Privacy Policy — ELI5 for Mac

Last updated: July 27, 2026

ELI5 for Mac explains text you select in any app, or text recognized from a screen region you choose. This policy describes the data the app handles and where that data goes.

What ELI5 handles

• Selected or recognized text. When you request an explanation, ELI5 sends the selected text—or text recognized locally from your chosen screen region—to the AI model provider you configured. It is sent only so that provider can generate the requested explanation.
• Screen regions. The Screen Recording permission is used only when you invoke the region-capture shortcut and select an area. Text recognition is performed on your Mac with Apple Vision. The captured image is not sent to the developer or retained by the developer.
• Clipboard contents. In apps that do not expose selected text through macOS Accessibility, ELI5 may briefly use Copy as a fallback. It restores the clipboard immediately afterward.
• API keys. Provider API keys are stored locally in the macOS Keychain and are transmitted only to the provider you selected to authenticate your own requests.
• Settings and recent explanations. App settings and a short explanation history are stored locally on your Mac. You can clear them at any time.

Permissions

• Accessibility lets ELI5 read text you selected and detect selection activity when you use its explain features.
• Screen Recording lets ELI5 capture only the region you deliberately select for on-device OCR.

These permissions can be revoked at any time in macOS System Settings.

What ELI5 does not do

• ELI5 does not send your data to the developer or to an ELI5 server. There is no ELI5 backend; model requests go directly from your Mac to the provider you chose.
• ELI5 does not include analytics, tracking, advertising, or fingerprinting.
• ELI5 does not sell or share your data.
• If you use a local model, your explanation text stays on your Mac.

Third-party providers

When you choose a cloud provider, your requested text is processed under that provider's own privacy policy and terms. Choose a provider you trust and review its policy for details about prompt data.

Data retention

ELI5 keeps settings and recent explanations locally on your Mac until you clear them or remove the app. The developer does not receive or retain this data.

Contact

Questions about this policy: kpomenuko@gmail.com