Documentation/Privacy and security
Guide 13Privacy and security
Understand capture controls, storage and the boundaries of optional network features.
Start with local history
Clipboard history and snippets are stored locally by default. You choose retention and what to capture. Optional features have their own network boundaries; local storage does not mean every feature is offline.
Exclude an application
- Open Settings → Privacy.
- Find the excluded-app controls.
- Add the app whose copied content should not be captured, or whose text expansion should be disabled, according to the relevant control.
- Verify with harmless test text from that app.
Capture exclusion and text-expansion exclusion can serve different purposes. Review the control’s description rather than assuming one switch governs both.
Pause capture
Use the app’s pause/privacy controls before a task you do not want recorded. Check the displayed state afterwards and resume deliberately when you are ready.
Pausing affects capture behaviour; it does not erase previously stored content. Review history separately if you need to remove an existing item.
Sensitive-content protection
Pocket Paste includes protections for secure input, recognised password-manager sources and supported sensitive-content patterns. These are safeguards, not a guarantee that every secret in every application will be recognised.
Avoid copying secrets into ordinary documents or chat fields. Exclude sensitive workflows and review retained content periodically.
App lock
When using the app’s lock feature, configure it through the security settings and test the unlock method on your own Mac. A UI lock and encryption of exported files are different protections. Do not infer a particular at-rest encryption guarantee from the presence of a lock screen.
Network boundaries
| Feature | Boundary |
|---|---|
| Local history and on-device OCR | Core processing on your Mac |
| Optional iCloud Sync | Selected data through Apple’s CloudKit |
| Google translation engine | Text you explicitly request to translate goes to Google |
| License activation | License and device information sent for validation |
| Update checks | Requests for release metadata and downloads |
The Privacy Policy describes the product’s published data practices. This guide explains how to use the controls; it does not replace that policy.
Remove data deliberately
Review the app’s trash and retention controls. A recoverable deletion, permanent removal and removal from another synced device can have different outcomes. Make a backup before a broad cleanup if you may need the data again.
When asking for support, send a non-private reproduction and version information. Avoid exporting your entire clipboard library for a simple bug report.