Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 2026

NoteDrop is a macOS menu bar scratch pad built with privacy as a design principle — not as a compliance checkbox.

The short version: NoteDrop stores everything locally on your Mac. It doesn't have accounts. It doesn't sync to any server. It makes zero network calls. There is no analytics, no telemetry, no crash reporting. Your thoughts stay on your machine, in plain text, under your control.

What NoteDrop stores

NoteDrop stores the following data locally on your Mac using the standard macOS UserDefaults system:

• Your notes — The text you type, plus metadata: category tag (Idea, Work, Personal, Waiting, Research, Important, Calm, Private), creation date, expiration timer, and screen position. Notes are stored as plain text strings encoded in JSON.
• Your history — Notes that have expired are moved to a searchable history. History is retained for a period you choose (7, 30, or 90 days) and can be cleared at any time.
• Your settings — Preferences like default category, default timer duration, visible categories, reduce motion, focus mode, always-on-top, history retention period, and launch-at-login preference. These are stored as simple key-value pairs in UserDefaults.

What NoteDrop does NOT do

• No accounts. There is no sign-up, no sign-in, no user profile.
• No cloud sync. Your notes are not uploaded to any server. There is no iCloud sync, no third-party cloud integration, no remote storage of any kind.
• No network calls. The app contains zero network code. It does not connect to the internet for any reason — not for analytics, not for crash reporting, not for update checks, not for anything.
• No analytics. NoteDrop does not track how you use the app. There is no usage data collection, no session recording, no funnel analysis, no event tracking.
• No telemetry or crash reporting. If NoteDrop crashes, no report is sent anywhere. The app includes no third-party crash reporting SDK.
• No broad input monitoring. NoteDrop registers a single, specific keyboard shortcut (⇧⌘' by default) using the macOS Carbon hotkey API. It does not monitor or log keystrokes. It does not use accessibility APIs for input observation.
• No ads. NoteDrop contains no advertising or ad tracking.
• No third-party SDKs. The app uses only Apple's built-in frameworks (AppKit, Carbon). No third-party libraries or analytics SDKs are bundled.

Your control over your data

You have full control over your notes at all times:

• Export your history — Save your entire note history as a plain .txt file to any location on your Mac. Accessible from the History window or Settings window.
• Clear your history — Permanently delete all expired notes from history with one action. A confirmation dialog prevents accidental clearing.
• Delete individual notes — Delete any floating note or history entry individually.
• Control retention — Choose how long history is kept: 7, 30, or 90 days. Notes older than the retention window are automatically removed.
• Uninstall anytime — Remove NoteDrop like any macOS app. Your notes are stored in your user Library and are removed when you delete the app. Export them first if you want to keep them.

Private category

Notes tagged with the "Private" category receive additional visual privacy treatment. Private note previews are hidden by default, and private notes use a dark theme distinct from all other categories. This is a visual privacy feature for screen sharing and shoulder-surfing — not an encryption feature. All notes, regardless of category, are stored the same way (as plain text in UserDefaults).

Children's privacy

NoteDrop is not directed at children. It does not collect any information from anyone, including children. Because there are no accounts and no data collection, there is no mechanism by which NoteDrop could knowingly or unknowingly collect data from children.

Changes to this policy

If NoteDrop's data handling changes — for example, if a future version adds an optional feature that involves network access — this privacy policy will be updated to clearly describe what changed, why, and how to opt out. The current approach (zero network, zero collection, local only) is the foundation of the app.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy or NoteDrop's data handling, you can reach the developer through the app's support channels. Because NoteDrop collects no user data, there is no data request or deletion process — there is simply no data held about you to request or delete.