Privacy and Terms
Last updated: October 11, 2026
Privacy
Alien Desk runs on your Mac. It has no account, no analytics and no tracking.
- It reads Claude Code's local session files and the small records written by its own hook, only on your Mac, to show which tab is working, waiting or done. None of this leaves your Mac, except to your own iPhone if you pair Pocket Alien (see below).
- When you connect it to Claude Code, it adds its hook entries to
~/.claude/settings.jsonand keeps backups of the file next to it. Disconnecting removes only its own entries. - Tab names and notes you write are stored in your user folder on your Mac.
- Suggested effort and telepathy (Pro, off until you turn them on): Alien Desk adds a short note to your prompts in Claude Code. With telepathy, only on the two tabs you link, the note names the partner tab (its title and folder) so the two Claude Code tabs can message each other directly on your Mac. Alien Desk does not read or store those messages. Like any prompt, the note is sent to Anthropic by Claude Code under your own account.
- Telepathy, reading the partner's folder (Pro): with telepathy's "Read partner's folder" switch on (the default), linking two tabs adds one more entry to
~/.claude/settings.json. It runs only when Claude Code is about to ask permission to read a file, and answers yes only for reading a file inside the linked partner tab's folder with Claude Code's Read tool. Shell commands, edits and other folders are never answered. Turning the switch off or disconnecting removes the entry. - It contacts the internet for two things only: checking aliendesk.app for updates once a day, and activating or checking a Pro license with our payment provider. For the license it sends only the license key and a random device ID, never your Mac's name. As with any internet request, your IP address and the app's version are visible to the server.
This website counts visits, downloads and button clicks without cookies. For each visit it keeps the time, the page, how long it was read and how far it was scrolled, the country, the kind of device (such as Mac or iPhone), the browser language and the site you came from, with an anonymous code that changes every day so each visitor is counted once a day. It never keeps your IP address and cannot follow you from one day to the next.
Payments are handled by our reseller, Polar, who receives your name, email and payment details under their own privacy policy. We receive your email and order details to provide support.
Pocket Alien (iPhone): Pocket Alien has no account, no analytics, no ads and no tracking. It collects no data. When you pair it with Alien Desk by scanning the QR code shown on your Mac, your iPhone connects directly to your own Mac over your local network through an encrypted connection. Your Mac then sends the tab list (titles, status, steps, recent actions, Claude's last message and your notes) to your iPhone so it can show them, and your iPhone can send back the changes you make (notes, tab names, pins). This information goes only between your Mac and your iPhone. It is never sent to us or to any server, and it is not kept on the iPhone after you unpair. The room and the games work entirely on the iPhone and send nothing.
License
The free version may be used on any number of Macs. Pro starts with a 14-day free trial. A Pro license is for one person and may be used on up to 3 of their own Macs at a time. Pro is a one-time purchase and includes updates for the current major version. If Pro ends, nothing you wrote is deleted.
Alien Desk is provided "as is", without warranty of any kind. To the extent permitted by law, we are not liable for any damages arising from its use.
Refunds
If Pro isn't right for you, email us within 30 days of purchase for a full refund.
Trademarks
Claude and Claude Code are trademarks of Anthropic. Alien Desk is an independent app and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Anthropic.