Privacy Policy

Overview

PrintCast is a macOS application that enables AirPrint functionality for non-AirPrint printers. This privacy policy explains how PrintCast handles your data.

Data Collection

The PrintCast apps collect two optional things, each with a switch in Settings. Anonymous printer-profile data is on by default everywhere and can be switched off. Print-job diagnostics are off by default — and opt-in — in the EU, EEA, UK, and Switzerland, and on by default (opt-out) elsewhere, based on your Mac's region setting; you can change this anytime. Diagnostics carry a hashed machine identifier linked to your license record, so they are pseudonymous, not anonymous. Our licensing service stores only what activation requires.

What the apps do NOT do on your Mac

• Does not include any analytics or tracking frameworks
• Does not track user behavior
• Does not require user accounts or registration
• Does not transmit your documents anywhere — print data is processed on your Mac
• Does not use advertising or ad tracking
• Does not access contacts, photos, or other personal files
• Does not use cookies or similar tracking technologies

What our service stores

Our service stores only what the features described on this page require: your email address and license state for activation, and — only if you turn diagnostics on — the print-job diagnostic records described below. We do not sell or share this data, and we do not collect analytics or usage data beyond those optional diagnostics, which are off unless you turn them on.

What PrintCast Does

PrintCast only performs the following local operations:

1. Printer Discovery

Queries your Mac's CUPS (Common Unix Printing System) to enumerate locally configured printers. This information never leaves your device.

2. Local Network Communication

Broadcasts printer information via Bonjour/mDNS on your local network so iOS devices can discover them. This communication is limited to your local network.

3. Preferences Storage

Stores your preferences (which printers to advertise, custom names) locally on your Mac using standard macOS UserDefaults. This data is not synced or transmitted.

4. Print Job Routing

When an iOS device prints to an advertised printer, the print job is routed through your Mac to the printer. Print job contents are not stored or logged.

Printer Profile Collection (Optional)

PrintCast includes an optional feature to help improve printer compatibility across all users.

What We Collect (When Enabled)

When you enable "Help Improve PrintCast" in Settings, we collect:

• Printer manufacturer and model names
• Supported paper sizes, color capability, and duplex support
• Technical capability data (URF strings, media types)

What We Do NOT Collect

• Serial numbers (not collected or transmitted at all)
• Document contents or file names
• Print history or usage patterns
• Network information or IP addresses
• Any personally identifiable information

How This Data Is Used

Collected printer profiles help us understand which printer models exist in the wild, improving our ability to correctly detect capabilities and ensure compatibility. The data is anonymous and aggregated.

How to Opt Out

This feature is enabled by default but can be disabled at any time in PrintCast Settings > Privacy. When disabled, no printer data is collected or transmitted.

Data Storage

Collected profiles are stored securely in our database and used solely to improve printer compatibility. We do not sell or share this data with third parties.

Print-job diagnostics (optional, off by default)

Print-job diagnostics are off by default (you opt in) in the EU, EEA, UK, and Switzerland, and on by default (you can opt out) elsewhere — determined by your Mac's region setting, and changeable anytime in Settings → Privacy. When on, PrintCast sends us a small technical record when a print job finishes or fails: printer make and model, page-description language, which encoder and connection type were used, the failure stage and error codes, a random per-job identifier, app, daemon, and macOS version, and a hashed machine identifier. The machine identifier is derived from your Mac's hardware ID — it is not your name or email, though it is linked to your license record on our systems. These records never include your documents, file names, job titles, user names, printer serial numbers, or network addresses. They are kept for 90 days and then deleted, and are used only to find and fix printing failures. Leaving the switch off changes nothing about how PrintCast works.

Data storage and deletion

What we store and where

For licensing we store your email address, license status, and a hashed machine identifier with our database provider (Supabase). Payments are processed by Stripe; we never see or store your card details.

Deleting your data

Email support@printcast.app from your license email and we will delete your license records and any diagnostic records linked to your machine identifier. Deleting license records deactivates the license.

Network Access

PrintCast requires local network access to:

• Discover printers via IPP (Internet Printing Protocol)
• Broadcast printer availability via Bonjour/mDNS
• Route print jobs from iOS devices to printers

Printing itself stays on your local network. Internet access is used only for the optional features and licensing described on this page.

Third-Party Services

PrintCast uses the following third-party services for licensing and payment processing:

Stripe

Payment processing. Stripe collects your email address and payment information to process transactions. We do not store your payment details.

Supabase

License management. We store your email address, license key, and a hashed machine identifier to verify your license. No personal files or usage data are stored.

Resend

Transactional emails. Used to send activation links and license-related communications to your email address.

These services are only used for licensing and payment. The PrintCast application itself operates 100% locally and does not transmit any data about your printers, print jobs, or usage.

Data Security

Printer preferences are stored locally using macOS's secure storage mechanisms. The small amount of data our service holds (described above) is stored with access restricted to our service role and protected in transit with TLS.

Children's Privacy

PrintCast is not directed at children and does not knowingly collect information from children under 13.

Changes to This Policy

If we make changes to this privacy policy, we will update the "Last Updated" date at the top of this document.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy, please contact us.