Privacy
Privacy
Last updated: September 2026
How audio is handled
Sway reads the audio your Mac is outputting, meaning what you're playing yourself, not sound picked up by the microphone.
That audio is cut into very short pieces in memory and analyzed to estimate the tempo and beat positions, then discarded immediately. Nothing is written to disk, encoded or sent anywhere, and Sway has no way to reconstruct what you listened to.
Now-playing information
If you turn on Now Playing bubble, Sway reads the system's Now Playing info and shows the song title and artist in the bubble above the character. This happens entirely on your Mac; the info is only displayed, never uploaded or logged.
Sway remembers each song's tempo on your Mac so it can lock on faster next time. That record stays on your computer and contains only the title and artist plus a number.
Usage statistics
Version 0.1.1 and earlier send no usage statistics at all.
Later versions ask you on first launch. If you agree, Sway sends the items below at most once a day. You can turn it off in the settings panel at any time:
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Random install ID | A random string generated at install time, unrelated to your account or device, and replaced immediately if you turn statistics off |
| App version | e.g. 0.1.1 |
| macOS version | e.g. 15.2 |
| Chip architecture | Apple silicon or Intel |
| Interface language | Chinese or English |
Never sent: song titles, artists, audio, file paths, device names, user names, precise location, or anything else that could identify you.
Our server doesn't log IP addresses. The install ID is stored only as a one-way hash, used to count how many Macs run Sway; the original ID is never kept.
When you click Download on this site, we count one download, recording only the date, version and country or region. No IP addresses here either.
Automatic updates
Sway uses Sparkle to check for updates, which makes an ordinary HTTPS request to the update feed. Updates are signature-checked before installing, and nothing installs if the check fails.
What Sway doesn't do
- No access to contacts, calendars, photos, location or browsing history.
- No third-party advertising or analytics.
- No accounts and no sign-in.
- No selling or sharing of any data.
Permissions
| Permission | Why it's needed |
|---|---|
| Audio capture | To read the audio your Mac is outputting and analyze the beat. This is the core feature; without it Sway can't follow music. |
Sway asks for no other system permissions.
Contact
Questions about privacy? Reach out on X at @moon_kites.