ClearbayPrivacy Policy
Effective 5 November 2026. This policy covers the Clearbay app for macOS (App Store and Direct editions), its online services, and this website.
The short version
- No account. You never sign up or log in to use Clearbay.
- Your files stay yours. Scanning, sorting, previews and offloading happen on your Mac. Clearbay never uploads the contents of your files to us.
- AI is opt-in. Only when you allow it and click Explain, or ask for a plan, does Clearbay send a short description of the item: its path with your user name removed, its size and dates, and a few names of items inside.
- No tracking. No ads, no advertising IDs, no third-party analytics or tracking SDKs, in the app or on this website.
- We don't sell data. Not to anyone, ever.
Who we are
Clearbay is made by NepTechPal, an independent software developer in Nepal ("we", "us"). We are responsible for the data described here. Contact: support@neptechpal.com.np.
What stays on your Mac
Scan results, the space map, your Remove / Keep / Offload choices, the journal of every run, offload manifests, Quick Look previews and folder Peek lists are created and stored only on your Mac (in ~/Library/Application Support/Offload). We cannot see them.
Random install ID
On first launch Clearbay creates a random identifier (a UUID) for that installation. It is not derived from your hardware, your Apple ID or any advertising identifier, and it contains no personal data. The app sends it, together with the app version, when it talks to Clearbay's online service, so we can apply daily AI limits, stop abuse, and keep Pro activations working.
For each install ID our service stores: the date it was first and last seen, the app version, and, if you activate a Direct licence, which licence key it uses.
AI explanations and plans
Clearbay asks for your permission before its first AI request. If you say no, everything else keeps working and explanations come from Clearbay's built-in rules. You can change this at any time in Settings.
When AI is on, Clearbay sends a request only when you click Explain on an item or ask for a cleanup plan. The request contains:
- The item's path, normalised on your Mac first: your home folder becomes
~, and drive names, UUIDs, version numbers and dates in the path are replaced. - Its size, whether it is a file or a folder, how long since it was last opened, and the id and description of the built-in rule that matched it, if any.
- For folders, up to 15 names of items directly inside.
- For a plan: the goal text you typed (for example "free 20 GB, keep my projects") and the list of found items described the same way.
Never sent: the contents of any file, your user name, your email, or anything about items you didn't ask about.
Requests go to Clearbay's AI service, which runs on Cloudflare Workers and uses an open-weight Qwen model hosted on Cloudflare Workers AI. The request is processed to produce the answer and is not used by us to train any model.
To keep answers fast and costs low, explanations are cached: the answer is stored under a one-way hash of the model, rule id and normalised path, so the next person who asks about the same kind of folder (for example ~/.gradle/caches) gets the stored answer. The cache does not contain your install ID. Cached answers expire after 90 days.
AI answers can be wrong. Clearbay always labels them "Explained by AI · may be wrong", and AI never decides what is safe to remove; built-in rules do.
Usage counts and limits
To enforce daily limits (for example 20 explanations a day on the free version), the service keeps a count per install ID per day of: explanations generated, cached answers served, and plans created. These daily counts are deleted automatically after 120 days. We look at totals across all installs to understand load and cost; we don't build profiles of individual users.
Short-term rate limiting (per minute, per install ID) is handled by Cloudflare and is not stored by us.
Rule updates
Clearbay may check for an updated set of built-in rules. That request sends your install ID, the app version and the version of the rules you already have, and nothing else.
Purchases and licence keys
App Store: purchases are handled entirely by Apple. We don't receive your name, Apple ID or payment details. Apple gives us standard, anonymised sales reports.
Direct edition: when you buy or receive a licence, we store the licence key, the email address it was issued to, where it came from, and the install IDs it is activated on (up to 3 Macs). We use this only to activate and verify your licence and to answer support requests. Licence records are kept while the licence exists. Payments, if any, are processed by our payment provider, which will be named here before Direct sales start.
Cloud storage you connect
If you offload to S3-compatible storage (Cloudflare R2, Amazon S3, Backblaze B2, Wasabi, MEGA S4 or a custom endpoint), your access keys are stored in your Mac's Keychain, available on this Mac only. Files go directly from your Mac to the storage you chose. Clearbay's servers never see your files, your keys or your bucket names.
If you offload to a cloud folder (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox, Box or iCloud Drive), Clearbay only copies files into that folder on your Mac. The provider's own app does the uploading. Clearbay never logs in to those services.
What happens to data in your storage is governed by your agreement with that provider.
This website
This site uses no cookies, no analytics and no third-party scripts or fonts. It is hosted on Cloudflare Pages; like any web host, Cloudflare processes technical request data (such as IP address and browser type) to deliver the site and protect it from attacks.
Waitlist
If you join the waitlist we store:
- your email address;
- your answer to "What fills your Mac?", if you gave one;
- the time you signed up;
- your country, as reported by Cloudflare from your connection;
- a salted one-way hash of your IP address, used only to stop the same connection signing up many addresses within a minute. We never store the IP address itself.
We use your email only to tell you about Clearbay: the beta, the launch and the launch price. Ask us and we'll remove you; every email will also say how. We keep the list until shortly after launch emails are done, or until you ask us to remove you.
What we never do
- Read, upload or analyse the contents of your files.
- Show ads or use advertising identifiers.
- Include third-party analytics, crash-reporting or tracking SDKs.
- Sell, rent or share personal data for marketing.
How long we keep data
| Data | Kept for |
|---|---|
| Daily usage counts per install | 120 days, then deleted automatically |
| Cached AI explanations | 90 days |
| AI requests (path, size, names, goal text) | Not stored beyond processing, except in the cached answer described above |
| Install record (ID, first/last seen, app version) | While the service runs, or until you ask us to delete it |
| Licence keys and activations | While the licence exists |
| Waitlist entries | Until shortly after launch, or until you ask us to remove you |
| Support emails | As long as needed to help you, then deleted |
Service providers
| Provider | What for |
|---|---|
| Cloudflare, Inc. | Website hosting, the Clearbay online service (Workers, D1 database, KV cache) and the AI model (Workers AI) |
| Apple Inc. | App Store distribution and in-app purchases |
Cloudflare may process data in data centres outside your country, including the United States.
Your rights
Wherever you live, you can ask us to access, correct, export or delete personal data we hold about you, or object to how we use it. If you are in the EU, UK or a similar jurisdiction (GDPR), our legal bases are: providing the service you asked for (AI answers, licences), our legitimate interest in preventing abuse and keeping costs under control (limits, rate checks), and your consent (waitlist, AI). You may also complain to your local data protection authority. If you are a California resident (CCPA/CPRA), we do not sell or share personal information and we don't use it for targeted advertising.
Because Clearbay has no accounts, we can only find data linked to something you give us: your waitlist email, or your licence key. Usage counts tied only to an install ID expire on their own after 120 days; deleting ~/Library/Application Support/Offload gives your Mac a new install ID.
To make a request, email support@neptechpal.com.np. We will answer within 30 days.
Children
Clearbay is a general-purpose utility and is not directed at children under 13. We don't knowingly collect personal data from children.
Changes
If we change what Clearbay collects, we will update this page and its effective date before the change takes effect. Significant changes will also be shown in the app.