---
title: "Privacy in Helios"
description: "Helios diagnostics are designed to help identify compatibility and reliability problems without creating an identity for the device or its user."
canonical: "https://www.snejda.cz/en/helios/privacy"
language: "en"
---

# Privacy in Helios

Helios diagnostics are designed to help identify compatibility and reliability problems without creating an identity for the device or its user.

## Diagnostics are optional

Automatic diagnostic reports are disabled by default and require explicit opt-in. A manual one-shot report can still be prepared while automatic diagnostics remain disabled. Before sending, Helios shows a preview of the report and transmits it only after a separate Send confirmation.

## Update checks

After Welcome Setup is complete, Helios may automatically check GitHub Releases for new versions at most once every 24 hours. A manual Check for Updates can be run independently. Update checks are separate from diagnostics and do not require diagnostics consent. Helios does not add diagnostic data or a stable installation or device ID to these requests. GitHub and its network infrastructure may technically process ordinary network metadata such as the IP address while carrying the HTTPS request.

## What a report may contain

A report may contain technical information required to diagnose Helios and Mac hardware compatibility.

- Helios version and build
- macOS version and build
- Mac model identifier and Apple Silicon family when available
- memory size represented only as a bucket, not an exact value
- fan count and whether a battery is present
- telemetry provider states and failure categories
- privileged helper state and broad runtime stability information
- for compatibility reports (manual, or weekly if you turn that on), limited technical metadata about detected hardware
- only if you turn on fan-control statistics: how the fan layer behaved, as ranges (see How diagnostics work)

## What Helios does not send

The diagnostics schema is closed and the server rejects unknown or prohibited properties.

- name, email address, Apple ID or user account identity
- hostname or computer name
- serial number or hardware UUID
- MAC address, IP address, SSID, BSSID, router, gateway or DNS configuration
- file paths or file names
- process names, application names, bundle IDs or window titles
- environment variables, shell history, clipboard or browser history
- a stable installation, client or device identifier

## No persistent identifier

Helios does not create or send a permanent installation ID, device ID or stable fingerprint intended to link reports from the same device.

## Data retention

Raw diagnostic reports are retained for no more than 30 days. The server creates a random report ID for internal database use only; that ID is never returned to the client.

## IP addresses and infrastructure

The Helios application backend does not store the request IP address or HTTP-header identity in the diagnostics database and intentionally avoids application-level logging of diagnostic requests. Hosting or CDN infrastructure may still technically process the IP address while transporting the request.

## Contact

Questions about privacy or diagnostics can be sent to helios@snejda.cz.

---

HTML version: https://www.snejda.cz/en/helios/privacy  
Other language: https://www.snejda.cz/helios/privacy  
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