Data collection
We do not use app or keyboard data for advertising, third-party analytics, marketing, account creation, or profiling. Hardware Keyboard: Companion contains no third-party advertising or analytics SDK. When iCloud is available, the companion app transmits encrypted backup records to Apple CloudKit for app functionality and personalization recovery; the developer does not receive readable snapshot content.
Typing and local learning
Typing context can be processed on device to provide suggestions, autocorrect, and keyboard behavior. Local learning may retain learned words or phrases, accepted and rejected corrections, custom text rules, and motor-calibration signals. Classified durable learning state can be included in the encrypted iCloud snapshot, but current typing context and hardware-key event streams are excluded.
You can remove personalization through Reset Autocorrect Learning in the companion app. Sensitive and secure text fields are excluded from learning and iOS may replace third-party keyboards with the system keyboard in those fields.
Companion app and App Group
The companion app and keyboard extension share configuration through Apple’s on-device App Group container. Shared information includes theme, layout, keymap, behavior preferences, extension readiness, and local keyboard state needed for the product to work.
Encrypted iCloud Backup
Encrypted iCloud Backup is on by default when your Apple Account, iCloud storage, iCloud Keychain, and HWC's iCloud access are available. Access is controlled through iOS Settings; HWC has no separate enable switch. Disabling access stops reconciliation but does not silently delete local or remote snapshots.
The snapshot can include settings, custom rules and words, keymaps, Additional Layer content and presets, explicitly saved clipboard snippets, Autobot state, language learning, correction decisions, personalization, and calibration. Purchase receipts, cached unlock state, diagnostics, setup state, remote configuration, current typing context, and hardware-key event streams are excluded. Restored paid content remains locked unless StoreKit confirms the current entitlement.
HWC applies client-side encryption and authentication before CloudKit receives a snapshot. A random versioned key ring synchronizes through end-to-end encrypted iCloud Keychain; it is not derived from a device hardware identifier. If a required key is unavailable, HWC keeps the encrypted snapshot and reports that it cannot restore it instead of replacing the key or uploading an empty backup. Apple operates iCloud under your Apple account and Apple’s privacy terms.
Hardware keyboard events
Hardware-keyboard reading is opt-in and session-scoped. The app processes key events locally to drive keyboard features. Privacy-safe diagnostic state may describe event source or counts without storing typed-text payloads. Secure-input protections still apply.
Clipboard
The companion app may read the current clipboard string only when you explicitly use a clipboard-based key or snippet action. The keyboard extension does not monitor pasteboard changes or silently auto-save clipboard contents. Explicitly saved encrypted snippets can be included in Encrypted iCloud Backup.
Purchases
In-app purchases are processed by Apple. HWC receives the entitlement information required to unlock purchased features; the developer does not receive your payment-card details.
Retention and control
Local settings and learning remain until you reset or remove them. Immutable encrypted snapshot generations can remain in your private iCloud account for recovery; deleting the app or disabling its iCloud access does not necessarily delete those records. The app's backup-management page shows available generations and restores an older generation by creating a new successor, preserving recovery history. HWC has no developer-operated server containing readable snapshot content.
Changes and contact
If product data practices materially change, this policy will be updated before the corresponding release. Questions: support@hwkc.tech.