Privacy Policy
Last updated: November 2, 2026
Hilo is an email client for macOS made by Keyn Domingos ("we"). This policy explains what Hilo does with your information. The short version: your mail stays on your Mac, and we never see it.
What Hilo accesses
When you connect a Google account, Hilo asks for the gmail.modify permission. It uses it to:
- Download your messages, threads and labels so it can show them to you.
- Send the replies and messages you write.
- Archive, label, star, trash or mark messages as read when you (or an assistant you connect) ask it to.
Hilo also reads your email address from your Google profile to name the account in the app.
Where your data is stored
- Messages are cached in a local database on your Mac (
~/Library/Application Support/com.keyn.hilo). - Your Google sign-in token is stored in the macOS Keychain.
- Hilo connects directly from your Mac to Google's servers. There are no Hilo servers, and we never receive, store or process your email or account data.
Sharing
We do not sell, rent or share your data with anyone. Hilo has no analytics, advertising or tracking.
Hilo includes an optional local MCP server. If you choose to connect an AI assistant (such as Claude) to it, that assistant can read, search, draft and organize your mail on your behalf, under that assistant's own privacy terms. It cannot send mail. Nothing is shared unless you set this up yourself.
Google API Services
Hilo does not use Gmail data for advertising, does not allow humans to read your data, and does not use it to train AI models.
Deleting your data
- Remove an account in Hilo, or delete the folder above, to erase the local cache.
- Revoke Hilo's access at any time from your Google account permissions.
Changes
If this policy changes, we'll update this page and the date above.
Contact
Questions: hilo@keyndomingos.com