Privacy & Terms
Written in plain language. Last updated October 19, 2026.
The short versionWhat the apps can see and doWhat they never doInternet useWhat's storedPurchasesTerms of useRefunds
The short version
- No tracking, no analytics, no ads, no accounts in the apps. They don't collect anything about how you use them. The website only counts visits, without cookies.
- Your screen, sound, keyboard and mouse travel only over the Thunderbolt cable between your two Macs. Nothing is recorded, saved or sent anywhere.
- The MacBook app goes online for exactly two things: checking for updates and checking your license key. The iMac app never goes online.
- Payments and trial sign-ups are handled by Lemon Squeezy. I never see your card details.
Who makes Re5k
Re5k is a small independent app made by Eric Schwanke ("I", "me"). Questions about anything on this page: support@re5k.app.
What the apps can see and do, and why
To act as a display, Re5k needs some permissions that sound powerful. macOS asks you to allow each one, and you can turn any of them off at any time in System Settings → Privacy & Security. Here is exactly what each one is used for.
Re5k (MacBook)
| Permission | What it's used for |
|---|
| Screen & System Audio Recording (screen) | Re5k adds one extra screen to your Mac, the one shown on the iMac, and reads the picture of that screen only so it can send it over the cable. It doesn't capture your MacBook's built-in screen or any other display. The picture is sent live and immediately discarded. It's never saved, recorded or uploaded. |
| Screen & System Audio Recording (sound) | If "Play Sound on iMac" is on, Re5k uses macOS's built-in system-audio capture to send your Mac's sound to the iMac's speakers, live. Nothing is recorded. You can turn this off in the menu bar. Re5k doesn't use your microphone. |
| Accessibility | Lets the iMac's keyboard and mouse control your Mac: Re5k types the keys and moves the pointer that arrive from the iMac over the cable. It doesn't read what you type on your MacBook's own keyboard, and it doesn't read the contents of your apps or windows. |
| Local Network | Finds the iMac over the cable between the two Macs. |
| Open at Login | Starts Re5k when you log in, so you can just plug in. You can turn it off in the menu bar or in System Settings. |
Re5k (iMac)
| Permission or action | What it's used for |
|---|
| Accessibility | While your MacBook is connected and showing on the iMac, Re5k picks up the iMac's keyboard and mouse and sends them over the cable to your MacBook. Keystrokes aren't stored, logged or sent anywhere else. When no MacBook is connected, the iMac's keyboard and mouse work normally for the iMac. |
| Reads two system settings | Checks whether the iMac asks for a password when its screen wakes, and whether Universal Control is on, so its setup checklist can tell you to change them. It only reads them. It never changes your settings. |
| Turns its screen on and off | Wakes and sleeps the iMac's screen together with your MacBook. |
| Open at Login | Starts Re5k on the iMac when it starts up, so it's always ready. |
What the apps never do
- Record, save, screenshot or upload your screen, sound, keystrokes or mouse movements.
- Send anything you see, type or hear to me, to Lemon Squeezy or to anyone else.
- Use analytics, crash reporting, advertising or tracking services of any kind.
- Read your files, documents, photos, messages, contacts, browsing or passwords.
- Use your camera, microphone or location.
- Install drivers, system extensions or hidden background services, or change your system settings. The only exception is adding itself to Open at Login, which you can turn off.
- Talk to any computer other than your own two Macs (over the cable), re5k.app and Lemon Squeezy's license service.
- Accept a connection from anything except a Mac on the other end of the Thunderbolt cable. Devices on your Wi-Fi or Ethernet network can't connect to Re5k or see your screen.
Exactly when the apps go online
| What | What's sent |
|---|
| Update check (MacBook app, about once a day) | Reads one small public file, re5k.app/version.json, to see if a newer version exists. Nothing about you or your Mac is included. Like any web request, it reaches Cloudflare, which hosts the site and keeps standard technical logs such as IP addresses. |
| License check (MacBook app, when you activate a key, about once a week after that, and when you remove a key) | Your license key and your Mac's name (for example "Eric's MacBook Pro") go to Lemon Squeezy's license service, so it can confirm the key is valid and count how many Macs use it. Nothing else is sent. |
| Re5k (iMac) | Never goes online. |
Between your two Macs, Re5k only talks over the cable link. It deliberately refuses to use Wi-Fi for the picture.
What's stored on your Mac
- In your Mac's Keychain (MacBook): your license key, an activation ID from Lemon Squeezy, your license email, when the key was last checked, and when your free trial started.
- In the app's preferences (both apps): a few settings, such as whether sound plays on the iMac and whether the setup checklist has been shown.
To remove everything, remove your license first (menu bar → License… → Remove License from This Mac), then drag both apps to the Trash.
Trial sign-ups and purchases
The free trial download and license purchases are handled by Lemon Squeezy, which acts as the merchant of record. That means Lemon Squeezy processes the payment and handles sales tax and VAT. When you sign up for the trial or buy, Lemon Squeezy collects your name and email address, and for purchases your payment details and billing country. I can see your name, email, country and orders. I never see your card details.
I use your email only to send your download or license key, to help you if you contact support and, occasionally, to tell you about Re5k updates. You can unsubscribe from any email. I never sell, rent or share your information with anyone else. See Lemon Squeezy's privacy policy for how they handle data.
To get a copy of your information or have it deleted, email support@re5k.app.
This website
re5k.app has no ads, no tracking cookies and no Google Analytics or Facebook pixel. It counts visits with Cloudflare Web Analytics, which doesn't use cookies, doesn't track you across sites and doesn't identify you: it only shows totals such as page views, which pages were visited and roughly which country visitors came from. The site is hosted by Cloudflare (standard technical logs), loads its fonts from Google Fonts, and uses Lemon Squeezy's script for the checkout pop-up. Lemon Squeezy may set cookies when you open the checkout.
Children
Re5k isn't directed at children under 13, and I don't knowingly collect information from them.
Terms of use
By downloading, installing or using Re5k, you agree to these terms. If you don't agree, please don't use it.
Your license
- The free trial lets you use the full app for 7 days from the first time you open Re5k (MacBook). After that, the app stops showing your Mac on the iMac until you enter a license key.
- Buying a license ($9.99, one time, plus any sales tax or VAT where you live) gives you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable right to use Re5k on up to two Macs that you own or control. You can move it to a different Mac by removing it from the old one first.
- Updates to version 1 are free. A future major version might be a separate paid upgrade. Your version 1 license keeps working with version 1.
- Re5k remains my property. You're buying a license to use it, not the software itself.
Please don't
- Share, sell or publish your license key, or use it on more Macs than allowed.
- Get around the trial or license checks, or distribute modified copies of Re5k.
- Use Re5k for anything illegal.
I may turn off license keys that break these rules, are shared publicly, or belong to an order that was refunded or charged back.
How Re5k works, and its limits
- Re5k is an independent pet project, not a professional or commercial-grade product. It works well for everyday use, but it may occasionally need a replug or a relaunch. Fast video and games can stutter.
- Re5k uses parts of macOS that Apple doesn't officially document for third-party apps. A future macOS update could change how they work or stop Re5k from working. I'll try to keep up, but I can't guarantee it.
- Re5k isn't notarized by Apple, so macOS asks you to approve it once when you first open it.
- Re5k isn't suitable for situations where a failure could cause harm or serious loss, such as medical, safety-critical or other high-risk uses. Please don't rely on it for those.
- Keep backups of your work, as you would with any software.
No warranty
Re5k is provided "as is" and "as available", without warranties of any kind, express or implied, including warranties of merchantability, fitness for a particular purpose, non-infringement, or that it will be uninterrupted, error-free or compatible with every Mac, cable or version of macOS. You use it at your own risk.
Limitation of liability
To the fullest extent the law allows, I'm not liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential or punitive damages, or for any loss of data, work, profits or business, arising from your use of, or inability to use, Re5k, even if I've been told such damage is possible. In any case, my total liability for any claim relating to Re5k is limited to the amount you paid for your license, or $10 if you used only the free trial.
Your responsibility
You agree to cover any claims, costs or damages that result from your misuse of Re5k or your breaking these terms.
Ending
You can stop using Re5k at any time by deleting it. These terms end automatically if you break them, and then you must stop using Re5k.
Third parties
Payments, trial sign-ups and license checks rely on Lemon Squeezy, and the website relies on Cloudflare. I'm not responsible for their services, but I'll help where I can if something goes wrong.
Refunds
Because you can use the full app free for 7 days before buying, purchases are final. If something goes wrong after you buy, for example you're charged twice, or Re5k stops working after an update and I can't fix it, email support@re5k.app and I'll make it right, including a refund where that's fair.
Apple
Re5k is an independent app. It isn't affiliated with, endorsed by or supported by Apple Inc. iMac, MacBook, Mac and macOS are trademarks of Apple Inc. Thunderbolt is a trademark of Intel Corporation.
General
- Nothing in these terms limits any rights you have under the consumer laws where you live that can't be waived. If any part of these terms can't be enforced, the rest still applies.
- These terms and this policy are the whole agreement between you and me about Re5k.
- If this page changes, the date at the top changes too, and big changes are mentioned on the What's new page. Using Re5k after a change means you accept it.
Questions: support@re5k.app