USBAlias

Privacy

USBAlias privacy policy

USBAlias has no account, advertising or cross-app tracking. Optional anonymous diagnostics are controlled by an explicit first-launch choice.

Last updated: 2 November 2026.

Nothing is sent before the user answers the first-run diagnostics prompt. Don't Share is the default choice.

What the app accesses, and why

USB serial devices

USBAlias asks macOS which USB serial devices are attached so it can match them against the rules you create. It reads device names such as product, manufacturer and serial number, plus the current device path such as /dev/cu.usbmodem1234.

It does not open, read or write data on the serial device itself. It creates symbolic links to the device path.

Files you choose

If you choose an aliases folder or a custom sound file, USBAlias remembers that choice so it can keep working after a restart. The app writes only inside the aliases folder you choose and reads only the sound files you choose.

Application preferences

Rules, sounds and settings are stored locally in the app's own data folder:

~/Library/Application Support/USB Alias/

For the App Store version, this is inside the app's sandbox container. The data stays on your Mac. Deleting the app and that folder removes it.

Optional anonymous diagnostics

On first launch, USBAlias asks whether to share anonymous diagnostics. Nothing is sent before you answer, and Don't Share is the default button. You can change the choice later under Settings > General > Privacy. An existing explicit choice is preserved when you upgrade.

When sharing is enabled, USBAlias sends:

  • a random installation ID generated by the app;
  • app ID, version, build, platform and processor architecture;
  • anonymous launch and running-heartbeat records, uptime, active-day count and the number of aliases currently linked;
  • crash and error fingerprints, without messages or stack traces; and
  • coarse country or region derived by the network provider from the request.

These records go to the developer's self-hosted service at https://updates.reabow.co/telemetry/. They are used to understand whether the app is installed and running and to group reliability failures. Usage records are retained for 90 days and crash records for 30 days.

USBAlias does not sell the data, use it for advertising, track across apps or websites, or link it to an account. Turning sharing off stops future reports and deletes queued reports and the random installation ID from the Mac.

What diagnostics never include

  • USB product names, manufacturer names, serial numbers or /dev/cu.* paths;
  • alias names or paths;
  • rule names or rule criteria;
  • file names or paths;
  • custom sound content or log message text;
  • raw errors, stack traces, contacts, calendar, photos, microphone, camera or browsing data; and
  • advertising identifiers, account information or tracking identifiers.

What the app does not do

  • No account or sign-in.
  • No advertising, cross-app tracking or sale of data.
  • No access to contacts, calendar, photos, location, microphone, camera or browsing data.
  • No third-party SDKs.

Notifications

If notifications are enabled, macOS asks for permission and shows alerts locally. Notification content does not leave the Mac.

Sharing

Apart from diagnostics you explicitly enable, USBAlias shares nothing with anyone, including the developer.

Children

USBAlias is a developer tool and is not directed at children.

Changes to this policy

If a future version changes any of the above, this policy will be updated before that version is released.

Contact

Questions about privacy or the app can be sent to [email protected].

For setup and troubleshooting, visit USBAlias support.