Privacy policy
Last updated
Mowji is developed and operated by Francesco Bonomi. This policy explains what happens to your data when you use the Mac app, visit mowji.app, download the app, buy a license, or contact support. Francesco Bonomi is the data controller responsible for the processing described here under the GDPR, except where a provider acts independently as explained below. Send privacy questions and requests to francesco@mowji.app.
The short version
- Emoji searches run on your Mac. Your typed text, searches, Favorites, and Aliases aren't sent for cloud processing.
- Website analytics use no cookies or fingerprinting. Downloads don't require an email address or purchase.
- The app sends one first-run installation event even with usage analytics off. Other usage analytics and automatic diagnostics have separate controls in Settings.
- Dodo Payments handles purchases and license activation. Feedback and any attachments are sent only when you submit them.
- Mowji does not sell or rent your personal data.
What stays on your Mac
Mowji uses macOS Accessibility permission, called Device Control and Data Access on macOS 27, to receive keyboard events, detect your trigger, read your search query, and insert emoji. Search processing happens locally. Your preferences, Favorites, Aliases, exclusions, usage history, and trial state are stored on your Mac. There is no account-based cloud sync.
A local Debug Log is kept for up to seven days and can be cleared from the Debug Info sheet. Debug Info can include app names and details about text fields. It leaves your Mac only if you approve attaching it to feedback. Recent searches and chosen emoji need a separate choice for that submission. See the Trust page for more about permissions and controls.
Website analytics
The Mowji website uses Simple Analytics to understand page views, referring sites, and actions such as clicking a DMG download, opening checkout, following a social link, watching or interacting with demos, or opening an FAQ answer. A download click is not proof that a download finished, and opening checkout is not a completed purchase. These events do not include your email address, payment details, or license key.
Website analytics use no cookies, fingerprinting, or persistent visitor identifiers. Requests go through this site's server, which strips visitor IP-forwarding headers and cookies before forwarding them. Simple Analytics stores its analytics data in the EU. These aggregate statistics help improve the Mowji website.
App usage analytics
The Mac app uses TelemetryDeck to understand installations and feature use. On the first run of a new installation, it sends one event even when usage analytics is off. That event contains the app version, build, release channel, and a random installation identifier, hashed before sending. The identifier can link this first run to later analytics if you enable them. It is not based on your hardware, email, or license key and is separate from website analytics.
When usage analytics is enabled, additional events include setup progress, daily insertion and copy totals, picker outcomes, feature use, broad settings choices, customization actions, trial milestones, and license checkout and activation outcomes, together with the app and macOS versions. They exclude typed text, search queries, chosen emoji, app names, window contents, email addresses, and license keys.
You can change usage analytics and crash reporting independently in Settings → About → Privacy. First-run onboarding presents both switches as on; you can turn either off, and saved choices are kept. Turning usage analytics off removes unsent optional events and stops their collection. It does not recall data already delivered or disable the first-run event. TelemetryDeck states that it does not store IP addresses and has no fixed deletion schedule for cold-storage analytics events.
Crash reports and diagnostics
When Crash reports and errors is enabled, the app sends reports to Sentry to investigate crashes, freezes, and selected errors. Reports can contain stack traces, app and macOS versions, device context, and recent operation names. This setting also sends reliability reports for healthy and crashed app runs, including random session and installation identifiers, timing, duration, and error counts. These identifiers are separate from the TelemetryDeck identifier.
Automatic diagnostics are configured to exclude typed text, search queries, chosen emoji, app and window contents, and license keys. They do not attach your full Debug Log or screenshots. Turning the setting off stops new automatic diagnostics; reports already captured may have been sent or queued for delivery.
Purchases and license activation
Dodo Payments is the merchant of record: it sells the license, processes payment and tax, manages payment disputes, and emails your license key. It collects checkout information such as your name, email, billing details, payment information, and technical or fraud-prevention data. Dodo acts as an independent data controller for those activities. Mowji does not receive your full card details, but can access customer, order, payment-status, and license records needed to support your purchase.
Opening checkout sends Dodo whether it was opened from the website or app. App checkout also includes whether your trial is available, exhausted, already licensed, or unknown. Activating a license sends Dodo the key and your Mac's computer name. Later validation and deactivation use the key and activation identifier. Requests also reveal normal connection information, including your IP address. These exchanges provide and manage your license.
Downloads, updates, and hosting
The website, demo video, downloads, and app-update files are hosted through Cloudflare. Delivering them involves technical information such as your IP address, browser or app user agent, requested URL, and request time. Technical request and error logs may be retained to operate the service, investigate problems, and prevent abuse. Checkout also uses short-lived IP-based request limits.
Downloading the DMG does not require an email address and does not purchase a license. The app connects to the update service to check for releases and download an update when requested or allowed by your update settings.
Email, the launch list, and support
This website no longer accepts waitlist signups or sends signup emails. Buying a license does not subscribe you to marketing emails.
Removing the signup service does not itself delete earlier signup records. If you joined the pre-launch list, your address, subscription choices, and past delivery records may remain with the previous email provider until deleted. You can contact Mowji support to withdraw your email consent or request deletion. The previous commitment to delete unconfirmed addresses within 30 days continues to apply.
If you email Mowji support, it receives your address, message, and any attachments you send. In-app feedback is sent through Sentry with your message, category, optional email, app and macOS versions, and hardware architecture. Screenshots and Debug Info are optional; only include information you want to share. Sending feedback works independently of the automatic diagnostics setting.
Cookies, local storage, and video
The website does not set analytics or advertising cookies. A browser that previously joined the waitlist may hold a local signup marker so repeat submissions are not counted as new signups. It contains no email address and remains until site data is cleared. It is not a cross-site identifier.
The press page loads its YouTube player only after you choose to play the video. It uses privacy-enhanced mode. Playing it connects your browser to Google, which receives connection and playback information under its privacy policy. Privacy-enhanced mode does not make playback anonymous. Following an external link also takes you to that provider's service and privacy terms.
Purposes, legal bases, and retention
Mowji processes purchase, license, and related support information to provide the product and respond to your requests (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR), and records required for tax or other legal duties to comply with those duties (Art. 6(1)(c)). Email subscriptions and optional analytics and diagnostics rely on your consent (Art. 6(1)(a)). Hosting, security, general support, and basic installation counting serve legitimate interests in running, protecting, and improving the product (Art. 6(1)(f)). You can object to processing based on legitimate interests.
Purchase and license records are kept while needed to provide your license and support, meet recordkeeping duties, and resolve payment disputes or legal claims. Support correspondence, feedback, and diagnostics are kept while needed to answer the request or investigate the issue, subject to the provider's retention settings. Withdrawing a setting does not automatically erase previously delivered reports. You can contact Mowji support about deletion; legal obligations and the ability to identify a record may limit what can be removed.
Browsing and downloading need no customer account. Checkout needs the information required to process the order, and activation needs a valid license key. An email subscription, optional analytics, diagnostics, and feedback are not required to use the trial or buy a license. The one-time first-run event described above is separate from those optional settings.
Providers and international transfers
Service providers receive the data needed for hosting, email, analytics, diagnostics, payment, or support. They act on Mowji's behalf where applicable; Dodo's merchant-of-record processing and Google's video service have their own controller responsibilities. Mowji may also disclose records when required by law or to establish or defend legal claims.
Some providers and their subprocessors operate outside the European Economic Area. EU data hosting does not exclude international access or email transit. Applicable safeguards can include adequacy decisions, the EU–US Data Privacy Framework, and Standard Contractual Clauses. The linked provider policies explain their arrangements; contact Mowji support for information about the safeguards applying to your data.
Your rights
Where the GDPR applies, and subject to its conditions, you can:
- access the personal data Mowji holds about you;
- have it corrected or deleted;
- restrict processing or object to processing based on legitimate interests, including basic installation counting;
- receive it in a portable format;
- withdraw consent at any time without affecting processing that already took place.
To use any of these rights, email francesco@mowji.app. Mowji normally responds within one month and explains any extension allowed by law. Support may need enough information to verify your request and locate a record. You can also complain to the data protection authority where you live or work. Dodo handles requests about processing for which it is the independent controller under its own policy.
Children
Mowji isn't intended for children under 16 and does not knowingly collect their data.
Changes to this policy
Mowji updates this page and its date when the data practices change. Where a change needs new consent or direct notice, Mowji provides it before applying that change.