TabMaster Privacy Policy – Your Data Stays Local

TabMaster is a native macOS utility that searches your open tabs across Chrome, Edge, Brave, and other Chromium-based browsers. It pairs with a lightweight companion extension that syncs tabs over a loopback-only local connection. We built it to be fast, private, and local-first.

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What we collect

TabMaster is built to be fast, private, and local-first. There are no user accounts, and we keep collection to the minimum needed to run your free trial and verify your license.

  • Open tab titles and URLs are processed locally on your Mac to support search.
  • The companion extension captures a thumbnail image of each window's active tab; these previews are processed locally and sent only to the TabMaster app on your Mac.
  • Keyboard shortcuts and app usage remain on-device.
  • No browsing history, cookies, or credentials are uploaded.
  • Licensing data: your license key, the purchase email tied to it, its activation status, and a one-way hashed identifier derived from your Mac — stored so we can enforce the one-Mac activation limit, re-send or move your key, and honor refunds. The hashed identifier cannot be reversed to identify your hardware.
  • Trial data: on first launch the app sends only that same hashed device identifier, so the trial period can't be reset by reinstalling. Nothing else is sent for the trial.

Data storage

Index data lives on your Mac and is cleared when tabs close. We do not maintain persistent cloud copies of your tab data.

Permissions

  • The TabMaster Bridge browser extension reads your open tabs and forwards actions (activate, close, move) to the browser. It communicates only with the app on your Mac over a loopback-only local connection.
  • Tab thumbnails are captured by the extension from the browser itself; no macOS Screen Recording permission is required, and screen content is not transmitted or stored.
  • Network access is limited to license verification and update checks. Your tab titles, URLs, and thumbnails are never part of either request.

Browser extension (TabMaster Bridge)

The TabMaster Bridge extension is what links your browser to the desktop app. It has a single purpose: to sync your open tabs to the TabMaster app on the same Mac and carry out the tab actions you trigger in the app (activate, close, move, and open tabs).

To do this, the extension accesses two categories of data, both handled locally:

  • Web history — the titles and URLs of your open tabs, plus tab open/close/activate events, so the app can list and search them.
  • Website content — a thumbnail image of each window's active tab, used only to show a tab preview in the app.

This data is transmitted only to the TabMaster desktop app running on your own Mac, over a loopback-only local connection (127.0.0.1) that never touches the network. Specifically:

  • We do not sell or transfer your data to third parties.
  • We do not use or transfer your data for any purpose unrelated to the extension's single purpose.
  • We do not use or transfer your data to determine creditworthiness or for lending purposes.

The extension collects no personal, financial, health, authentication, or location data, and does not log your clicks, keystrokes, or scrolling. It contains no analytics, ads, or trackers, and executes no remote code.

Licensing and activation

To unlock TabMaster beyond the free trial you enter a license key. To activate that key and periodically confirm it is still valid, the app sends the license key, a one-way hashed identifier derived from your Mac, and your device name (your Mac's hostname) to our licensing backend and to our payments provider, DodoPayments.

The hashed identifier is derived from your Mac's hardware UUID and cannot be reversed to identify your hardware; we never receive the raw identifier. Your tab titles, URLs, and thumbnails are never sent as part of licensing.

To offer the 7-day trial fairly, the first time you launch TabMaster it sends only that hashed device identifier so the trial period can't be reset by reinstalling. No account is created, and no personal information is required to trial the app.

Payments

Lifetime license purchases are processed by our payment provider, DodoPayments, which acts as Merchant of Record. Any billing information you enter is handled by the provider under its own privacy policy; we do not receive or store your full payment card numbers. We do receive limited purchase metadata — such as your email and a payment or license identifier — in order to deliver, validate, and support your license.

How we use data

Licensing data is used only to run your trial, unlock the app on your Mac, enforce the activation limit, and support or refund your purchase. That is the only reason we hold any of it. We do not sell or rent your personal data.

Analytics and telemetry

The desktop app and the browser extension contain no analytics, no telemetry, and no crash reporting. There is nothing to opt out of, because nothing about how you use TabMaster is collected or sent anywhere. This website (tabmaster.app) does use Google Analytics to understand which pages people read, which sets cookies in your browser as you browse the site. That is the website only — it is entirely separate from the app and never sees your tabs.

Data retention and deletion

Local tab indexes clear as tabs close. Because a license is a lifetime entitlement, we keep its record — key, purchase email, activation status, and hashed device identifier — for as long as it can be validated or supported, and afterwards as required for tax, security, and legal obligations. Contact support@tabmaster.app to request deletion of your licensing data; note that deleting it deactivates the license.

Third-party services

Two, both narrow in scope. Update delivery: the app checks GitHub Releases for new versions, which means GitHub sees the request (including your IP and app version) as it would for any download. Payments and licensing: DodoPayments processes purchases and issues license keys. Neither receives your tab titles, URLs, or thumbnails.

Security

We apply industry-standard safeguards and rely on a trusted payment processor for purchases. There are no passwords or session tokens to protect, because TabMaster has no accounts: entitlement is carried by a short-lived token that our backend signs and the app verifies offline, so a stolen copy cannot be forged or extended. The app's renderer is context-isolated with no direct Node.js access, and all inter-process communication payloads are validated. No system is perfectly secure; please keep your license key private and protect your devices.

Code signing, Gatekeeper, and notarization

TabMaster is code signed and notarized by Apple. This lets macOS Gatekeeper verify the app is authentic and has not been modified since release. On first launch, macOS may show a standard Gatekeeper prompt — this is normal and confirms the app is verified by Apple. You should never need to bypass Gatekeeper or run special commands to open TabMaster.

Children

TabMaster is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect information from them.

Your choices

You can uninstall TabMaster at any time to remove local data. Where settings are available, you can disable diagnostics and revoke permissions from macOS System Settings.


If you have privacy questions, contact us at support@tabmaster.app.