Privacy policy

Effective 16 October 2026

The short version

ElfClean does not collect any data. There are no accounts, analytics, tracking, advertising or telemetry, and ElfClean operates no servers.

What ElfClean reads

To measure storage, ElfClean reads file metadata (names, sizes, dates) in the folders you grant. To identify a cleanup finding it may read small metadata files from supported tools, for example a simulator's device description, or a git repository's own files to check for uncommitted or unpushed work. When you search for duplicates, ElfClean reads the files it compares to see whether their contents match; this happens only on your Mac. The Apps screen also reads the name, version and identifier of apps in /Applications, ~/Applications and /System/Applications to list them; removing one needs your separate grant. Model stores and package caches you add, including ones on other disks, are read only through the access you grant for each, and Docker or virtual-machine disk images and other folders you choose to measure are only measured. To avoid removing something in use, ElfClean checks which programs are running, including their paths and launch arguments; this is read on your Mac and never stored or sent. Your file contents and conversation transcripts are never uploaded.

What stays on your Mac

Settings, folder access grants, compact storage summaries (kept for up to 90 days), the cleanup and restore history and any conversation histories you archive are stored locally in ElfClean's app container. You can clear storage summaries separately from history. If you export history as CSV, or a scan's findings as CSV, JSON or a copied summary, it contains local paths; review it before sharing.

Purchases

Apple's StoreKit handles product information, purchases, restoring and refunds under your Apple Account terms. ElfClean never receives your payment details.

Optional macOS features

Notifications and launch at login are optional and controlled by macOS. They never enable background deletion or send file information anywhere.

If you use the ElfClean shortcuts in Shortcuts or Siri, "Get Reclaimable Space" returns the last scan's total and your disk's free space to that shortcut, and "Get ElfClean Report" returns the open scan's findings (sections, sizes and local paths) as text or JSON to that shortcut, on your Mac. What the shortcut does with them next is up to the shortcut you run. ElfClean sends nothing anywhere.

This website

elfclean.app sets no cookies and runs no analytics, advertising or tracking scripts, and loads nothing from other sites. It is hosted by Vercel, which keeps standard server logs (such as IP addresses and the pages requested) to run and protect the service. Links to the App Store carry a campaign name so Apple's App Analytics can count, in aggregate, how many downloads came from this site; Apple's privacy policy covers the App Store.

Contact

Questions about privacy: csergay@gmail.com