Last updated: October 20, 2026
Spyglass is a macOS app that shows Quick Look previews for Markdown, source code, notebooks, archives, Google Drive files and other file types. This policy explains what data it accesses and how that data is handled. In short: previews are made on your Mac, Spyglass has no server, and it only goes online to check a license key with Gumroad, to look for updates on GitHub and, on the Spyglass Drive plan, to fetch your own documents from Google.
When you press Space on a file, Spyglass reads that file on your Mac and draws the preview there. Some previews need a little more: a folder preview reads the folder's contents, and a Markdown preview reads the images stored next to the file. Spyglass reads these files only to draw the preview you asked for. Format previews never use the network, and nothing from them is sent to us or to anyone else.
When you activate a license, Spyglass sends the key to Gumroad's license API to confirm the purchase. It may check the key again later, so that a renewed, cancelled or refunded purchase is picked up. Gumroad receives the key and the IP address the request comes from, and nothing about your files. Purchases happen on Gumroad's own site, and we never see or store your payment details. Gumroad's handling of your data is governed by Gumroad's privacy policy.
Spyglass checks GitHub, where its releases are published, for a new version once a day and installs updates from there. GitHub receives the request, the IP address it comes from and the Spyglass version, and nothing about your files. You can turn automatic checks off in Spyglass Settings, under Updates. GitHub's handling of your data is governed by GitHub's privacy statement.
Spyglass keeps a tally of how many previews it showed on your Mac in the last seven days, grouped by format (for example, 12 Markdown and 4 Google Drive). It stores only those numbers, never file names or contents, and shows them in Spyglass Settings.
When you press a Buy button in the app, it opens Gumroad checkout with a few of those numbers in the link: which button you pressed, how far into the free trial you are, your most-used format, and a rough range for this week's previews (such as "10-49"). Gumroad shows us these as totals per combination, so we can see which kinds of use lead to a purchase. Nothing is sent at any other time, and the tally never leaves your Mac otherwise.
Spyglass accesses your Google data only if you are on the Spyglass Drive plan (or use a Spyglass 1.0 key) and sign in with Google. The free Google Drive info card and every format preview need no account and access no Google data at all. When you do sign in, Spyglass requests:
https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.readonly. Spyglass reads your documents so they can be exported and shown as previews. It cannot create, edit, delete, move, or share your files.Spyglass does not use your Google data for anything else. It is never used for analytics, tracking, advertising, or profiling.
Nowhere but your own Mac and Google. Spyglass has no backend server. Your documents and email are exchanged directly between your device and Google's APIs. We never receive, store, sell, or share your data with any third party. Google's own Privacy Policy governs their side of that exchange.
Spyglass's use of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. Google user data is used only to provide and improve the app's user-facing preview feature. It is never transferred to or used by third parties, never used for advertising, and never used to train AI or machine-learning models.
~/Library/Group Containers/V8K8L3ZSD5.com.spyglass.shared/previews. They stay there until you delete that folder, and Spyglass shows them only while your plan includes Drive previews.Signing out in Spyglass Settings deletes the stored tokens and revokes the grant with Google, so access ends immediately. You can also revoke Spyglass at any time from your Google Account permissions page.
magicelklabs.com counts its visitors with Umami. For each visit it records the page, the site or link that sent you there, your country, language, browser and device type, and whether you clicked a Buy or Download button. Umami doesn't set cookies or store anything in your browser, and it doesn't keep your IP address. If you arrive from another site or a tagged link, the site keeps that source in your browser until you close the tab and adds it to its Gumroad links, so Gumroad can show where a sale came from. The Spyglass app itself sends none of this.
Spyglass is a general-purpose developer tool and is not directed at children under 13.
If this policy changes, the updated version will be posted on this page with a new "last updated" date.
Questions about this policy or your data? Email support@magicelklabs.com.