Privacy Policy

Last updated: 6 August 2026

Shipmate is a native macOS App Store Connect companion built for indie developers. It is local-first by design: your data lives on your Mac, and Shipmate has no account system and no servers that store your information. This policy explains exactly what the app touches and what never leaves your machine.

Who we are

Shipmate is published by NTPCO ("we", "us", "our"). If you have any questions about this policy, you can reach us at contact.ntpco@gmail.com.

No account required

Shipmate does not require you to create an account, sign in, or provide any personal information to use it. There is no Shipmate login, and we do not maintain user profiles.

Data the app touches

To do its job, Shipmate works with data from your own Apple App Store Connect (ASC) account, using credentials you provide:

• App Store Connect API keys. The API key you configure (including the .p8 private key material) is stored in the macOS Keychain on your Mac. It is used only to sign requests to Apple's App Store Connect API from your device.
• Sales, proceeds and download reports. Fetched from Apple on your behalf and cached locally on your device so the app stays fast.
• Customer reviews and ratings. Fetched from Apple and cached locally so you can read and reply to them.
• Keyword ranks, app metadata, build and health metrics. Fetched from Apple and stored locally on your device.

What never leaves your Mac

By default, Shipmate is self-contained. In particular:

• Your App Store Connect API keys are stored in the macOS Keychain and never leave your Mac. We never receive, transmit, or store them.
• The sales, reviews, and other App Store Connect data Shipmate fetches is cached locally on your device. It is exchanged directly between your Mac and Apple — it does not pass through any NTPCO server.
• We operate no backend that receives your credentials, your app data, or your content.

Optional, anonymous usage analytics

Shipmate may collect a small amount of anonymous, aggregate usage information to understand which features are used and to catch problems. This is strictly limited:

• It is tied only to a random install identifier generated on your device — not to you, your Apple ID, your apps, or any account.
• It contains no personal data and never includes your credentials, app names, review text, sales figures, or search queries.
• It is opt-out: you can disable it at any time in Shipmate's settings.

AI features

Shipmate's optional AI features (such as review-reply drafting, summaries, and screenshot caption translation) can run entirely on your device using local models via MLX, Ollama, or LM Studio — in which case nothing is sent anywhere.

Alternatively, you may choose to configure a cloud AI provider using your own API key. If you do, the prompts and content you send for those features are transmitted to that provider and are governed by that provider's own privacy policy and terms. We do not sit in the middle of that connection and do not receive that data.

Third parties

Shipmate communicates directly with Apple's App Store Connect API to fetch your data; that exchange is governed by Apple's terms and privacy policy. The only other outbound connections are ones you explicitly enable — such as a cloud AI provider you configure with your own key. In that case, that provider is the data controller for the content you send it, under its own policies.

Children's privacy

Shipmate is a professional developer tool intended for adults. It is not directed to children, and we do not knowingly collect any information from children under the age of 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your jurisdiction).

Data retention

Because Shipmate stores everything locally, retention is entirely in your hands. Cached data and credentials live on your Mac until you remove them. You can clear cached data or delete stored credentials from within the app, and deleting the app removes its local data. Any App Store Connect API key you no longer want can also be revoked from within App Store Connect itself.

Your rights

Because we do not hold your personal data on any server, most data-subject requests (access, correction, deletion) are satisfied directly on your device: you control the local cache and credentials, and you can disable optional analytics at any time. If you have questions about your rights or this policy, contact us and we will help.

Security

Credentials are stored using the macOS Keychain, and network requests to Apple are made over encrypted connections. No system is perfectly secure, but keeping your data on your own device removes the large central target that a shared server would present.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date above. Material changes will be reflected here, and your continued use of Shipmate after an update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

Contact

Questions about privacy? Email us at contact.ntpco@gmail.com or visit our contact page.