jFile NLP is a multi-pane file manager for macOS with natural language search, preview, and support for local and remote file locations. We do not operate an analytics or telemetry system for general app usage, and we do not sell your data.
We do not receive information from your use of jFile NLP unless you intentionally send it to us, such as by submitting a bug report. Most of the information jFile works with stays on your device or is sent directly to the servers, shares, and services that you explicitly choose to access.
Overview
jFile NLP can browse local folders, search files, preview content, and connect to remote servers and services such as SMB, FTP, FTPS, SFTP, NFS, WebDAV, S3-compatible object storage, and Dropbox. The app does not require an account with us.
Local search and file management data is generally processed on your Mac. Remote operations communicate with the destination servers you choose to connect to.
Data We Do Not Collect
- No account is required to use jFile NLP.
- No always-on analytics, tracking, or telemetry is collected for ordinary app usage.
- No information is sent to us during normal use unless you explicitly choose to submit it.
- No local file index, folder contents, search history, or saved credentials are transmitted to us during normal use.
- No passwords you save for servers are sent to us.
- No file content or search text is sent to external AI services for natural language processing.
- We do not sell or share your personal data for advertising purposes.
On-Device Data
jFile NLP stores app data locally on your device as needed to provide its features. This may include:
- app settings and preferences
- favorites, saved sidebar items, and recent locations
- search history and related UI state
- bookmarks or access records used for file access on macOS
- saved server profiles for supported remote connections
- a local index used by the intelligent features, described below
Saved server passwords are not stored in the plain profile data. If you choose to save credentials, they are stored in the macOS Keychain.
Local index for the intelligent features. To provide Insights and image search, jFile keeps a database in its own Application Support folder on your Mac. It records the paths of files it has processed and, for those files, text recognised in images and documents, short summaries, descriptive tags - including a tag noting that a picture contains people, and the contents of any barcode or QR code it reads - and numeric representations used to find related files. jFile adds to this index for files you select, and for images in folders you have already granted jFile access to; that background pass is on by default and can be turned off in Settings → General. The database stays on your Mac and is not sent to us.
Natural Language Search and Voice Input
Natural language search in jFile NLP runs on your Mac. Search text you type is processed locally by the app so it can interpret file types, dates, sizes, tags, comments, and related search intent.
jFile NLP does not send your search text, file metadata, or file contents to an external AI provider, cloud AI API, or hosted language model in order to interpret your query.
Voice input is optional. If you choose to use the microphone button, jFile NLP requests microphone and speech recognition permissions from macOS and uses macOS speech recognition to transcribe your query before running the search. Transcription is performed on your Mac using on-device speech recognition; your voice audio is not sent to Apple or to us.
jFile NLP can also transcribe audio and video files to text (right-click → Transcribe to Text). This transcription is performed entirely on your Mac using on-device speech recognition (it requests on-device recognition); your media files and their audio are not sent to Apple or to us.
Apple Intelligence Features, Writing Tools, and System Text Services
jFile NLP's intelligent features - document Insights (summaries, tags, related files), OCR and image recognition - are processed on your Mac using Apple Intelligence, Apple's Vision and Natural Language frameworks, and the Apple Neural Engine. Natural-language search is also processed on your Mac. jFile does not send your files or their contents to us or to any third-party AI provider for these features.
Two optional, user-initiated macOS paths are the exceptions where text you select could be processed by Apple rather than entirely on your device: Apple Writing Tools and system text Services such as macOS Translate. Both act only on text you choose, only when you invoke them.
Apple Writing Tools. Writing Tools (proofread, rewrite, and summarise) is an optional macOS feature available in jFile's editable text fields. It is off by default; you must enable it yourself in Settings → General, where jFile explains what may be sent to the cloud before you turn it on. It operates only on the text you select - not on whole files - and only when you invoke it. For longer or more complex requests, Apple Intelligence may process the selected text using Apple's Private Cloud Compute rather than entirely on your device. Apple does not publish a fixed length, character, or size threshold for when a request stays on-device versus uses Private Cloud Compute; the system determines this per request based on factors such as complexity and length.
When Writing Tools uses Private Cloud Compute, the selected text is handled by Apple under Apple's privacy terms; Apple states that this data is not stored and is not made accessible to Apple, and that independent experts can inspect the software running on Apple silicon servers to verify these protections. This processing is performed by Apple, not by IBC Partners - we never receive your text. If you prefer to keep all processing on your device, do not use Writing Tools; jFile's other intelligent features - document Insights, OCR, image recognition, transcription and natural-language search - run on your Mac. Remote connections, system text Services and bug reports send data off your Mac, as described elsewhere in this policy.
macOS Translate and other system text Services. macOS provides system-wide text Services (for example, Translate, or "Convert Text to Simplified/Traditional Chinese") that can act on selected text. Where you invoke such a service, macOS - not jFile - handles it, and some services (notably Translate) may process the selected text using Apple's servers depending on the language and your system settings. jFile does not operate or control these services and never receives the result; they run only when you choose them. jFile does not add a Translate command of its own, but macOS fills in the Services submenu in jFile's application menu, as well as the standard right-click text menus, so system Services including Translate may be reachable from there. As with Writing Tools, if you prefer to keep everything on-device, simply don't invoke these services.
Remote Connections and Third-Party Servers
If you connect to SMB, FTP, FTPS, SFTP, NFS, or WebDAV locations, jFile communicates with those servers directly so it can browse directories, transfer files, preview remote content, and perform file operations.
That means information such as server addresses, usernames, file paths, directory listings, transferred files, and related connection data may be sent to the remote server you selected as part of normal operation. Those servers are not operated by us unless explicitly stated otherwise.
Connecting a Dropbox account uses Dropbox's own sign-in page in your browser. The access token that results is stored in your macOS Keychain and is used only to reach the Dropbox account you linked. Keys you enter for S3-compatible storage are stored in the Keychain in the same way.
Optional Bug Reports
jFile includes an optional bug reporting feature, available under Help › Report a Bug. Submitting a report is entirely voluntary. If you choose to submit one, the report is sent over a secure HTTPS connection to an endpoint on our own domain and forwarded by email to the developer at apps@ibcpartners.com so we can review the issue. If you do not submit a bug report, none of this information is sent and we do not receive it.
A bug report may include the comments you type and, if you choose to provide it, your email address (used only to follow up with you about the report). It also includes basic diagnostics - Mac model, macOS and app version, screen resolution, installed memory, CPU core count, locale, time zone, app uptime, and a randomly generated per-report ID that cannot identify you - together with jFile's recent activity trace and app log, which record the folders you visited, the operations you ran and the search queries you typed. The app attempts to scrub inline credentials from logs before sending them, but you should review bug report content before submitting it. The report is not processed by any third-party form service.
Where the report is stored. That endpoint runs on web hosting provided by Westhost, our hosting provider. Westhost stores and transmits the report on our behalf as a service provider, under its own terms; the contents are used only by us, to investigate the problem you reported, and are not passed to anyone else or used for advertising. If you would like a bug report you sent us deleted, write to apps@ibcpartners.com and tell us the Report ID shown in the report.
Third-Party Sites and Services
jFile NLP may open or connect to third-party servers, shares, websites, and related services at your direction. Those destinations may have their own privacy practices and policies. Please review those policies when appropriate.
Contact
If you have questions about this policy, or if you would like us to delete a bug report you sent us, write to apps@ibcpartners.com. You can also use the support channel listed on the App Store page or the support resources provided for jFile NLP.
Additional Links
This page is intended as the public privacy policy for jFile NLP.