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Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 6, 2026

TL;DR

SlapMac does not track you, does not collect analytics, and does not sell your data. All accelerometer and USB event data is processed entirely on your device. The only network requests are for license validation and update checks. Anti-Theft Mode (v1.4+) can capture photos from the front camera when triggered — these photos stay on your Mac (and, only if you enable it, sync to your iCloud Drive). They are never sent to us.

1. Data We Do Not Collect

SlapMac does not collect, transmit, or store any of the following:

  • Personal information (name, email, address)
  • Usage analytics or telemetry
  • Accelerometer or motion data
  • USB device information
  • Crash reports
  • Location data
  • Browsing or app usage history

There are no analytics SDKs, no tracking pixels, and no third-party data collection of any kind embedded in SlapMac.

2. On-Device Processing

All accelerometer readings and USB connect/disconnect events are processed entirely on your Mac. This data never leaves your device and is not stored beyond the moment it is used.

3. Local Storage

SlapMac stores your preferences (sensitivity, cooldown, selected voice pack, volume, etc.) locally in macOS UserDefaults. This data stays on your machine and is never uploaded or synced anywhere.

4. Network Requests

SlapMac makes exactly two types of network requests:

  • License validation — When you activate your license key, SlapMac sends your license key and your Mac's hostname (e.g. "John's MacBook Pro") to Polar's API for activation and periodic revalidation. No other personal information is sent.
  • Update checks — SlapMac uses Sparkle, a standard open-source macOS update framework, to check for new versions. This may send your macOS version and app version to our update server.

That's it. No other network requests are made.

5. Hardware Access

SlapMac accesses the following hardware on your Mac:

  • Accelerometer — To detect slaps and motion via the built-in IMU sensor. Requires running outside the macOS sandbox (IOKit HID access).
  • USB ports — To detect device connect/disconnect events for USB Moaner mode. Uses IOKit notifications.
  • Audio output — To play sound clips via AVFoundation. No microphone access.
  • Camera (Anti-Theft Mode only) — When Anti-Theft Mode is armed and triggered, SlapMac captures still images from the front camera for the "Selfie of Shame" feature. macOS will prompt you for camera permission the first time. The camera is not accessed in Slap Mode or USB Moaner mode, and not while Anti-Theft Mode is disarmed.
  • Lid angle sensor — To detect lid movement (Lid Creak / Anti-Theft trigger).

SlapMac does not access your microphone, location, contacts, photos library, calendar, Bluetooth, or any accessibility features.

6. Third-Party Services

  • Polar — Payment processing and license key management. See Polar's privacy policy.
  • Sparkle — Open-source update framework. No data is shared with third parties through Sparkle.
  • ElevenLabs — Voice clips were generated using ElevenLabs. There is no runtime connection to ElevenLabs; all audio is bundled locally.

7. Anti-Theft Mode (Selfie of Shame)

When you enable Anti-Theft Mode (v1.4+) and the alarm triggers, SlapMac captures one or more still images from the built-in front camera. Here's exactly what happens to those images:

  • Stored locally on your Mac in ~/Pictures/SlapMac/Intruders/. They never leave your machine unless you opt in to iCloud Drive sync (see below) or share them yourself.
  • Never sent to us. The developer has no server that receives, processes, or stores these images. There is no upload to SlapMac, Polar, ElevenLabs, or any third party we control.
  • Optional iCloud Drive sync. If you enable the iCloud Drive option in Settings, the images are written into your own iCloud Drive folder via macOS. From that point they are governed by Apple's iCloud privacy terms — they remain in your iCloud account, not ours.
  • No biometric processing. SlapMac does not run face detection, face recognition, or any other biometric analysis on the images. They are saved as plain image files.
  • Camera is only on while armed and triggered. SlapMac does not record video, does not stream the camera, and does not access the camera in Slap Mode, USB Moaner, Lid Creak, or while Anti-Theft Mode is disarmed.
  • You control deletion. Delete the files from ~/Pictures/SlapMac/Intruders/ (and from your iCloud Drive if you enabled sync) any time. SlapMac will not restore them.

Your responsibility. Because the images may contain identifiable people, you are solely responsible for ensuring that capturing, storing, and sharing them complies with the privacy and surveillance laws applicable to you and to the location where your Mac is used (e.g. GDPR, CCPA, workplace monitoring rules). See the Terms of Use for the full disclaimer.

8. Children's Privacy

SlapMac does not knowingly collect any information from children. Since the app collects no personal data at all, this is not applicable.

9. Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Changes will be reflected on this page with an updated date. Continued use of SlapMac after changes constitutes acceptance.

10. Contact

Questions about this policy? Reach out at hello@slapmac.com.