01 / BEFORE PERMISSIONS
Start with the app and its distribution source.
Download Mac software from the developer’s official website, the Mac App Store or another source you intentionally trust. Confirm that the product has a current website, support contact, privacy policy and a clear update history.
Apple Developer ID signing identifies the developer certificate used to sign an app. Notarization adds an automated Apple malware-checking process and allows Gatekeeper to verify the submitted build. These mechanisms reduce risk and installation friction, but they do not replace your own review of the app’s behavior.
The developer should disclose the limitation before download. Treat any macOS warning seriously, verify the source and follow Apple’s official instructions only if you deliberately decide to continue.
02 / PURPOSE BEFORE ACCESS
Match every permission to a visible feature.
macOS permissions are not all equivalent. Ask what the app can access, why it needs that access and whether the feature remains optional.
Calendar
Reasonable for showing upcoming events. Check whether event content stays local and whether the feature can remain disabled.
Automation
Can allow one app to control or read data from another app, such as Apple Notes or a media player. Review the named target.
Input Monitoring
May be used for global media, brightness or volume keys. The developer should state whether typed text is read or stored.
Files
Prefer access limited to files you explicitly select or drop instead of broad access to an entire disk or folder.
Camera, microphone, Accessibility and Screen Recording are especially sensitive. A notch app should give a specific feature-level reason before requesting any of them.
03 / STORAGE
Find out what stays on your Mac and for how long.
Clipboard history and file shelves can contain private material even when they never leave the device. Check where data is stored, whether it is protected by macOS, how long it is retained and how it can be cleared.
- Temporary data should have a clear retention period.
- API keys and access credentials should use secure system storage such as Keychain.
- A privacy page should distinguish app data from website analytics.
- Deleting or disabling a feature should have predictable consequences.
04 / NETWORK
Local-first does not always mean fully offline.
An app may keep working data local while still contacting a licensing service, exchange-rate provider, weather service or user-selected AI provider. The useful disclosure is not simply “local-first”; it is a concrete list of network functions and the data included in each request.
Look for answers to these questions:
- Is clipboard, file, note or calendar content uploaded?
- Does the app include analytics or advertising telemetry?
- Which features contact third-party providers?
- Are identifiers, IP-derived data or payment records retained?
- Can optional online features remain disabled?
05 / FIDE ISLAND DISCLOSURE
How Fide Island handles permissions and local data.
The current Fide Island app stores its temporary shelf copies and clipboard history locally and is designed to clear them after 24 hours. Apple Notes access is performed through macOS Automation, and on-device translation uses Apple’s Translation framework on macOS 15 or later.
The app contacts a limited access service for trials and paid entitlements. Exchange rates, optional weather and optional Gemini features use separate network providers. Clipboard, shelf files, calendar, media, Notes and translation text are not included in Fide Island access-service requests.
Fide Island does not request Camera, Microphone or Screen Recording permission in the current release. The current build is also not yet signed or notarized; that status is disclosed on the installation page.