Last Updated: 15 Mar 2026
Hotaru is a privacy-focused company. We value and respect everyone's right to privacy. Our guiding principle is simple: we don't collect any more data than we need, and we do not share data with anyone else.
Infrastructure: Our website, domains, and sub-domains are registered with and maintained by Namecheap and Cloudflare. Servers and data storage are located in the United States.
Data Integrity: I do not sell or give away any personal information to others. Your data will not be disclosed to any third party unless you have consented explicitly to such a disclosure, or where there is a legal requirement to do so.
Mission: I am not interested in, nor do I collect, users' data—personal or otherwise. My sole interest is creating great, convenient software and supporting the people who use it.
Hotaru uses third-party services for payment processing to ensure your financial security. We do not store or collect your payment card details. Depending on where you purchased the Software, different terms and payment processors apply:
Our order process for direct purchases is conducted by our online reseller Paddle.com. Paddle is the Merchant of Record for all our orders.
Transactions: Paddle handles the checkout, taxes, and initial customer billing inquiries. Their Terms and Conditions apply to these transactions.
Refunds: For website purchases, please contact Paddle or our support team at hi@hotaru.fyi.
If you download or purchase the Software through the Apple App Store, the following terms apply:
Apple's Terms: Your purchase is subject to Apple's Standard Licensed Application End User License Agreement (EULA) and the App Store Terms of Service.
Payments & Refunds: All billing, subscriptions, and refunds for App Store purchases are managed exclusively by Apple. Hotaru does not have the ability to process refunds for App Store transactions. You must request refunds directly through your Apple ID account.
Family Sharing: If applicable, subscriptions and purchases may be shared with family members according to Apple's Family Sharing rules.
Domains: Our primary web presence is maintained at hotaru.fyi.
E-mail Storage: When you send an e-mail to any address ending in @hotaru.fyi, those e-mails are processed and stored by our service provider, Google Gmail, on secure servers located in the United States.
Legal Protections: Access to stored e-mails by our service providers is valid only under strict legal circumstances (for example, when required by US federal law).
Confidentiality: I do not share e-mail addresses, names, contents of e-mails, or any other data transferred by mail with anyone, unless required by law or if you explicitly consent (e.g., forwarding technical info to a specialized developer for bug fixing).
Zero Tracking: I have disabled all analytics and tracking for the Hotaru website. We do not use any telemetry, analytics, or tracking scripts within our apps (including Glint).
App Store Insights: For versions distributed via the Mac App Store, we are able to see aggregated, anonymous analytics information provided by Apple. This data is only available if you consented to share it during the initial setup of your macOS device and is managed entirely by Apple.
No Cookies: Our public websites do not use cookies. However, please note that third-party websites we link to (such as Paddle for payment) may use their own cookies to function correctly.
Our apps are predominantly client-side, running locally on your computer.
Local Indexing: All file metadata and search indexes used by Glint are processed and stored locally on your device.
Update Checks: Only necessary functions, such as checking for updates, may contact our servers. This feature can be disabled in the app settings at any time.
By using our site or apps, you authorize us to collect, use, and store your information in the United States. Data privacy laws vary across jurisdictions, and US laws will be applicable to your data while it is processed or stored here.
If you have questions regarding this privacy policy, please get in touch via hi@hotaru.fyi.