Privacy Policy
Left on Read is a local macOS utility that preserves incoming message information already available in the Messages database on your Mac. This policy explains what it accesses and where information is stored.
Summary
The app does not require a Left on Read account and does not send message content, contact information or usage analytics to rnodern. Its saved archive remains in your Mac user account.
Messages information
With Full Disk Access, Left on Read reads the local Messages database to identify incoming message text, sender identifiers, dates, edits and retractions. It copies captured information into its own local archive so the original version can remain available after a later edit or Undo Send.
The app does not intentionally send messages, open conversations, change message records or trigger read receipts. Apple controls Messages and iMessage behaviour, and future macOS changes may affect how this works.
Contacts
If you grant Contacts access, the app locally matches phone numbers and email addresses to contact names. Contacts permission is optional. Contact data is not uploaded to rnodern.
Local storage and retention
Captured message text, sender identifiers, timestamps and status information are stored in the app's local archive under your macOS user account. The current beta keeps captured records until you clear the archive. Future versions may provide additional retention controls.
Historical import and limitations
You may ask the app to import records still available in the local Messages database. Text removed before Left on Read captured it, including previously unsent text, may no longer be available and cannot be guaranteed recoverable. Capture also depends on the Mac and app being running.
Website contact form
If you contact us through this website, the name, email address, topic and message you enter are emailed to support@rnodern.dev. Do not include private message contents or attachments. The form uses a short-lived security cookie, bot protection and temporary per-IP rate limiting. Support email may be retained as reasonably needed to respond and maintain support history.
Disclosure and tracking
The app contains no advertising or analytics SDKs and does not sell personal information. Message archives and contacts are not disclosed to advertisers or data brokers. Apple and macOS continue to handle the underlying Messages and Contacts data under Apple's terms and privacy practices.
Your choices
You can deny or revoke Full Disk Access and Contacts access in macOS System Settings, pause monitoring, clear the saved archive, or quit and remove the app. Revoking access stops future reading but does not automatically erase records already captured; use the app's Clear History control first if you want those removed.
Security
Left on Read relies on macOS user-account and file protections for its local archive. Anyone with access to your unlocked Mac account may be able to view saved messages. No storage system can guarantee absolute security.
Changes
This policy may change as the app gains features such as attachments, export or configurable retention. The effective date will be updated when data practices materially change.
Contact
For privacy questions, use the contact form.