Orchard is designed to connect your controlling Mac directly to a remote Mac you choose. We do not operate a relay, remote-desktop cloud, advertising network, or Orchard user-account service.

This policy explains how the Orchard macOS app and this website handle information. It applies to the Orchard technical preview and future public releases unless a newer policy is posted here.

Information handled by the Orchard app

Connection information

To make a connection, Orchard handles the hostname or network address of the Mac you select, the macOS username you enter, and the connection state reported by that Mac. This information is used only to find, authenticate with, and maintain the remote session you requested.

Credentials

Your macOS username and password are sent directly from Orchard to the remote Mac you select as part of the encrypted Remote Management authentication exchange. They are not sent to Orchard's developer or to an Orchard-operated server. Connection credentials are held in app memory for the connection workflow and are not used to create an Orchard account.

Remote screen and input

Remote video, pointer movement, keyboard input, and scrolling travel directly between your Macs. Orchard decodes and displays the video on the controlling Mac and forwards input to the selected remote Mac. Orchard does not upload, record, inspect, or retain the contents of your remote desktop on our servers.

Diagnostics

Orchard can display local technical diagnostics such as connection stage, packet and decoder counts, codec status, and input status. These diagnostics remain in the app unless you deliberately copy them and send them to us for support. Please remove names, addresses, or other sensitive details before sharing diagnostics.

Information handled by this website

This website does not use analytics, advertising pixels, tracking cookies, user accounts, or web forms. Like most web servers, the hosting system may process limited access-log information—including an IP address, request time, requested page, browser user-agent, and error status—to deliver the site, protect it, and diagnose reliability problems. We do not use that information to build advertising profiles or track you across websites.

If you contact us by email, we receive the address you use and the information you choose to include. We use it to answer your request, provide support, or manage technical-preview participation.

Sharing and third parties

We do not sell personal information. We do not share app connection credentials, remote screen content, or remote input because Orchard does not collect that information on our systems. Your selected remote Mac and Apple's built-in Remote Management service necessarily process the information required to run your session.

Website hosting and email providers may process the limited technical or message information described above on our behalf. They are used only to operate the website and communications and are expected to protect that information consistently with this policy and applicable law.

Retention, deletion, and your choices

• Remote screen content and input are not retained by Orchard on our servers.
• In-memory connection information ends when the app or session ends, except settings you intentionally keep on your Mac.
• Website access logs are kept only as long as reasonably needed for security, troubleshooting, and server operation, then deleted or rotated.
• Support emails are retained while needed to answer the request, maintain an appropriate support history, or meet legal obligations.

You can stop app processing by disconnecting or quitting Orchard. You can remove locally stored Orchard data using macOS or by uninstalling the app. To request deletion of information you sent us directly, email the address in the Contact section. We may need to retain limited records when required by law or necessary to document a completed request.

Security

Orchard uses macOS Remote Management authentication, encrypted control records, and authenticated encrypted media. No security method is perfect, so use Orchard only with Macs you trust, keep macOS updated, use strong account passwords, and limit Remote Management access to authorized users and private networks.

Children's privacy

Orchard is a system-administration utility and is not directed to children. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child sent us personal information, contact us so we can review and delete it where appropriate.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as Orchard's features or distribution change. Material changes will be posted on this page with a new effective date. If a future feature changes how the app collects or shares data, this policy and the corresponding App Store privacy disclosures will be updated before that feature is released.

Contact

Questions, privacy requests, and deletion requests can be sent to allen.fluck@icloud.com. Please include “Orchard privacy” in the subject line.