Privacy
Privacy by architecture, not by promise
Most privacy policies describe what a company chooses not to do with your data. This one describes what the app is built to make impossible. HotkeyClash has no server, no account system, and no networking code.
No network.
The app makes zero network connections. It contains no networking code, so it cannot phone home even if it wanted to.
No telemetry.
No analytics SDK, no crash reporter, no usage tracking, no identifiers of any kind inside the app.
No accounts.
No sign-up, no email collection, no licensing server. Download it, run it, done.
No persistence.
Scan results live in memory and vanish the moment you quit. Nothing is written to disk.
No dependencies.
Pure Apple frameworks (SwiftUI, AppKit). Zero third-party code to audit or trust.
One permission.
Accessibility access, used only to read the menu-bar shortcuts of running apps. Every line that uses it is open source.
The formal version
Privacy policy
Kept short because there is genuinely little to disclose.
Data we collect
None. HotkeyClash does not collect, transmit, or store any personal data. The app reads keyboard shortcut registrations on your Mac to detect conflicts, and that information never leaves your device.
Scan data
When you run a scan, HotkeyClash reads shortcuts from running apps (via the Accessibility API), from local config files for Karabiner-Elements and skhd, and from the macOS system shortcuts plist. The results are held in memory only and are discarded when you quit the app. They are never transmitted anywhere.
Accessibility permission
HotkeyClash requests Accessibility access for one purpose: to read the menu-bar shortcut titles of other running apps. It does not log keystrokes, record your screen, or read window contents. Because the app is GPL-2.0, you can verify exactly how the permission is used in the source code.
Local settings
Your preferences (scan on launch, the global shortcut, launch at login) are stored locally on your Mac using the standard macOS preferences system. They stay on your device and are removed when you uninstall the app.
Analytics and tracking (app)
None. The app contains no analytics, no crash reporting, and no usage tracking of any kind. We do not know how many people use HotkeyClash.
Website analytics
This website (hotkeyclash.com) uses Plausible, a privacy-friendly analytics tool that is cookieless and collects no personal data. It records aggregate page views and referrers only, with no cross-site tracking and no individual profiles. It is self-hosted and never shared. This applies to the website, not to the app, which makes no network connections at all.
Third-party services
The app uses none. It has zero external dependencies and is built entirely with Apple first-party frameworks. The website is served as static files.
Software updates
HotkeyClash does not include an auto-updater that contacts a server in the background. You download new versions yourself from the website or the GitHub Releases page when you choose to.
Data retention
There is nothing to retain. The app stores no personal data, and scan results exist only in memory while the app is running. Uninstalling the app removes its local preferences.
Children's privacy
HotkeyClash does not collect data from anyone, including children.
Changes to this policy
If this policy ever changes, we will update this page and the date below. Given the architecture, meaningful changes are unlikely.
Contact
For any privacy question, email [email protected].
Last updated: June 2026