Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 21, 2026

PipeDown is developed by Indrek Juhani. Your privacy is paramount: PipeDown was built from the ground up to operate completely locally on your Mac without collecting, storing, or transmitting any personal data.

1. Information Collection and Usage

PipeDown does not collect, transmit, store, or share any personal information, metrics, or telemetry.

• No user accounts or sign-ins are used.
• No analytics or crash-reporting libraries are embedded.
• No network requests are ever made by the application. PipeDown operates fully offline and runs inside the macOS App Sandbox with no network entitlements.

2. System Audio Recording Permission

When you launch PipeDown, macOS requests the System Audio Recording permission (categorized under Privacy & Security > Screen & System Audio Recording).

Here is exactly how this permission is used:

• In-Memory Peak Metering: PipeDown creates Core Audio process taps (AudioHardwareCreateProcessTap, available in macOS 14.2+) to read in-flight audio buffers solely to calculate instantaneous peak volume levels for the visual level meters.
• Audio Muting: The same tap mechanism is used to apply a mute filter to chosen apps (such as background applications while you are on a call).
• No Audio Recording: PipeDown does not record, persist, copy, or write audio streams to disk, nor does it transmit audio anywhere. Audio buffer analysis happens strictly in volatile memory and is discarded immediately after calculating the peak level.

3. Local Settings Storage

PipeDown saves your user preferences (such as your designated call applications, auto-mute preferences, and "Never Mute" app list) locally on your Mac using standard macOS UserDefaults. These settings never leave your computer.

4. Third-Party Services

PipeDown does not integrate with any third-party advertising, analytics, or tracking services.

5. Contact Us

If you have questions or concerns regarding this Privacy Policy, you can reach out via our Support Page Contact Form.