SparkleShot Privacy Policy

1.4 / 2026-10-30

Your captures remain under your control. This policy explains on-device processing, system permissions, and transfers that may occur when you choose to share content or contact us.

1. Scope and maintainers

SparkleShot is a macOS capture and editing tool under the Sparkle brand, created and maintained by 唐梓耀 / AdrianSparkle and 丁铭 / EliasSparkle. This policy covers screenshots, scrolling captures, screen and audio recording, text recognition, editing, export, and sharing in the current application.

The Sparkle website, App Store, macOS, and external services you select have distinct processing activities. Their independent processing is not represented as SparkleShot’s on-device processing.

2. We do not automatically receive your captures

No account is required. The current application contains no advertising, cross-app tracking, behavioral analytics, or telemetry SDK. It does not automatically upload captures, recordings, recognized text, history, or device identifiers to Sparkle servers, or use them to train AI models.

Local content can still be sensitive. Images and audio may contain names, accounts, communications, financial information, or information about other people. Check the capture scope and obtain appropriate authorization before recording.

3. Content processed on your device

Screenshots and scrolling captures process pixels within the area, window, or display you select. Recordings process selected displays, system audio, and microphone audio when enabled. Editors read source files locally and generate annotated, redacted, cropped, or converted results.

Text recognition runs on your Mac using Apple Vision. Starting recognition displays the result and copies it to the system clipboard. Copying images or text, pinning images, exporting, and sharing follow your actions. SparkleShot does not acquire ownership of your content.

Dedicated OCR started from the menu bar or its shortcut processes the selected area, displays and copies results locally, and saves no screenshot. Screen recording also retains relative pointer positions, clicks, and timing within the capture area for focus zooms that you explicitly generate or adjust manually; it does not record typed text. Media editing, silence detection, effect analysis, and export run locally. Check recognition and analysis results yourself.

4. System permissions and your choices

Screen and system audio access supports screenshots, scrolling captures, screen recording, and system audio capture. Microphone access is used only when microphone recording is enabled. Automatic scrolling uses macOS accessibility or corresponding event-control authorization to send scrolling events to the target window. Availability of manual scrolling and other features depends on system permissions.

File and folder access allows saving, opening, and editing selected files. The sandboxed build stores local security-scoped bookmarks for continued access. Launch at login is registered with macOS only when you enable it. The app does not request camera, location, or contacts access.

You may revoke permissions or disable login items in System Settings. Related features may then be unavailable; changing screen access may require restarting the app. A system permission does not authorize unrestricted use of the content.

5. Preferences, history, and local diagnostics

Language, shortcuts, storage paths, recording settings, the previous capture area, and file-access bookmarks are kept in local preferences. The recent-output index stores file paths, media types, creation times, and local record identifiers. Adding an item limits the index to the latest 200 entries; this does not delete output files.

If preferences or the history index are damaged, the app may preserve original recovery copies under SparkleShot’s local Application Support folders. System diagnostics and error logs may include local paths and error details; SparkleShot does not automatically send these logs to maintainers. Apple’s system analytics depend on your system settings and Apple’s privacy policy.

Dedicated OCR retains the full recognized text and time in local recognition History; image-editor OCR does not write to that history. Video pointer snapshots, video and audio editing drafts, source-media paths, and content-verification digests are stored in the app’s local support directory. These are separate from the recent-output index. Separately saved video projects may include source paths and pointer traces.

6. Storage, retention, and recovery copies

Outputs remain in the locations you select until you manage them. Workflows such as recording all displays may retain original media in a .SparkleShotRecovery folder at the storage location even after a successful export. The recovery manager lets you check and move individual files to the Trash.

Editor sharing creates copies in SparkleShot-Share within the system temporary directory so the selected service can read them. Conversion may also create intermediate files. Some successful workflows remove intermediate files, but interruptions, service use, and system behavior may leave copies behind. Quitting, uninstalling, or clearing history does not guarantee removal of temporary files, recovery copies, clipboard data, backups, or synchronized copies.

Video and audio projects reference original media; saving a project does not package the original media inside it. Reconnect moved sources and keep both projects and their media. Local drafts support continued editing. Failed recovery preserves the old draft and offers actions such as retry or backing up the old draft while keeping new edits. Drafts are not independent backups, and recovery from every interruption is not promised.

7. Sharing, clipboard, and external recipients

Content may be passed to selected apps, recipients, or operating-system services when you choose system sharing, copying, saving to a synchronized folder, or opening a link. System sharing and Universal Clipboard may transfer content between devices; cloud storage or iCloud may synchronize chosen folders. Those services and your settings determine processing locations and retention.

Apple handles App Store downloads, purchases, refunds, and store analytics under its own rules. SparkleShot does not read payment-card information. Developer and open-source project websites may process ordinary network-request information when you open their links. Privacy Policy & Terms & Licenses in the main window and the website link in About open public pages in your default browser when clicked. The destination can process IP addresses, request headers, and ordinary network information. This does not upload locally captured content.

Paid features use Apple StoreKit for monthly and yearly auto-renewing subscriptions and a lifetime non-consumable purchase. Apple handles purchases, payments, restoration and refunds. The app verifies Apple-signed transactions and validity on your Mac; it uploads neither transactions nor captured content to developer servers. The developer receives no payment-card details. No separate SparkleShot account is required; purchases use your Apple Account. Expiry does not delete originals, exports, OCR history or projects, and recordings already in progress can finish and save.

8. Access, control, and deletion

You can choose the capture scope, disable audio sources, revoke permissions, change output locations, stop sharing, and access or delete files in Finder. Confirmed deletion in the app moves the selected output to the Trash and removes its recent entry. Clearing history removes the index, not output files.

For complete cleanup, separately check outputs, recovery media, temporary sharing copies, local preferences and indexes, the Trash, backups, and synchronization services. Revoking access, uninstalling, and clearing history are different operations. Maintainers cannot remotely access or erase your local files; contact us if you need guidance.

Clear recognition History separately with confirmation in its own interface. Deleting an output or clearing the recent-output index does not also clear recognition history, editing drafts, pointer snapshots, original media, or separately saved projects. These local data may remain; manage saved projects yourself. Check each scope separately, including clipboard content, backups, and synchronized copies.

9. Information you send us

When you contact maintainers, we receive the contact details, description, and attachments you choose to submit, to respond, troubleshoot, handle rights requests, and meet legal obligations. Crop irrelevant material and redact personal information first. 

Support material is used and retained only as needed for the matter. Retention depends on the nature of the matter and the time necessary to address it, rather than a single fixed period. You may ask about retention, correction, or deletion; we will explain lawful retention needed for legal obligations or disputes. Communication providers such as QQ and GitHub apply their own rules.

10. Security, international transfers, and minors

macOS manages local permissions and sandbox access. Use a protected device and storage location. Inspect redactions, crops, and exported results, including originals, transparent layers, audio tracks, and recovery copies. No software can guarantee absolute security or perfectly accurate recognition or redaction. If a security incident affects support material actually held by maintainers, we will take remedial action and provide notices required by applicable law.

The current app does not itself automatically send captured content to overseas servers. Sharing, synchronization, support submissions, and Apple services may process data across regions under the respective service’s infrastructure. Minors should use the app with guardian guidance and avoid recording or disclosing other people’s sensitive information.

11. Rights requests and changes

For personal information actually held by maintainers, you may request information, access, a copy, correction, deletion, restriction, or withdrawal of relevant authorization as applicable under law. We verify identity only as necessary, handle requests promptly as required by law, and explain why a request cannot be completed immediately. You may also complain to the competent regulator.

Material changes to features, purposes, or recipients will be reflected in the date and relevant explanations. Updating text does not replace any legally required notice or consent process. Language versions aim to convey the same meaning and do not diminish rights under the law where you live.

12. Contact

For privacy questions, rights requests, support, or infringement reports, contact maintainer 唐梓耀 / AdrianSparkle on QQ at 2410710390. The developer’s public profile is https://github.com/Tang1206cc. Identify the product, version, and your request. Do not include passwords, login cookies, connection codes, entire recordings, or unnecessary personal information in your initial message.