Privacy policy

Effective November 7, 2026. Publisher: Sam Towers.

Local processing in the Mac app

Chat Archive processes the message archive you select on your Mac. The app has no account system, analytics, advertising, tracking, or upload service. It does not send your messages, contacts, attachments, or usage activity to the publisher.

After you select a backup folder, the app reads device names, backup dates, and backup metadata locally so you can choose a source. It imports only the Messages database. It does not automatically scan Contacts, read your Apple Account, or retrieve messages from iCloud.

Storage and deletion

The app keeps one private database snapshot inside its macOS app container. This includes the message content and metadata present in the imported Messages database. It remains until you replace it with a successfully validated import or choose Chat Archive > Erase Imported Archive. Original files are not changed. Erasing the imported archive does not delete exported PDFs, original backups, or copies retained by your own backup software.

Temporary processing files are used during import and export. The app attempts to remove them after completion or cancellation. App data may be included in your Mac's own backups; manage those copies through your backup provider.

Exports and external links

PDFs include messages, sender identifiers, dates, and attachment filenames. Photos, videos, and audio are not embedded. Exported files and manifests may contain private information. You control their destination and sharing. Saving into a cloud-synced folder can cause your cloud provider to upload them.

Support and privacy links open in your browser, under that browser's and the destination website's privacy practices. macOS and the App Store may separately handle purchase, crash, or diagnostic information according to your Apple settings and Apple's policies.

This website

This static website is hosted by Cloudflare Pages. It contains no publisher-added analytics, advertising, tracking scripts, or contact forms. Cloudflare may process IP addresses, browser information, and request logs to deliver and secure the site. See Cloudflare's privacy policy. The website does not receive message archives from the app.

Support email

If you contact samuel.towers@icloud.com, your email address and the information you choose to send are processed by the publisher and the email providers to respond to your request. Do not send message databases, passwords, backups, or private conversations. Support correspondence is retained while needed to handle your request and related follow-up or legal obligations. You may request deletion by email, subject to applicable retention requirements.

Questions and changes

For privacy questions or requests, contact Sam Towers at samuel.towers@icloud.com. Changes to this policy will be posted here with an updated effective date.