Privacy Policy

Effective date: March 31, 2026 · Last updated: April 27, 2026

Horizon is a macOS app that changes your desktop wallpaper based on the time of day and local weather. This policy explains what data Horizon accesses, how it is used, and what leaves your device.

What Data Horizon Uses

Location

Approximate location Used to calculate local sunrise and sunset times, and to fetch weather conditions for your area. Weather may be provided by Apple WeatherKit or Open-Meteo if WeatherKit is unavailable. Your coordinates are cached on-device. They are never sent to Horizon's servers because Horizon does not operate any. When Core Location permission is denied and no cached location exists, Horizon uses your Mac's current time zone for approximate daylight timing.

Weather

Weather conditions for your location Horizon uses Apple WeatherKit first to retrieve current weather conditions. If WeatherKit is unavailable, Horizon may use Open-Meteo as a fallback. Your approximate coordinates are sent only to the active weather provider so it can return local conditions. No account is created, and no personal identifiers are included in these weather requests.

App Settings

Your preferences and wallpaper history Settings such as your chosen time slots, schedule frequency, mood presets, and wallpaper history are stored locally on your Mac using macOS standard app storage (UserDefaults). This data never leaves your device.

Calendar

Meeting status for Focus Mode Calendar access is optional and only used when you enable Focus Mode. Horizon checks whether you are currently in a meeting so it can switch to your Focus wallpaper. Calendar event titles, notes, attendees, and details are not transmitted to Horizon or any third party.

Accessibility

Global keyboard shortcuts Accessibility permission is optional and only requested if you enable global keyboard shortcuts. Horizon uses this permission to listen for its shortcut keys while the app is in the background. It does not record keystrokes or inspect the contents of other apps.

Purchases

In-app purchases Premium upgrade purchases are processed entirely by Apple through the App Store. Horizon never sees or stores your payment information. Apple's Privacy Policy governs that transaction.

What Horizon Does NOT Collect

No third-party analytics or cross-app usage tracking
No advertising identifiers
No crash reporting sent to third parties
No account, sign-in, or profile required
No data sold or shared with third parties for marketing

Horizon keeps a local on-device diagnostics and analytics log for app launches, purchase flow visibility, wallpaper changes, settings changes, and exportable troubleshooting reports. This log stays on your Mac unless you choose to export it yourself.

Third-Party Services

Horizon uses the following external services:

Apple WeatherKit: receives your approximate coordinates to return current weather conditions. Governed by Apple's Privacy Policy.
Open-Meteo (api.open-meteo.com): may be used as a fallback weather provider when WeatherKit is unavailable. It receives your approximate coordinates to return weather data. Open-Meteo Terms
Apple App Store / StoreKit: handles all in-app purchases. Governed by Apple's Privacy Policy.

Data Retention

All data stored by Horizon (cached location, settings, wallpaper history) lives locally on your device. Uninstalling Horizon removes this data. There is nothing stored on external servers to delete.

Children's Privacy

Horizon is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect any information from children.

Changes to This Policy

If this policy changes, the updated version will be posted at this URL with a new effective date. Significant changes will be noted in the App Store release notes.

Contact

Questions about this privacy policy? Reach out at:
support.horizonapp@icloud.com