Your files are your business.

Last updated: 15 July 2026

TidyScout is an application that helps you review and remove files you no longer need. This page describes everything TidyScout does with data — it's short, because TidyScout collects almost nothing.

Local files

• TidyScout can only see folders you explicitly select with its folder picker.
• Analysis — names, sizes, dates, and content fingerprints (SHA-256) used for duplicate detection — happens entirely on your computer, in the desktop app and in the browser version alike.
• File contents are never uploaded, transmitted, or stored anywhere by TidyScout.
• Removal always uses the operating system's Recycle Bin (desktop app only), so files remain recoverable by you. The browser version cannot remove local files at all.

Google Drive (optional)

• Connecting Google Drive is optional and happens through Google's own sign-in page. TidyScout never sees your Google password.
• TidyScout requests the metadata-only Drive permission (drive.metadata): file names, sizes, dates and fingerprints. It cannot open or read the contents of your documents.
• Drive metadata is processed in memory on your device to produce suggestions and is not sent to anyone.
• Files you choose to remove are moved to Google Drive's own Trash, where Google retains them for 30 days.
• In the desktop app, your sign-in credential (a refresh token) is stored in your operating system's secure credential vault. Disconnecting Drive inside TidyScout revokes and deletes it.
• In the browser version, the short-lived access token is held in memory only and disappears when you close the tab or it expires; nothing is written to storage.
• You can revoke TidyScout's access any time at myaccount.google.com/permissions.

What TidyScout does not do

• No accounts, no sign-ups, no email collection.
• No analytics, telemetry, or usage tracking of any kind.
• No advertising and no selling or sharing of data — there is no data to sell.
• No network connections at all, except the Google APIs used when you connect Drive.

Changes

If this policy changes, the updated version will be posted on this page with a new date above.

Contact

TidyScout is an independent project. A contact address for privacy questions will be published here.