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privacy policy

Last updated: 20 July 2026
Effective date: 20 July 2026

SILVERSIX ("we," "our," or "us") operates the cirQlar macOS application. This Privacy Policy explains how we handle information when you use cirQlar.

cirQlar is distributed directly from www.cirqlar.app (not the Mac App Store), and purchases are processed by our reseller Paddle as described below.

Overview

cirQlar is a circular app launcher for macOS. We are committed to protecting your privacy. This policy describes what data the app uses, where it is stored, and when it may be transmitted.

Data Stored on Your Device

cirQlar stores most information locally on your Mac using macOS User Defaults, the Keychain, and Application Support:

  • App configuration: Your circle layouts, pages, app assignments, shortcuts, and extension hubs
  • Settings: Preferences such as hotkey configuration, theme, icon size, and display options
  • Presets: Preset files you create or import (stored in locations you choose)
  • Optional encrypted vault: If you use the secure vault, encryption keys and vault metadata are stored using the macOS Keychain and application support on your Mac

Most of this data does not leave your Mac unless you explicitly export or share it (for example, by exporting a preset file) or enable optional features below that use your Apple iCloud account.

Free Trial, Purchases, and Licensing

cirQlar is offered as a free download with a time-limited trial, then unlocked with a one-time purchase that provides a license key.
 
Purchases (Paddle):
Payments are processed by Paddle (Paddle.com Market Limited and/or Paddle, Inc.), our authorized reseller and
 
Merchant of Record:
When you buy, your purchase contract is with Paddle, and Paddle collects your payment details and billing information and handles applicable taxes. We do not receive or store your full payment card details. Paddle handles your data under its own privacy policy We may receive limited order information from Paddle (such as your email address, order/receipt reference, country, and license status) to deliver your license key and provide support.
 
License activation:
When you enter your license key, the app contacts our licensing service to activate it. This request includes your license key, a randomly generated device identifier (a UUID created on your Mac, not tied to your identity), and the product name. In response, the app stores a signed license token in your Mac’s Keychain and verifies it locally afterward. We use this only to validate licenses, enforce activation limits, and handle refunds/revocations.
 
Trial enforcement:
To prevent resetting the trial by reinstalling or switching Macs tied to the same iCloud account, the app stores a small  trial start timestamp (a single numeric value, not your name or contact information). That value may be written to local User Defaults, Apple’s iCloud Key-Value Store (NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore), and the iCloud Keychain–eligible (synchronizable) Keychain on devices signed into the same iCloud account. Apple operates those sync services; we do not receive this timestamp on our own systems.

Optional iCloud Drive Backup

If you turn on optional settings that mirror backups to iCloud, cirQlar may copy backup files you already created into the app’s iCloud Drivecontainer (for example under Documents in the container). Those files are stored under your Apple ID and Apple’s iCloud infrastructure. We do not run a separate cloud account for this data.

Network Activity

cirQlar may connect to the internet in the following limited cases:

Preset Library
  • The app fetches a preset catalog from www.cirqlar.app (or the same path on cirqlar.app). If those hosts do not yet serve the catalog, the app may try a fallback catalog on www.silversix.studio.
  • When you download a preset, the preset file is retrieved from the URL given in the catalog (our servers or the same hosts as above).
  • No personal data is sent in these requests
 
License Activation

When you activate or re-validate a license key, the app contacts our licensing service as described under “Free Trial, Purchases, and Licensing.” These requests carry your license key and a randomly generated device identifier, not your name or contact details.

App Updates
  • cirQlar checks for and downloads updates from our update feed on our hosting (for example, an appcast and signed application archive on `cirqlar.app`). These requests are standard download requests and do not include personal data beyond what your network necessarily exposes (such as your IP address to the host).
  • When an update check finishes (whether or not an update is available) or an update is about to install, the app may send a small update metric to our licensing host: event type (check or install), app version, and the same anonymous device identifier. This helps us see which versions are in use after a release.

Product metrics (anonymous)

To operate the product (downloads, adoption, and support tooling), we may record limited anonymous operational metrics on our licensing host (cirqlar-license.fly.dev or a successor domain we operate):

  • Download counts when someone uses our tracked download link (we do not require an account to download)
  • Daily active use (approximate): at most once per day, the app may send a launch “ping” containing only a randomly generated device identifier (UUID) and the app version
  • Update checks / installs as described under “App Updates”

These metrics do not include your name, email, circle contents, vault data, file paths, or browsing history. They are not used for advertising or profiling. Server logs may still retain standard connection metadata (such as IP address and user agent) for security and reliability.

Permissions

cirQlar may request the following macOS permissions:

  • Accessibility: Required so the app can detect the global hotkeys and modifier-key combinations you configure (for example, invoking the circle or Portal). Without this, keyboard shortcuts cannot be observed system-wide.
  • Screen capture: Used only when you choose to capture part of the screen to use as a custom icon or image for an item
  • File access: Only for files and folders you explicitly select (e.g., adding apps, folders, Portal destinations, or backups)
  • Automation (Apple Events): Used only in limited cases to work with the Finder when you ask the app to reveal a folder (such as automatic settings backups) or add items from the Finder selection, and with Terminal (or iTerm) when you open a shell script or .command file from a circle.
  • Network:

    To fetch the preset catalog and download presets, activate or re-validate your license key, check for and download app updates, and send the anonymous product metrics described above.

We do not use these permissions to collect personal content from your Mac (such as files in your circles or vault) for analytics.

Data We Do Not Collect

We do not collect, store, or transmit through our own servers:

  • Your name, email address, or contact information (other than limited order information provided by Paddle to fulfill your purchase and support, or information you voluntarily share when you email us or use a support channel)
  • Payment card or full billing details (these are handled by Paddle; we never receive them)
  • Detailed in-app usage analytics (we do not record which apps you launch, circle layouts, or vault contents)
    (Anonymous device identifiers and version numbers used for licensing and the product metrics above are not used to advertise to you.)
  • Browsing history or app usage patterns
  • Location data
  • Any data that identifies you personally for our own advertising or profiling

Third-Party Services

cirQlar does not integrate third-party advertising or marketing analytics SDKs.

  • We use our own licensing service to issue and validate license keys and to store the anonymous operational metrics described above.
  • We use Paddle as our reseller and Merchant of Record to process purchases. Paddle collects and processes the personal and payment information you provide at checkout under its own privacy policy: https://www.paddle.com/legal/privacy

Data Security

  • App configuration, vault keys (where applicable), and paths you add to circles are stored locally or, when you use trial sync or optional iCloud backup, under Apple’s iCloud/Keychain services tied to your account—not on SILVERSIX-operated servers
  • Sensitive cryptographic material (for example, secure vault keys) is stored in the macOS Keychain where applicable
  • File and folder paths you add to circles are not sent to our servers as part of normal launcher operation

Children's Privacy

cirQlar is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. The “Last updated” date at the top indicates when changes were last made. Continued use of cirQlar after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.

Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or cirQlar, please contact us at:

Onsite form: cirqlar.app/support