TakeOff runs on your computer. Your groups, the apps you launch, the files you open and the websites you visit stay on your machine. They are never uploaded, and I have no way to see them.
There are three narrow exceptions, described in full below: anonymous usage counts, license activation, and feedback you choose to send.
Anonymous usage data
Once a week, TakeOff sends a short message so I can see how many people are using it and which features are worth continuing to build. It contains only numbers. This is the entire message:
- A random ID created when you install TakeOff. It is not derived from your computer, your name or your license. It is stored in TakeOff's settings file, and deleting that file gives you a new one.
- The TakeOff version you are running.
- Whether you have a license — true or false. Not which license.
- Your Windows version number, for example 10.0.26200.
- How many groups and items you have, and how many of each item type (app, file, web address, folder, script, Steam game, Store app).
- How many groups are set to launch at startup, how many are detached, and how many items have a saved window position.
What is never collected
The rule TakeOff follows is counts, never content. The message says you have twelve apps. It cannot say which ones.
- Group names
- File paths, file names or folder names
- Web addresses or bookmarks
- Which specific apps or games you launch
- Your name, username or computer name
- Your license key
- Anything you type into TakeOff
You can confirm this yourself rather than taking my word for it. In TakeOff, open Settings → Privacy → See exactly what's sent. It shows the actual message from your own installation, built by the same code that sends it.
Turning it off
Settings → Privacy → Share anonymous usage data. Switching it off stops the next message immediately — there is nothing to restart and no delay. TakeOff works identically either way.
Licenses
If you buy a license, activating it sends your license key and a label for the computer you are activating on, so the same license can be recognised the next time and so you are not locked out if you reinstall Windows. That label is your computer name plus a short code derived from your motherboard. Purchases are handled by Lemon Squeezy, who process your payment details — I never see them.
Feedback
If you send feedback from inside TakeOff, I receive your message, your TakeOff version, and the same computer label used for licensing, so I can match a report to an order. Including your email address is optional and only used to reply.
You can also tick a box to attach your configuration, which helps me reproduce a problem. That attachment includes your group and item names so the setup can be rebuilt. It is sent only when you tick that box, and your license key is masked. Nothing is attached if you leave it unticked.
How long it is kept
Weekly usage records are deleted after about six months. Feedback messages stay in my email until I delete them. License records are kept for as long as the license is active.
Your data
Usage data is anonymous, so I cannot connect it to you or pull it out on request — there is nothing linking that random ID to your identity. For license or feedback data, email me and I will remove it.
This website
Everything above is about the TakeOff app. This website, tonic-tech.com, uses two services:
- Cloudflare Web Analytics counts page visits. It uses no cookies and does not track you across sites.
- Microsoft Advertising (the UET tag). I advertise TakeOff on Bing, and this tag tells me whether someone who clicked an ad went on to download TakeOff, open the checkout page or buy a license. It sets cookies and sends Microsoft the pages you visit here, those actions, and browser details such as your IP address. Microsoft's use of that data is covered by the Microsoft Privacy Statement. You can turn off personalised Microsoft ads at account.microsoft.com/privacy/ad-settings, or block third-party cookies in your browser.
The TakeOff app itself contains no advertising or ad tracking.
Questions
tonictech.inquiry@gmail.com. If something here is unclear or you think it is wrong, please tell me.