
3.1 Anonymous install identifier
Each App generates a random anonymous identifier ("Install ID") on first launch. The Install ID is a UUID - it is not linked to your name, email, Apple ID, IP address, or any other personal identifier. We use it to:
- Honour entitlements you may have on a particular device (for example, a one-time purchase or a grandfathered license).
- Provide support when you write in and quote your Install ID.
You can view your Install ID in the App's About panel and copy it for support purposes. If you uninstall the App, the Install ID is destroyed with it.
3.2 Automatic updates
The Apps use the open-source Sparkle framework to check for updates. When an update check runs, the Sparkle update server receives the App version, the macOS version, the system locale, and the Install ID. We use this only to deliver the correct update and to count active installs in aggregate.
3.3 Usage analytics and crash reports
To keep the Apps reliable and to understand which features are used, the Apps send anonymous usage events (for example, an "app launched" event and feature interactions) and crash reports to our own servers. These are tied only to the anonymous Install ID - never to your identity - and never contain the content of your documents, notes, or media (crash payloads carry only technical detail: stack trace, App version, macOS version). This is first-party only: we use no third-party analytics or tracking SDKs, so Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt is not shown. You can object at any time by writing to [email protected], and we can also disable this collection remotely.
3.4 Purchases and subscriptions
Some Apps offer paid features through Apple's App Store and StoreKit. Apple processes the payment - we never see your card details, billing address, or Apple ID. We receive only the anonymous transaction identifiers Apple shares with the App so the App can unlock the features you paid for.
3.5 Website analytics
The Site uses PostHog to understand which pages are visited and which links are followed. PostHog acts as our data processor. We configure it to avoid identifying individual visitors: we do not enable session replay and we do not associate browsing with personal accounts. We do not run advertising networks or cross-site advertising trackers on the Site.
3.6 Email you send us
When you email [email protected], we receive whatever you put in the message. We use it only to answer you and we delete the thread when it is no longer needed for support.
4. What we do not collect
To be explicit:
- We do not collect your name, email, phone number, or address unless you write to us.
- We do not run third-party advertising SDKs, ad-network attribution, or cross-app tracking. Apple's App Tracking Transparency prompt is therefore not shown.
- We do not access your contacts, calendars, photos, microphone, camera, or location unless an App explicitly asks you for that permission to deliver a feature you requested - and then only for that feature.
- We do not sell or rent personal information to anyone. Ever.
5. Legal bases (for users in the EU/EEA and the UK)
Where the GDPR applies, we rely on the following legal bases under Article 6:
- Legitimate interests - to deliver, secure, and improve the Apps, including anonymous usage analytics and crash diagnostics (Article 6(1)(f)). The processing is minimal and unlinked to your identity, and you can object at any time.
- Contract performance - to provide a paid feature you have purchased (Article 6(1)(b)).
- Consent - where a specific App offers an explicitly opt-in feature, we rely on your consent (Article 6(1)(a)), which you can withdraw at any time.
6. Your rights
Depending on where you live, you may have the following rights:
- Access - ask us what we have about you.
- Rectification - ask us to correct inaccurate information.
- Erasure - ask us to delete information we hold.
- Restriction or objection - limit how we process your information.
- Portability - receive a copy in a portable format.
- Opt out of "sale" or "sharing" - under the CCPA/CPRA. We do not sell or share personal information, so there is nothing to opt out of.
- Withdrawal of consent - for anything you previously opted in to.
These rights are guaranteed in different ways by the GDPR (EU/EEA/UK), the KVKK (Türkiye, Article 11), the CCPA/CPRA (California), and similar laws elsewhere. To exercise any of them, write to [email protected]. We respond within 30 days.
If you are unhappy with how we handled your request, you may complain to your local data protection authority (for example, the KVKK in Türkiye, the CNIL in France, the ICO in the UK, or the supervisory authority in your country).
7. How long we keep information
- Install ID - stored on your device only; we keep it in our entitlement records for as long as the entitlement is active, plus 90 days.
- Usage analytics and crash reports - 180 days, then deleted.
- Support email - for as long as needed to resolve the request, then deleted within 12 months.
- Purchase records - for as long as Apple requires us to keep them for accounting and tax purposes.
8. International data transfers
Our infrastructure is provided by third parties that may operate servers outside your country. Where we transfer personal information out of the EU/EEA, the UK, or Türkiye, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as Standard Contractual Clauses or equivalent mechanisms.
9. Children
Our Apps are not directed at children under 13 (or the equivalent age of digital consent in your country). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided information to us, contact [email protected] and we will delete it.
10. Security
We follow standard practices to protect information: TLS in transit, encrypted storage for anything we hold on our servers, and the principle of least privilege. No system is perfectly secure, but the fact that we collect very little is itself a meaningful safeguard.
11. Changes to this policy
When this policy changes, we update the Effective date at the top and bump the Version. For material changes, we will additionally notify users through the App or the Site before they take effect.
12. Contact
Questions, requests, or complaints - write to [email protected]. We read every message.