Privacy Policy

Last Updated: December 29, 2025

Our Commitment to Privacy

msg is designed with privacy as the foundation. We believe your messages are yours and yours alone. This privacy policy explains how msg handles your data (spoiler: we don't).

Data Collection

We collect ZERO data. Specifically:

• No message content is ever sent to our servers
• No conversation metadata is collected
• No contact information leaves your device
• No usage analytics or telemetry
• No crash reports (unless you manually send them)
• No account creation or login required

How msg Works

msg operates entirely on your Mac:

• Local Database Access: msg reads your iMessage database directly from your Mac's storage (~/Library/Messages/chat.db)
• On-Device AI: All AI processing runs on a local model on your device. There is no third-party AI service, no external API, and no API keys — your messages are never sent off your Mac for processing
• Local Storage: All app data, including AI conversations and settings, is stored locally in your Mac's Application Support folder

No Third-Party AI

msg does not connect to any third-party AI services. The model that powers msg runs locally on your device, so the contents of your conversations are never transmitted to OpenAI, Anthropic, or any other external provider. There are no API keys to manage and nothing to opt out of — local is the only mode.

Permissions Required

msg requests the following macOS permissions:

• Full Disk Access: Required to read your iMessage database
• Contacts Access: To display contact names for your conversations (optional)
• Automation/Apple Events: To send messages through the Messages app

These permissions are used solely for the app's functionality and never to transmit data externally.

Automatic Updates

msg uses the Sparkle framework for automatic updates. When checking for updates:

• Only your current app version is sent to verify if an update is available
• No personal information or usage data is transmitted
• Updates are downloaded over a secure HTTPS connection
• You can disable automatic update checks in Settings

Data Security

Since all data stays on your Mac, your data security is managed by macOS:

• All data is protected by your Mac's FileVault encryption (if enabled)
• No data is transmitted to msg servers (we don't have any)

Children's Privacy

msg is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect any information from children, as we don't collect any information at all.

Changes to This Policy

If we ever change how msg handles data (though we don't plan to), we will update this policy and notify users through the app.

Open Source

While msg's code is currently closed-source, we're committed to transparency. If you have questions about how msg works, please reach out.