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Privacy Policy

Effective Date: November 1, 2026 • App Store & Chrome Web Store Verified
Summary: Search with SearXNG does not collect, track, log, or sell any of your personal data or search queries. All software components run 100% client-side and communicate directly with the SearXNG instances you configure.

1. Introduction

This Privacy Policy applies to the Search with SearXNG for macOS desktop application and the Search with SearXNG Browser Extension (for Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Brave, and other Chromium browsers), collectively developed by Ömercan Kömür.

We believe that privacy is a fundamental human right. Our software is engineered intentionally to provide a frictionless metasearch experience without acting as an intermediary, collecting surveillance telemetry, or harvesting user behavioral data.

2. Data Collection: Strictly None

Under Apple App Store Nutrition Labels and Chrome Web Store Developer Policies:

  • Personal Information: We do not collect names, email addresses, phone numbers, or account credentials.
  • Search Queries: We do not log, record, or inspect your search terms or visited URLs.
  • Device & Telemetry: We do not collect hardware identifiers, IP addresses, or crash logs via third-party analytics trackers.
  • Tracking Technologies: We do not use cookies, advertising beacons, canvas fingerprinting, or session recording tools.

3. How Search Queries Flow

When you type a query in the macOS HUD, browser popup, or address bar:

  1. Your query is constructed locally on your device.
  2. Your device initiates an HTTPS connection directly to your configured SearXNG instance (e.g. a public instance or your private self-hosted URL).
  3. The SearXNG instance fetches results from underlying search engines, strips tracking cookies/tokens, and returns results back to your browser or HUD.
  4. At no point does your query pass through any servers operated by Ömercan Kömür. There is no middleman proxy or logging gateway.

4. Local Storage and Data Persistence

All configuration data is stored strictly on your local computer using sandboxed system APIs:

  • macOS Desktop App: User preferences (chosen instance URL, default search categories, hotkey bindings, and Search Later queue items) are stored locally in the application's sandboxed container (UserDefaults).
  • Browser Extension: Extension settings, profile names (Work, Personal), and theme preferences are saved locally via the browser's sandboxed chrome.storage.local API.
  • Search History: Local search history is disabled by default. If you explicitly choose to enable local search history in preferences, the history remains encrypted in your device's local storage and is never transmitted off your machine. You can clear it at any time with one click.

5. Network Permissions & Third-Party Services

The software makes network connections only for user-initiated functionality:

  • SearXNG Instances: Dispatches search queries and optional autocomplete requests directly to the user's active instance.
  • searx.space Directory: In order to show you response latency and instance uptime grades, the setup wizard and latency tester query the public instance registry at https://searx.space/data/instances.json. No personal information is transmitted during this check.
  • Sparkle 2 Software Updates (macOS App): For non-App Store builds, the application periodically checks an appcast.xml feed on our official domain to inform you when an update is available. No user data is sent during update checks.

6. Data Security

Both the macOS app and browser extension are built adhering to strict modern platform security guidelines:

  • The macOS desktop app is compiled with Apple's Hardened Runtime and runs inside the App Sandbox (com.apple.security.app-sandbox).
  • The browser extension adheres to Manifest V3 standards with a strict Content Security Policy (script-src 'self') and zero external CDN script inclusions.

7. Children's Privacy

Our software does not address anyone under the age of 13, nor do we knowingly collect personally identifiable information from children or adults alike.

8. Changes to this Policy

If we update or refine this Privacy Policy in the future, changes will be posted immediately to this URL with a revised effective date.

9. Contact Information

If you have questions, feedback, or security inquiries regarding this Privacy Policy, please contact:

Ömercan Kömür
Email: me@omercankomur.com
Website: omercankomur.com