Privacy Policy

1. Scope and responsibility

IME Labs LLC (“we”, “us”, “our”) operates Nearshell and is responsible for the personal data described here. This policy covers the Nearshell website, Mac app, iPhone / iPad controller, account, signaling and relay services, waitlist and support channels.

This is a notice about data practices, not blanket consent. Features requiring consent or system permission request it separately. When using an employer’s or another organization’s devices, follow its authorization and privacy requirements too.

2. Remote content and service data

Remote video, keyboard and pointer input, clipboard transfers and terminal data travel between authorized devices over end-to-end encrypted connections. Direct connections are preferred; relays forward ciphertext when needed without receiving the keys to decrypt this realtime content.

Sign-in, device authorization, connection coordination, subscription verification and relay metering still require service-side data processing. End-to-end encryption does not mean we process no personal data, and it does not protect a compromised endpoint.

Terminal history, themes and fonts, speech models, and certain device previews and settings are processed or stored locally on the relevant device. Using a remote connection does not itself upload this material into a cloud workspace. Screenshots, logs or text you voluntarily send to support are handled as support information. Deleting a cloud account does not automatically remove Mac files, terminal processes, history or other local copies.

3. Data we process

• Accounts and authentication: identity information verified through Sign in with Apple, internal account identifiers, authentication and session status, token-related credentials, and creation and update times. Our account service matches protected identity identifiers and stores required persistent credentials using encryption or digests. Nearshell does not ask you to provide your Apple Account password.
• Devices and authorization: installation and device identifiers, roles, names or descriptions, identity public keys, pairing and authorization relationships, revocation status and related times. Device identity private keys remain on the device.
• Connections, security and usage: connection and session identifiers, IP addresses and network information, signaling routes, connection times, status or errors, necessary service logs, and account-linked identifiers, time intervals and byte counts for relay metering. Metering does not require reading screen or terminal content.
• Subscriptions: Apple product and transaction identifiers, purchase and expiry times, renewal, refund or revocation status, account association and entitlements. Apple processes payments; we do not directly collect payment-card or bank-account details.
• Optional notifications: when you enable Agent notifications in a version supporting remote push, we process push tokens, notification preferences, device and session routing identifiers, event types and times. Push messages use generic notices without commands, prompts, answers or terminal body content.
• Waitlist and communications: your submitted email, selected product (Nearshell), first and most recent submission times, anti-abuse verification information, and messages sent to support, privacy or legal contacts.

This information comes from you, your devices and use of the service, Apple, and related services you contact or use.

4. Purposes and legal bases

We use data to provide sign-in, device setup and revocation, remote connections, subscriptions and purchase restoration, notifications, usage accounting and support; secure and troubleshoot the service and prevent abuse and unauthorized access; send requested Nearshell launch updates and necessary service notices; and meet legal obligations and resolve disputes.

Depending on applicable law and context, legal bases include performing a contract, complying with law, legitimate interests in operating and protecting the service, or consent. You may withdraw consent without affecting lawful processing already performed.

5. Speech, permissions and other apps

Voice input can use Apple on-device recognition or a downloaded Whisper model running on your device. Initial use may require speech-resource or model downloads; download providers receive information needed to serve those network requests. Recognition results first enter a local draft and reach the remote app or terminal when sent. This feature does not use a Nearshell cloud language-model service to recognize speech.

Microphone and relevant speech, Screen Recording, Accessibility, camera and notification permissions are requested for the features used and can be managed in system settings. Disabling a permission may affect its feature. You can paste an add-device code instead of scanning it.

AI, network or third-party services invoked in a remote app, tmux, Herdr or another program may process content according to your configuration in those programs. Nearshell’s transport encryption does not change those third parties’ own practices.

6. Website storage and abuse prevention

The website uses browser local storage to remember the light or dark theme. It currently includes no dedicated advertising trackers or website analytics scripts.

Cloudflare Workers and D1 receive and store waitlist submissions, and Cloudflare Turnstile verifies against abuse. Cloudflare processes browser and network signals for verification; our server submits the requesting IP when validating a token. See Cloudflare’s Privacy Policy.

The shared waitlist infrastructure records the product name. Joining the Nearshell waitlist does not also subscribe you to IME Browser updates. Contact the privacy email below to unsubscribe or request deletion of your email record.

7. Disclosure and international processing

We disclose information as needed for these purposes: to authorized controllers for connections; to hosting, storage, networking, security, email and support providers for operations; and to Apple for authentication, purchase verification or push delivery. Cloudflare provides website-related infrastructure and verification.

We may also disclose necessary data to comply with law, protect rights and safety, resolve disputes, or complete a merger, reorganization or business transfer, with appropriate confidentiality measures. We do not sell personal data or share it for cross-context behavioral advertising.

IME Labs LLC is based in the United States. Providers may process data in the United States or other countries with different laws from your location. Where required, we use a legally recognized transfer mechanism or other lawful basis.

8. Retention and deletion

We retain personal data only as reasonably necessary for these purposes, considering account activity, service and support needs, security, disputes and legal requirements.

• Account and device information: generally retained while the account is active. Request deletion from the controller’s account page or contact the privacy email below for help.
• Account deletion: access is revoked first, followed by background Apple credential revocation and account business-data erasure. Temporary third-party outages may delay completion; acceptance does not mean every step is complete. Account-linked subscription details and relay statistics are removed with business data. Limited deletion, revocation and purchase-reuse prevention records remain where necessary.
• Waitlist: retained until the program and related updates end, you unsubscribe or you request deletion. A minimal suppression record may be kept to honor an opt-out.
• Support, security and legal records: retained as needed to address support requests, secure the service, resolve disputes or comply with law. Deleted data may remain temporarily in backups, caches or pending cleanup systems until rotation.
• Local data: managed on the relevant device or app. Deleting a Nearshell account does not automatically remove Mac files, sessions in other programs or copies you keep.

Canceling a subscription, deleting an account and uninstalling an app are separate actions. Manage Apple purchases separately, as explained in the Terms of Service.

9. Your rights and choices

Depending on your location, you may request access, correction, deletion or a portable copy of personal data; object to or restrict certain processing; withdraw consent; appeal a decision; or complain to a local data-protection authority. We do not discriminate against you for lawfully exercising privacy rights.

Send requests to the privacy email below and mention Nearshell. We may verify identity, account ownership or an agent’s authority and respond within the period required by applicable law. You can also manage system permissions, device authorization and notifications in the app, or contact us to stop waitlist messages.

10. Security, children and updates

We use transport encryption, device authentication, access controls and safeguards for sensitive credentials. No transmission or storage method is completely secure. Protect authorized devices and add-device codes.

The service is intended for users aged 18 or older, not children. Contact us if you believe a child has supplied personal data so we can investigate and take appropriate action.

We may update this policy as the service, law or data practices change and revise the date above. Material changes receive additional notice where required by law.