Privacy Policy

Last updated: [date of publishing]

Byter is a macOS app that shows how much data you use, how fast your connection is and how your networks compare. We built it to be private from the start: your usage history lives on your Mac, there’s no account, and we never see the websites you visit or anything you send. This page explains, in plain language, what Byter does with data, in the app and on this website.

Who we are

Byter is made by Maxwell Sas, based in Ghana. For anything privacy-related, email getbyter@proton.me. Under data protection law (such as the GDPR), we are the “controller” for the small amount of data described on this page that reaches us.

What stays on your Mac

These are stored locally by the app and never sent to us:

• Usage history: how much data was downloaded and uploaded, and when.
• Network names: the name of each Wi-Fi network, hotspot or wired connection, so your usage can be grouped by network.
• Speed test results and your settings (for example alert thresholds and whether Byter starts at login).

Byter measures the amount of data your Mac sends and receives. It does not inspect your traffic, so it never sees which websites or apps you use or what you send. You can clear all usage history from Byter’s settings at any time, and uninstalling Byter removes it from your Mac.

Location Services

macOS only lets apps see the name of the Wi-Fi network you’re on if they have Location Services permission. Byter asks for it for that one reason. Byter does not record, store or send your location.

What leaves your Mac

Some features need to connect to the internet. When they do, the other side can see your IP address, as with any internet connection.

Network details

To show your internet provider (ISP) and public IP address, Byter looks them up with ip-api.com. Like any website you visit, it sees your public IP address in order to answer.

To show your provider’s logo, Byter sends only the network name to Perspectiv, which sends back the matching logo if it has one. Nothing else is sent.

Speed tests

Speed tests use Cloudflare’s speed test service. Byter measures latency, then download speed (over four connections at once) and upload speed (over two). While the test runs, Cloudflare sees your IP address, as it would for any website. Results are saved only on your Mac.

Anonymous usage data

Byter shares anonymous, aggregated information about how the app is used, such as which features get used. It isn’t tied to you or your Mac and can’t be used to identify anyone. It has one purpose: to show us which features people love and should be looked after, and which ones we could remove.

This is on by default. You can switch it off at any time in Byter’s settings, and nothing more is sent from then on. The data is collected with PostHog, a product analytics service, which keeps it for up to a year before deleting it.

Updates [and crash reports, if any]

[Describe how Byter checks for updates (App Store or an update service) and whether any crash or diagnostic reports are sent. If none, say so.]

Supporting Byter

Donations (“Help keep Byter free”) are handled by Polar, who process the payment and share with us only what they need to, such as your name and email for the receipt. Polar’s own privacy policy applies to the payment. If you download Byter from the Mac App Store, Apple’s privacy policy applies to that purchase and download.

This website

• Hosting: the site is hosted by Cloudflare, which keeps short-lived server logs (such as IP addresses) for security and reliability, and gives us cookieless visitor totals (pages viewed, countries, browsers and page speed) that don’t identify anyone.
• Analytics: we use PostHog to count visits and clicks on this website (for example, how many people press Download). It’s set up without cookies and isn’t used to identify you.
• Links: feedback (UserJot), our X account, donations (Polar) and downloads take you to other services, which have their own privacy policies.

Why we’re allowed to process data (legal basis)

• Consent: for Location Services, which you can turn off at any time in macOS settings.
• Providing the features you use: for network-detail lookups and speed tests, which only happen when the app needs them.
• Legitimate interests: for anonymous usage data (to decide which features to keep and improve; you can switch it off in Byter’s settings), website analytics, and keeping this website secure and working.

Sharing and international transfers

We don’t sell your data or share it with advertisers. The services named above may process data outside your country. Where the GDPR applies, we rely on appropriate safeguards such as the European Commission’s Standard Contractual Clauses.

How long we keep data

Data stored on your Mac stays until you clear it or uninstall Byter. Anonymous usage data and website analytics are kept by PostHog for up to a year. Emails you send us are kept only as long as needed to help you.

Your rights

Depending on where you live, you can ask to access, correct, delete or export your data, object to or restrict how it’s used, and withdraw consent. In practice:

• Everything on your Mac is already in your hands: clear it in Byter’s settings or uninstall the app.
• To stop sharing anonymous usage data, switch it off in Byter’s settings.
• For anything else, email getbyter@proton.me. We’ll reply within 30 days.

If you’re unhappy with how we’ve handled your data, you can complain to your local data protection authority (in Ghana, the Data Protection Commission; in the EU or UK, your national supervisory authority).

Children

Byter isn’t meant for children under 13, and we don’t knowingly collect data from them. If you believe a child under 13 has sent us personal information, email us and we’ll delete it.

Changes to this policy

If we change how Byter handles data, we’ll update this page and the date at the top. Significant changes will also be announced in the app or on our X account.

Questions? Email getbyter@proton.me or reach us on X.