NightOwl is a menu-bar utility that keeps your Mac awake. It is distributed in two editions with different data behavior, described separately below:
- Mac App Store edition: collects, stores, transmits, and shares no data whatsoever, and performs no network communication.
- Direct-download edition (DMG from our website): collects no personal data by default; it only contacts our server to check for updates automatically, and uploads content you enter only when you actively submit feedback.
01 Information we collect
Mac App Store edition: none. This edition runs entirely on your device. It contains no feedback or in-app update features and makes no network requests.
The direct-download edition communicates with our server (zec.io) in exactly two situations:
(1) Update checks (automatic). The app queries our server for new versions at launch, after system wake, and periodically thereafter (roughly every 6 hours by default; the interval is server-configured). The request contains only: an app identifier, a platform identifier, the current build number, and the update channel. It contains no user or device identifiers. As with any network connection, our server transiently sees your IP address (standard connection logs). Update packages are downloaded via a content delivery network (CDN).
(2) Sending feedback (only when you actively submit). The following is uploaded only when you open the feedback page in Settings and press Submit:
- the feedback text you wrote;
- contact information (optional — leave it empty to stay fully anonymous);
- screenshots (optional, picked or pasted by you, up to 3);
- a runtime log archive (optional, can be unticked before submitting). Logs are the app's own operational records — start/stop, keep-awake, scheduled-task events and error messages — and never include your file contents or keystrokes;
- basic environment details attached to the feedback: app version and build number, macOS version, current visual style, and interface language.
Feedback requires no account, and we neither generate nor read any device identifier.
02 Information we do not collect
- Location, contacts, or calendars;
- Photos or files (other than screenshots you explicitly pick on the feedback page);
- Microphone or camera;
- Clipboard contents (the clipboard is read only when you explicitly paste an image on the feedback page);
- The list of installed apps;
- Advertising identifiers (IDFA) or any hardware device identifiers;
- We embed no analytics, tracking, crash-reporting, or advertising SDKs.
03 How we use this information
| Information | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Update-check requests (app identifier, build number, etc.) | Determining and delivering new versions to you |
| Feedback text, screenshots, logs | Investigating and fixing the issue you reported; improving the product |
| Contact information (if provided) | Following up with you about your feedback |
| Environment details (version, OS, language, etc.) | Reproducing and diagnosing issues |
We never use any of the above for advertising, profiling, or any purpose unrelated to this policy.
04 Permissions
- Notifications: used for keep-awake start/stop alerts and scheduled-sleep countdowns. Declining only silences the alerts.
- Login Items: used only if you enable "Launch at login".
- Accessibility (direct-download edition only, requested only if you use the window-arrangement feature): used to move other apps' windows. This happens entirely on your device and involves no data collection.
NightOwl requests no other system permissions — no location, camera, or microphone.
05 Third parties and sharing
We do not sell, rent, or share your information with any third party.
Infrastructure note: our servers sit behind Cloudflare for content delivery and protection, and feedback attachments are stored in Cloudflare R2 object storage. Cloudflare processes traffic (including IP addresses) at the transport layer as an infrastructure provider and does not use your data for its own purposes.
06 Storage and security
- All network transfers are encrypted via HTTPS (TLS).
- Feedback data is stored on our servers at zec.io.
- Your preferences, event history, and runtime logs are kept locally on your Mac and never leave your device except through the feedback upload described above.
07 Data retention and deletion
- Feedback data: retained only for as long as needed to handle the feedback and improve the product.
- Deletion: feedback is submitted anonymously and is not linked to an account or device. To request deletion, email us (see section 11) with the approximate submission time and a description of the feedback content (or the contact information you entered, if any) so we can locate the record. We will delete it after verification.
- Local data: removing the app and its preference storage deletes everything; we have no access to it and no involvement is needed.
08 Children's privacy
NightOwl is a general-purpose utility, is not directed at children, and does not knowingly collect personal information from children.
09 Your rights
You may contact us at any time via the email in section 11 to access, correct, or delete feedback data you have submitted. For the Mac App Store edition, such requests are not applicable because we hold no data about you.
10 Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, we will update this page and the effective date shown at the top. Material changes (such as new data collection) will additionally be highlighted in release notes.
11 Contact us
For any questions about this policy or to exercise your data rights, contact: [email protected]