Last updated: March 28, 2026
Short version: Port42 is local-first. Your messages and data stay on your machine. The relay can't read your messages. The website collects anonymous opt-in page-view analytics. That's it.
Port42 is a native macOS application. All messages, companions, channels, and ports are stored locally in a SQLite database on your device. Nothing is uploaded to Port42's servers.
When you connect to a shared channel with other users, messages are end-to-end encrypted (AES-256-GCM) before leaving your device. The relay server forwards encrypted blobs it cannot read. Port42 has no access to the content of your conversations.
API keys and secrets you add (for GitHub, Stripe, etc.) are stored in the macOS Keychain. They never leave your device and are never transmitted to Port42.
Screen captures, camera frames, and audio recordings made through the app are saved locally to ~/Library/Application Support/Port42/captures/ and are not transmitted anywhere.
On first launch, Port42 generates an Ed25519 key pair unique to your device and stores the private key in the macOS Keychain. This key pair is your identity — no account, no email, no sign-up. The private key never leaves your device.
The Port42 relay is a lightweight Go server that routes encrypted messages between channel members. It stores messages only until they are delivered and acknowledged, then deletes them. The relay cannot decrypt messages. You can self-host the relay — the binary and instructions are on GitHub.
Analytics are opt-in. When you first visit, a prompt asks if you're willing to share anonymous usage data. If you decline, no analytics events are sent — ever. If you accept, we use PostHog (self-hosted at ph.port42.ai) to collect:
We do not collect names, email addresses, IP addresses, or any personally identifiable information. Session recording and autocapture are disabled. You can change your preference at any time by clearing your browser's local storage for port42.ai.
Port42 itself does not share your data with third parties. When you add a provider companion (GitHub, Stripe, PostHog, etc.), your API calls go directly from your device to that provider — Port42 is not in the path.
Port42 is not directed at children under 13 and we do not knowingly collect data from children.
If this policy changes materially, we'll update the date above and note it in the changelog.
Questions: privacy@port42.ai