Privacy Policy

Last updated: 24 April 2026

MDReader ("the App") is a macOS Markdown reader and editor developed by Hugo Heriz-Smith. This policy explains how your information is handled by the App.

Summary

MDReader is designed with privacy in mind. It does not collect analytics, does not track your behaviour, does not create an account, does not transmit your documents anywhere, and does not share any information with third parties. The App has no servers. Your files remain on your Mac, in the locations you chose for them.

Information the App Accesses

Documents You Open

When you open a Markdown document in MDReader — by using File → Open, by dragging a file onto the app, or by double-clicking a .md file in Finder — macOS grants the App permission to read (and if you save, write) that specific file. The App reads the file's contents in order to display and edit it. Files are not copied into the App, are not uploaded anywhere, and are not indexed by any service. When you close the file or quit the App, the App's access to it ends.

The App operates inside Apple's App Sandbox, which restricts it to the files you have explicitly granted access to. It cannot read the rest of your disk.

Recent Documents

macOS maintains a standard "Recent Documents" list for the App, which stores the paths of files you have recently opened so they can reappear in the File menu. This list is kept locally on your Mac by the operating system and is never transmitted off the device. You can clear it at any time from the File menu.

Information the App Does Not Access

MDReader does not request or use:

  • Your location

  • Your camera, microphone, or photos

  • Your contacts, calendars, or reminders

  • Bluetooth, USB, or other hardware

  • Any identifier that could be used to track you across apps or devices

The App contains no analytics SDKs, no advertising SDKs, no crash reporting services, and no third-party tracking of any kind.

Network Activity

MDReader does not make network requests to any server operated by the developer or by any third party. The App includes macOS's standard outgoing-network entitlement only because WebKit (the framework used to render the Markdown preview) requires it internally to load local HTML; no remote connections are made by the App itself.

One honest exception worth noting: if a Markdown document you open contains references to remote images or other external resources — for example, ![diagram](https://example.com/image.png) — the preview will load those resources directly from the referenced server, the same way any web browser would when rendering a web page. MDReader does not proxy, intercept, or filter these requests. If you prefer that no such fetches occur, avoid opening documents that contain remote references, or disconnect from the network while previewing.

Data Storage and Security

All your data — your Markdown files and any edits you save — is stored in the locations on your Mac that you chose. The App does not maintain a hidden database, a cache of your document contents, or any cloud storage. Uninstalling the App does not affect your documents; they remain wherever you saved them.

Analytics and Tracking

None. The App performs no analytics, no behavioural tracking, and no telemetry.

Third-Party Services

None. The App integrates with no third-party services.

Children's Privacy

MDReader does not knowingly collect information from children under 13. The App does not require account creation and does not collect personal information from anyone.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be reflected in the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.

Contact

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or your data, please contact:

Hugo Heriz-Smith
Email: hugo@heriz-smith.com