HotClip privacy policy

Clipboard data stays on your Mac

HotClip is a local-only macOS clipboard manager. Clipboard history is stored under your Mac account's Application Support folder. Searchable metadata is stored separately from file-backed clipboard representations, which are read only when needed. HotClip relies on macOS account protection and FileVault when enabled; this release does not claim app-level encryption.

Sensitive clipboard content

HotClip rejects clipboard transactions marked concealed, transient, or auto-generated before saving content or metadata. Apple Passwords, Keychain Access, and reviewed common password-manager bundle identifiers are excluded by default. These protections apply locally and do not send clipboard contents anywhere.

History controls and recovery

You can ignore the next copy, pause for 15 minutes or one hour, pause indefinitely, manage source-application exclusions, limit retained age, item count, transaction size, and total storage, pin items against automatic cleanup, or clear recent history by time range. Normal Clear History preserves pins; removing everything, including pins, is a separate confirmed action. Search terms and source-application attribution stay in the local metadata store. HotClip keeps a local metadata backup and preserves unreadable storage for recovery instead of silently discarding it. Legacy history is retained during migration until the new copy has been verified.

On-device recognition and local tools

Image text and QR recognition are optional and use Apple Vision on your Mac. Recognized text is stored as searchable local metadata and is deleted with its clip; the original image is never replaced. Smart content detection, text transformations, paste queues, and snippet placeholder expansion also run locally. HotClip does not upload clipboard content for OCR, AI, link previews, or transformation. It opens a recognized link only when you explicitly choose that action.

Backups and optional private sync

Portable backup export happens only when you choose a destination. Password-protected backups use local password-based encryption; HotClip does not store the password. Import validates the archive and shows a summary before changing history. Private iCloud sync remains off by default and is unavailable unless a production Apple CloudKit container is explicitly provisioned. If enabled in a future release, it will use only your private iCloud database, with a separate action to delete cloud data without deleting local history.

Optional app diagnostics and analytics

App diagnostics and analytics are off by default. If you explicitly opt in during onboarding or in Privacy settings, HotClip configures Google Firebase Analytics and Crashlytics to receive crash reports, coarse operational failures, feature actions and outcomes, installed app version changes, broad paste categories (text, image, file, rich text, or other), and bucketed counts or sizes. Firebase may process an app-instance identifier, crash stack traces, and standard app and device metadata. Reports never include clipboard contents, item titles or notes, copied URLs, filenames or file paths, search text, snippet keywords, backup filenames or passwords, or source- and destination-application names or identifiers. Advertising identifier and vendor-identifier collection, Apple ad-network attribution registration, and on-device ads conversion measurement are disabled. You can withdraw consent at any time in HotClip's Privacy settings, which disables future Firebase reporting and deletes queued crash reports.

The HotClip website offers optional Google Analytics and Google Ads measurement for page visits and installer-download clicks. Google measurement does not load unless you choose Allow measurement; declining leaves it disabled. Your choice is stored only in your browser and can be changed using the Privacy choices button. When enabled, Google may receive standard browser, device, referral, advertising-click, and page-interaction data under Google's policies. Advertising signals and ad personalization are disabled. HotClip does not send clipboard contents, app history, search text, account data, or payment data to the website, Google Analytics, or Google Ads.

The website does not include account creation, sign-in, payment forms, or clipboard access, and it never receives clipboard contents from the HotClip app.

Updates and downloads

HotClip uses a signed Sparkle appcast for in-app updates. Your Mac may contact hotclip.app to check for new releases or download update files. Clipboard content and metadata are not included in update requests.

Contact

For privacy or support questions, contact the developer through demetris.io.