Data Storage
Chronode is built with a privacy-first approach: your time tracking data never leaves your Mac. No cloud accounts, no servers, no data collection.
How Your Data is Stored
100% Local Storage
- Stored using Apple's Core Data framework
Industry-standard database system that's reliable, efficient, and built into macOS - Saved in local SQLite database files
Standard database format that's portable and can be backed up with your regular Mac backups - Located in your Mac's application support directory
Stored in the standard macOS location for app data, protected by your user account permissions - Never transmitted to external servers
Your time tracking data has no network uploads, no cloud storage, no external access of any kind - No internet connection required for free version
Basic version works completely offline. Pro requires internet for license verification at app launch.
Storage location:
~/Library/Application Support/Chronode/
What Gets Stored
Session data
- Start and end timestamps
Exact date and time when you launched and quit each app - App name and bundle identifier
Which application was running (e.g., "Xcode" with ID "com.apple.dt.Xcode") - Project name (for supported apps)
The specific project you were working on, automatically detected from window titles - Duration calculations
Total time spent in each session, computed from start/end times - Session status
Whether the session ended normally, was force quit, or the app crashed
Daily summaries
- Aggregated time by day, app, and project
Sessions rolled up into daily totals for efficient storage and fast analytics - Session counts
Number of times you launched each app per day - Historical records for analytics
Long-term data that powers charts, trends, and statistics
User preferences
- App monitoring settings
Which apps you're tracking and whether monitoring is paused - Focus mode preferences
Whether to track only active window time or all running time - Export format preferences
Your preferred export format (CSV/PDF/JSON) and page size settings - Other configuration options
Auto-start at login, minimum session duration, and similar settings
What is NOT stored
- Screenshots or screen recordings
Chronode never captures your screen in any way - Keyboard activity or typed content
No keylogging, no recording of what you type - Visited websites or URLs
Browser activity is not tracked or recorded - File contents or code
Only file names for project detection, never the actual content - Personal identifiable information
Beyond app usage, no personal data is collected or stored
Data Privacy Guarantees
No Cloud Sync
Chronode does not:
- Upload data to cloud servers
All data remains on your local Mac with no cloud storage or backup services - Sync across devices
Each Mac has its own independent tracking data with no synchronization - Require online accounts
No sign-up, no login, no account creation necessary to use Chronode - Transmit data over the internet
Zero network activity related to your time tracking data
Limited Data Collection
Chronode collects minimal data to improve the app:
- Crash reports (automatic)
Technical diagnostics with sanitized file paths to help fix bugs. Cannot be disabled but contains no personal information, project names, or file contents. - Anonymous usage analytics (optional)
Disabled by default. When enabled, tracks feature usage events to help improve the app. Can be toggled in Settings at any time. - License verification (Pro users)
Email, license key, and hardware UUID transmitted at each app launch and during update checks to validate your Pro license.
What is NOT collected:
- Your time tracking data
All session data, project names, and work patterns remain 100% local - Keyboard activity or typed content
No keylogging or recording of what you type - User behavior beyond crash/telemetry events
No monitoring of your interaction patterns or workflow - Device information (except hardware UUID for Pro)
No collection of your Mac's specs, serial numbers, or other identifiers - Location data
No GPS, IP address, or location tracking of any kind
No Third-Party Access
- No advertising networks
Chronode is ad-free with no advertising SDKs or tracking pixels - No data brokers
Your data is never sold, shared, or provided to third parties - No third-party SDKs with tracking
Only uses Apple's native frameworks with no external dependencies - No social media integrations
No connections to Facebook, Twitter, or other social platforms
macOS Permissions
Chronode requests only the permissions necessary to function:
Accessibility API
Purpose: Monitor which applications are running and detect active windows.
What Chronode can access:
- Running application list
See which apps are currently open on your Mac to track the ones you've chosen to monitor - Active window titles
Read window titles to detect project names in supported apps (e.g., "MyProject.xcodeproj - Xcode") - App launch/quit events
Receive notifications when monitored apps start and stop to begin and end tracking sessions
What Chronode cannot access:
- Keyboard input or typed text
No keylogging or recording of anything you type - Mouse movements or clicks
No tracking of cursor position or what you click - Content of windows or screens
Cannot read or capture what's displayed in app windows - Files or documents you're working on
Only sees file names in window titles, never the actual content
To review or revoke:
System Settings → Privacy & Security → Accessibility → Chronode
File System Access
Purpose: Read project configuration files for automatic project detection in supported apps.
What Chronode can access:
- Xcode project files
.xcodeproj and .xcworkspace files to determine project names - IDE configuration directories
.idea (JetBrains), .vscode (VS Code) folders for project detection - Only when detecting projects in supported apps
File access is limited to specific project-related files, not general file browsing
What Chronode cannot access:
- Your source code files
Never reads .swift, .js, .py, or any source code files - Personal documents
Cannot access your Documents, Downloads, or other personal folders - System files
No access to macOS system directories or configuration - Other applications' data
Cannot read data from other apps you have installed
To review or revoke:
System Settings → Privacy & Security → Files and Folders → Chronode
Background Processing
Purpose: Continue tracking when app is not in foreground.
What this enables:
- Monitor apps while Chronode window is closed
Tracking continues even when you've closed the Chronode interface - Track time without disrupting your workflow
No need to keep Chronode visible or active while working - Update statistics in real-time
Charts and time totals refresh automatically in the background
Resource usage:
- Less than 1% CPU
Minimal processor usage that won't slow down your Mac - Under 50MB RAM
Small memory footprint that leaves resources for your work apps - Minimal battery impact
Efficient background monitoring with negligible effect on battery life
Data Ownership & Control
You Own Your Data
- All tracked time belongs to you
You have full ownership rights to all time tracking data Chronode creates - No licensing restrictions on your data
Use, share, or analyze your data however you want with no limitations - Export anytime in multiple formats
Download your data in CSV, PDF, or JSON format whenever needed - Delete anytime with no recovery
Permanently remove data at any time; it's gone forever with no cloud backup to restore from
Privacy Options in Exports
Chronode includes privacy controls when exporting data, allowing you to anonymize project names and round timestamps for confidentiality. For complete details on export privacy options and how to use them, see the Privacy Options section in Data Exporting .
Delete Your Data
In order to completely clear you system from Chronode data, you have two deletion options:
Remove specific apps/projects
- Click the options menu (or right-click) of an app or project in the sidebar
- Select Reset Data or Delete depending on what it is you wish to do
- Associated time data deleted immediately for applications. Associated time is still linked to the an application when a project is deleted.
- Once an application is deleted, data recovery is not possible. Deletion is permanent with no undo or restore option
Complete data reset
- Fully close the application first and quit the app (right click on the app icon in your navbar)
- Navigate to
~/Library/Application Support/CodelDev.Chronode/or open this folder in Finder (use Go → Go to Folder) - Delete the folder entirely to erase all data and settings
- Relaunch Chronode for fresh start which creates a new, empty database
Warning: Deletion is permanent. Export data before deleting if you want to keep records.
Security Considerations
Data at Rest
Local database protection
- Stored in user-protected directory
- Access controlled by macOS file permissions
- Protected by FileVault (if enabled on your Mac)
- No additional encryption layer (relies on system-level security)
Best practices
- Enable FileVault for full-disk encryption
- Use strong Mac user account password
- Keep macOS updated for security patches
System Permissions
Chronode operates with necessary system access to track your projects:
- Monitors active applications to detect which project you're working on
- Tracks application focus and usage time
- Not sandboxed, allowing full time-tracking functionality
- All monitoring is local to your machine. Mo data is transmitted without your consent
No Network Access Required
Chronode works completely offline:
- No internet connection needed
- No data transmission occurs
- No risk of data interception
- No server vulnerabilities
Compliance & Standards
GDPR Compliance
- No personal data processed by third parties
- Complete data portability via exports
- Right to deletion fully supported
- No data transfers outside your Mac
Data Minimization
Chronode follows data minimization principles:
- Collects only essential tracking information
- No unnecessary metadata
- No identifiable personal information beyond app usage
- Minimal permission requests
Transparency
Open About Data Practices
Chronode is transparent about:
- What data is collected (app usage times)
- Where data is stored (locally on your Mac)
- Who has access (only you)
- How to export and delete data (documented)
No Hidden Tracking
What Chronode does NOT do:
- Hidden background uploads
- Silent data collection
- Undisclosed third-party sharing
- Tracking beyond stated functionality