Privacy and permissions

Local by default. Explicit when a network is involved.

Battery readings and history stay on the Mac. The app has no analytics, anonymous wear comparison is opt-in, and root access is not required.

Battery and power data

WhatBattery reads battery, power, charger, system, and process-energy data locally from macOS. It does not upload these readings automatically.

Bluetooth access

macOS asks for Bluetooth permission when the Accessories tab first needs it. The permission is used to read the battery level of connected keyboards, mice, trackpads, AirPods, and compatible Bluetooth Low Energy devices. Declining does not affect the Mac battery view.

iPhone and iPad access

A connected device must trust the Mac. WhatBattery uses the diagnostics relay established by that pairing to read the battery node over USB or Wi-Fi. No WhatBattery app runs on the device, and readings remain on the Mac.

History and exports

Pro history is stored locally in SQLite databases. PDF reports, CSV and JSON exports, and health-history backups are created only when you request them and are saved to the location you choose.

Licence activation

Activating Pro sends the licence key and the information required to enforce the two-Mac activation limit to the licensing service. It does not send battery history, serialised readings, app power history, or Bluetooth-device data.

Update checks

WhatBattery checks the GitHub Releases API at launch and every six hours while running. The request includes no battery or hardware information. Update notifications can be disabled in Settings.

Anonymous wear comparison

This Pro feature is off until you opt in. It can contribute one reading a week containing the Mac model identifier, cycle count rounded down to the nearest 100, health percentage, and a coarse age figure. It does not include a serial number, device name, OS version, location, or licence identifier. Contributions expire after at most 13 months.

What WhatBattery never does

  • It never changes how a device charges.
  • It never installs a kernel extension or privileged daemon.
  • It never sells battery or device data.
  • It never silently opts a device into the wear comparison.

For the formal policy, read WhatBattery Privacy.