lowtide Privacy Policy

Last updated: September 30, 2026

This policy explains how personal information is handled when you use lowtide, the macOS ambient audio app provided by Daniel Schmidt ("we", "us", or "our"). It covers the app, sound-pack delivery, and support for lowtide. Websites and services you visit outside the app have their own privacy policies.

For privacy questions or requests, contact info@daniel-schmidt.me.

1. Overview

lowtide is designed to work primarily on your Mac. You do not need a lowtide account. Your presets, settings, imported cover images, and automation rules are stored locally, not uploaded to an account or cloud-sync service operated by us.

The app does not include advertising, tracking SDKs, or usage analytics. It does not record your microphone, screen, or system audio. We do not sell personal information or use app data for targeted advertising.

Online features still involve some information leaving your device. Browsing or downloading sound packs makes requests to our content host. App Store services are operated by Apple. Contacting support sends us the information you choose to provide. These activities are explained below.

2. Information stored on your Mac

lowtide stores information needed to provide its features, including:

Imported cover images are processed locally into app-owned JPEG copies. Embedded image metadata is stripped from those copies, but the image itself may still contain personal information. Original images are not changed or uploaded.

The app uses local information about the audio output device, sleep/wake state, local time zone, and playback state to operate reliably. It does not send us a listening history or the contents of your presets, cover images, or rules.

3. App and calendar automation

Running and frontmost apps

While lowtide is running, it obtains the names and bundle identifiers of running applications and the identity of the frontmost application from macOS. This supports app selection and local automation evaluation. These observations are kept in memory; lowtide does not create an app-usage history or upload them to us.

lowtide does not inspect other applications' window titles, documents, messages, keystrokes, or screen contents. App names and identifiers you choose in an automation rule are saved as part of that rule.

Calendar access

Calendar automation requires your permission through macOS. You can decline access and continue using features that do not need it.

When calendar information is needed for the automation editor or enabled calendar rules, lowtide reads available calendar names and identifiers, including calendar source names, and events in a rolling near-term time window. The information used for matching includes event titles, start and end times, all-day status, availability, cancellation status, and whether you declined an event.

macOS grants calendar access more broadly than an individual rule's selection. lowtide applies your selected-calendar and title filters locally after reading event information. Although macOS may describe the permission as full Calendar access, lowtide only reads calendar information; it does not create, edit, or delete events.

Retrieved event information is processed in memory, is not saved into lowtide's settings, and is not uploaded to us. Calendar identifiers and title filters that you enter into rules remain in your saved configuration. Your existing calendar provider may separately store or synchronize your calendars according to its own policies.

You can revoke access in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Calendars. You can also disable calendar rules or all automations. Quitting lowtide stops its app and calendar observations.

4. Sound packs and network requests

Browsing the sound-pack catalog can contact static.gravehammer.com to retrieve catalog information, file metadata, and cover images, even if you do not download a pack. Downloading a pack also requests its audio files. Catalog views may refresh while open. Installed audio files play from local storage.

As with other internet services, the hosting infrastructure receives connection and request information, such as your IP address, the requested resource, request time, user-agent information, and response or error details. Requested resources can reveal which pack or cover was requested. This technical information may appear in hosting or security logs and is used to deliver content, maintain reliability, and protect the service.

Pack requests do not include your custom preset contents, imported cover images, calendar events, running-app observations, or a lowtide account identifier. The app does not add an advertising or cross-app tracking identifier to these requests.

5. Apple services and subscriptions

Apple handles App Store downloads, payment processing, subscription billing, and Apple Account information under Apple's Privacy Policy.

In versions that offer App Store subscriptions, lowtide uses Apple's StoreKit services to determine access to premium features. Subscription information used by the app includes product and transaction identifiers, verification results, purchase and expiration dates, and renewal, grace-period, or revocation status. It is used to provide, restore, and manage premium access. We do not receive your payment-card details or Apple Account password through lowtide.

There is no separate lowtide account or developer-operated subscription-verification backend. Apple may provide developers with sales, subscription, financial, or diagnostic reports through its services. Apple's processing and retention of information are governed by its policies and your Apple settings.

Losing premium access does not automatically delete your local presets, cover images, downloaded packs, or automation rules. Cancelling a subscription and deleting app data are separate actions. Manage or cancel App Store subscriptions through Apple.

6. Support and diagnostics

If you contact us, we receive your email address, message, and any attachments or diagnostic information you choose to send. We use that information to respond, investigate problems, and maintain relevant support records. Please avoid sending calendar contents, sensitive images, or other personal information unless necessary for your request.

lowtide does not include an automatic crash-reporting or telemetry service that uploads app activity to us. macOS and Apple may separately collect or share diagnostics according to your system settings and Apple's policies. Local error messages and diagnostic records may remain on your Mac.

7. Why information is processed and who receives it

We process information to provide requested app features and downloads, respond to support requests, maintain and secure our services, and meet applicable legal obligations. Optional calendar access depends on the permission you grant in macOS.

Where European Economic Area or United Kingdom data-protection law applies to personal information we process, the relevant legal bases are performance of a contract or steps you request before entering one, our legitimate interests in providing support and operating secure and reliable services, applicable legal obligations, and consent where required. You may withdraw consent where processing relies on it without affecting earlier lawful processing.

Information transmitted for downloads or support may be handled by hosting, infrastructure, and email service providers. Apple handles its services as described above. Information may also be disclosed where required by law or necessary to establish, exercise, or defend legal claims. We do not send your local calendar events, running-app observations, presets, or imported cover images to these providers as part of normal app operation.

Service providers may process information outside your country. Where applicable law requires safeguards for international transfers, those requirements apply to our use of those providers. Contact us for information about the providers and safeguards relevant to your request.

8. Retention and deletion

Local settings, presets, rules, images, and downloads remain on your Mac until you change or remove them or remove the app's stored data. Unused imported cover copies are cleaned up after successful settings saves. Explicitly removing a pack can also remove or change presets that reference its sounds; the app explains this before removal.

Migration/recovery files, data from older app versions, and macOS or personal backups may retain earlier copies. Uninstalling the application alone may not remove its stored data or backups. Contact us if you need help locating lowtide's local data. We cannot remotely access or erase files on your Mac, and we cannot recover local data that you have deleted unless you provide a backup.

Running-app and retrieved calendar observations are temporary in-memory information rather than a saved activity history. Saved rule filters are retained until you edit or delete the corresponding rules or app data.

For information we control outside your device, retention depends on its purpose: servicing downloads, security and troubleshooting, resolving support requests, and legal recordkeeping. We retain it only for as long as necessary for those purposes, including any legally required period. Hosting logs and backup copies may have separate retention cycles. Apple's records are subject to Apple's policies, not deletion controls in lowtide.

9. Your choices and rights

You can manage local presets, rules, covers, and downloads; disable automation execution; revoke calendar permission; and stop local observations by quitting the app. Avoid opening the sound-pack catalog if you do not want it to make content-host requests. Bundled audio does not require sound-pack downloads; premium access may depend on Apple's entitlement verification.

Depending on where you live and the circumstances, you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or receive a portable copy of personal information, restrict or object to processing, withdraw consent, and complain to your local data-protection authority.

Send requests concerning information we hold to info@daniel-schmidt.me. We may need enough information to verify and respond to your request. Information stored only on your Mac is not available to us unless you choose to send it. Requests concerning Apple's records should be directed to Apple.

10. Security and policy changes

lowtide uses macOS App Sandbox for its app-owned data and HTTPS for sound-pack requests. Local files are subject to your Mac's user-account, storage, and backup protections; the app does not add a separate encryption layer to its settings or imported covers. No storage or transmission method can be guaranteed completely secure.

We may update this policy as the app or our practices change. The updated policy will carry a revised date. Where required, we will provide additional notice or obtain consent before a change takes effect.

11. Contact and license terms

Daniel Schmidt
Email: info@daniel-schmidt.me

The license terms for the App Store app are Apple's Standard Licensed Application End User License Agreement. This privacy policy describes data handling; it does not replace those license terms.