Legal

Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 31, 2026

Backgrind is built local-first. The short version: the app runs on your machine, and in bring-your-own-CLI mode your agent's content never reaches us. This policy explains what we do and don't collect.

1. Who we are

Backgrind ("we", "us") is an independent project that provides a desktop overlay for running AI coding agents on top of other apps. This policy covers the desktop client and the backgrind.com website. You can reach us anytime at hello@backgrind.com.

2. What we don't collect

Your code and prompts (BYO-CLI mode). When you run your own CLI (e.g. Claude Code or Cursor), the agent talks directly to your provider. That content never passes through our servers — we have nothing to store.
Conversation history. The overlay is a thin client. It renders and forwards; it does not transmit your terminal history to us.
Game or system memory. We never read game memory, inject input, or hook anti-cheat systems.
Files marked in .grindignore. Listed paths (your .env, keys, etc.) are kept off the wire entirely.

3. What we do collect

Account. If you sign in (Google or Apple), we store your email address and a user identifier to provide your account.
Billing. Paid plans are processed by our payment provider, Lemon Squeezy. We receive subscription status and the last four digits / billing metadata — never full card numbers.
Hosted Grindy model (optional). If you use our hosted model, your prompts are sent to it solely to generate responses. They are not used to train models. .grindignore still applies.
Cloud sync (Pro, optional). If you enable sync, the settings and project metadata you choose to sync are stored encrypted in transit and at rest.
Diagnostics. Basic, non-identifying crash and usage counts to keep the app stable. You can opt out in Settings.

4. The browser council demo

The free council demo at backgrind.com/council works without an account and collects no personal information. When you submit a question, we store the question text and the model-generated answers to serve the result page, then delete them. Each result carries its own deletion date, set when it is created and printed at the foot of the page: one year for a shared result, 30 days for an unlisted one. Results stored before this rule took effect keep the flat 30-day window they were collected under. Every result lives at a permalink, and anyone holding that link can open it — so don't submit anything confidential.

Before you ask, a checkbox decides whether we may share the result. It is on by default. Clear it and the run is unlisted: the permalink still works for whoever you send it to, but we never surface the result anywhere, the link we hand you carries no readable summary of your question, and the page publishes no preview metadata — so pasting it into a chat or a timeline does not reproduce your question there. Unlisting also shortens retention, to 30 days from a year. Unlisted is not secret: there is no password on the page and no encryption beyond ordinary HTTPS. Result pages are never indexed by search engines in either state. To have a result taken down sooner, email hello@backgrind.com with the link.

5. How we use it

To run your account, process payments, deliver the hosted model and sync features you opt into, and keep the product working and secure. We do not sell your data, and we do not use your code or prompts to train models.

6. Sharing

We share data only with processors that make the product work: authentication (Google, Apple), payments (Lemon Squeezy), and infrastructure/hosting providers — each only to the extent needed. We may disclose information where required by law.

7. Retention

Account and billing records are kept while your account is active and as required for legal and accounting purposes. You can delete your account at any time, which removes associated account and synced data.

8. Your rights

Depending on where you live, you may have rights to access, correct, export, or delete your personal data. Contact us to exercise them.

9. Verifying the client

Signed builds are distributed as GitHub Releases, so you can always verify the exact version you are running.

10. Changes

We may update this policy; material changes will be reflected by the date above.

11. Contact

Questions about privacy: hello@backgrind.com.