Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy applies to the NightOwl Dimmer macOS application (the “App”), the NightOwl website (the “Website”), and support communications that refer to this Policy. It does not govern Apple, websites linked from NightOwl, or other services that publish their own privacy notices.

For purposes of this Policy, NightOwl Dimmer is the provider of NightOwl Dimmer (“NightOwl,” “we,” “us,” or “our”). For personal information we decide how and why to process, the provider is the data controller or business responsible for that information. You can contact us using the details in Section 15.

NightOwl is a software display-dimming utility. To provide its features, the App may read information made available by macOS about connected displays, such as a display name or identifier, and process the settings you choose, including:

• whether dimming is enabled for each detected display and the selected dimming level;
• named Quick Presets and the per-display levels assigned to those presets;
• menu bar, launch-at-login, close behavior, and other App preferences; and
• a keyboard shortcut you configure for opening or controlling the App.

These display details and preferences are used to perform the actions you request and are designed to be stored locally in your macOS user environment. The current App does not upload your display names, dimming levels, preset names, or keyboard shortcut to the Website database, and it does not require a NightOwl user account.

If you choose to share diagnostics with Apple through your macOS privacy settings, Apple may make crash or diagnostic reports available to the developer. Any report we receive may include technical details such as App version, operating-system version, device type, and crash state. We use that information only to diagnose reliability or compatibility problems. Apple controls this collection under your Apple settings and its own privacy policy.

Information you provide

When you use the support form, we collect your name, email address, message, submission time, and the status assigned to the request. Please do not include passwords, payment card details, health information, or other sensitive personal information in a support message. If you contact us by email or another method, we receive the information in that communication.

Human verification and abuse prevention

The support form uses a server-signed arithmetic challenge, duplicate detection, challenge-replay protection, and rate limits. For rate limiting, the server converts the visitor address supplied by the hosting network into a one-way cryptographic source hash. It also stores a one-way hash of the signed challenge token to prevent reuse. The raw address, arithmetic answer, and challenge token are not stored in the support-submission record. These checks may automatically delay or reject a submission that appears automated, duplicated, or excessive, but they do not make decisions with legal or similarly significant effects.

Technical and request information

When a browser requests the Website or its backend content, hosting, content-delivery, security, and database providers may process ordinary request information such as IP address, approximate region, browser and device type, operating system, requested URL, referring page, timestamps, response status, and security events. We use this data to deliver the Website, maintain security, prevent abuse, and investigate errors.

Download-link activity

When you select a published download button, the Website records that the configured link was opened, together with its label, platform, version, and timestamp. This creates an operational alert in the private administrator area; it does not tell us whether you completed a download, installed the App, or made a purchase. To prevent repeated clicks from flooding the alert feed, the server converts the visitor address supplied by the hosting network into one-way, frequently rotating duplicate-suppression keys. The raw address and a persistent address hash are not stored in the alert record.

Local storage and similar technologies

The public Website stores your light or dark theme choice in browser local storage so it can restore your preference. The current public Website does not use advertising cookies or cross-site behavioral advertising tools. The protected admin area uses browser storage for authorized authentication sessions, the admin theme and brightness settings, and the last admin section opened. These admin values are not used to track public visitors.

The protected admin area is not a public account service. For authorized administrators, Supabase Auth processes an email address, account identifier, authentication credentials, session tokens, and related security metadata to verify access. Authentication credentials are handled by the authentication provider and are not stored in the public content tables.

The Website currently loads its typefaces from Google Fonts. As with other externally hosted files, Google receives the request needed to return those font files, which may include your IP address, browser details, and requested resource. Google handles that information under its own privacy policy.

We use information only as reasonably necessary to:

• provide on-device display dimming and remember the App settings you choose;
• answer support requests, troubleshoot problems, and keep a support history;
• verify NightOwl Pro purchase status and restore eligible purchases through Apple;
• operate, secure, debug, and improve the App and Website;
• prevent spam, challenge replay, fraud, and misuse;
• enforce applicable terms and protect users, NightOwl, and others; and
• comply with legal obligations and respond to valid legal requests.

Where privacy law requires a legal basis, we rely as appropriate on performance of a contract or steps you request before a contract, our legitimate interests in providing support and securing and improving NightOwl, compliance with legal obligations, and consent where consent is required. You may withdraw consent at any time, without affecting processing that was lawful before withdrawal.

NightOwl Pro is offered as a one-time in-app purchase through Apple. Apple processes your Apple ID, payment method, billing, tax, and refund information. NightOwl does not receive your full payment-card number. The App may receive a product identifier, transaction identifier, purchase or entitlement status, and related StoreKit information needed to unlock or restore NightOwl Pro and prevent purchase fraud.

Apple’s handling of purchase and diagnostic information is governed by the Apple Privacy Policy and your Apple account and device settings.

We do not sell personal information, share it for cross-context behavioral advertising, or provide support messages to data brokers. Information may be disclosed only in the following circumstances:

• Service providers: vendors process information for us to host, secure, and operate NightOwl, subject to their agreements and applicable law.
• Apple: Apple processes App Store distribution, purchases, refunds, entitlement restoration, and optional diagnostics.
• Legal and safety: information may be disclosed when reasonably necessary to comply with law or valid process, protect rights or safety, investigate fraud or abuse, or establish and defend legal claims.
• Business transfer: information may transfer as part of a merger, financing, acquisition, reorganization, bankruptcy, or sale of assets, subject to appropriate confidentiality and notice where required.
• At your direction: information may be shared when you request or consent to it.

Current Website infrastructure includes Lovable Cloud and Supabase for managed backend, database, authentication, storage, and server functions; hosting and content-delivery infrastructure that may include Cloudflare; and Google Fonts for font delivery. Their own notices are available at Lovable, Supabase, Cloudflare, and Google.

App preferences remain on your Mac until you change them, reset the App, remove its local data, or uninstall it, subject to macOS behavior and backups you control.

Support submissions and their anti-abuse hashes are retained for as long as reasonably necessary to respond, maintain support history, prevent repeated abuse, resolve disputes, and meet legal obligations. The retention period depends on the status and nature of the request, continuing support needs, applicable limitation periods, and legal requirements. We delete or de-identify records when they are no longer reasonably needed. Infrastructure logs and Apple transaction records are retained according to the relevant provider’s schedules and applicable law.

We use reasonable technical and organizational safeguards appropriate to the nature of the information, including restricted admin access, row-level database security, server-side support-form verification, rate limits, and one-way hashes for anti-abuse identifiers. No transmission or storage system is perfectly secure, so we cannot guarantee absolute security. You are responsible for securing your Mac, Apple account, email account, and any credentials under your control.

Depending on where you live and subject to legal exceptions, you may have rights to request access to, correction of, deletion of, or a copy of personal information; to restrict or object to processing; to withdraw consent; and to appeal or complain to a privacy regulator. We will not discriminate against you for exercising an applicable privacy right. We may need to verify your identity and authority before completing a request.

• Local App data: change settings in NightOwl, reset the relevant preference, or remove the App and its local data using macOS controls.
• Theme preference: clear the Website's local storage or use your browser's site-data controls.
• Support information: contact us to request access, correction, or deletion, and identify the email address used for the submission.
• Apple data: use your Apple privacy and account tools or contact Apple for information Apple controls.

For residents of the EEA, United Kingdom, or Switzerland, applicable rights may also include data portability and the right to lodge a complaint with the supervisory authority in your country. Where processing is based on legitimate interests, you may object based on your particular situation. Where applicable U.S. state privacy laws provide additional rights, we will honor them as required. Because NightOwl does not sell personal information or share it for targeted advertising, there is no sale or targeted-advertising opt-out necessary for our current practices.

NightOwl and its service providers may process information in the United States and other countries, which may have different privacy laws from your home country. Where required, we use legally recognized transfer mechanisms and contractual, technical, or organizational safeguards. You may contact us for more information about safeguards applicable to your information.

NightOwl is a general-audience utility and is not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information online from a child under 13 without any consent required by law. If you believe a child has submitted personal information, contact us so we can investigate and delete it where required. Users who are not old enough to agree to the Terms in their country should use NightOwl only with permission from a parent or legal guardian.

The App and Website may link to Apple, developer websites, email services, or other third parties. We do not control their privacy practices. Review the privacy notice of a third-party service before providing information to it.

Because the current Website does not sell personal information or use cross-site behavioral advertising, a browser “Do Not Track” or Global Privacy Control signal does not change those practices. If our practices change in a way that makes an opt-out signal legally relevant, we will update our implementation and this Policy as required.

We may update this Policy to reflect changes to NightOwl, our service providers, or the law. We will post the revised Policy and update the date above. If a change materially affects how we use personal information, we will provide additional notice when required.

Questions and privacy requests can be submitted through the NightOwl support form. Please write “Privacy Request” in the subject or first line and describe the request and the email address associated with the information. You may also contact the provider identified on the Support page.