Privacy Policy
Sheaf is an email app for Mac and iPhone. This policy explains what data Sheaf handles, where it goes, and why. In short: your email stays between your devices, your mail provider and the services you choose. We don't sell data, run ads or use analytics.
What stays on your device
Your mail is downloaded straight from your email provider (Gmail, iCloud, Outlook and so on) to the app. Passwords and sign-in tokens are kept in your device's Keychain. A cache of recent message headers, your settings, templates and contact suggestions are kept in the app's private storage on your device.
What the Sheaf server stores, and only when you use these features
Some features have to work while your devices are off, so they run on the Sheaf server. The first time you use one of them, Sheaf stores your account's sign-in details on the server, encrypted with AES-256-GCM.
| Feature | What is stored | How long |
|---|---|---|
| Send Later | The scheduled email (recipients, subject, body, attachments), encrypted | Deleted as soon as it is sent or canceled |
| Snooze and follow-up reminders | The email's Message-ID, the due time, and its subject and sender name (encrypted) | Until the reminder fires or you remove it |
| New-mail notifications (iPhone) | Your device's push token. The server watches your inbox for new mail. | Until you remove the account or delete the app |
Removing an account in Sheaf deletes its stored details, scheduled emails, reminders and push registrations from the server.
Syncing between your devices
When you pair a device, your accounts, app passwords, AI keys, prompts, templates and settings go straight from one of your devices to the other over your local network, encrypted with a one-time key shown only in the pairing code. After that, your devices keep each other up to date through one encrypted message in a hidden "Sheaf-Sync" folder of your own mailbox, readable only with a key that exists only on your paired devices. None of this passes through or is stored on a Sheaf server.
Services Sheaf sends data to
- Your email provider receives your sign-in and the emails you send, the same as with any mail app.
- The AI provider you choose (Claude by Anthropic by default, or any OpenAI-compatible service you set up, such as OpenAI, Google Gemini, OpenRouter, or a model running on your own computer) receives the text of the email you are writing when the check before sending is on, an email's text when you ask for a summary, an AI reply, a rewrite or one of your saved prompts, and the subject, recipients and quoted message as context for the check. It uses your own API key, sent straight from your device, and is covered by that provider's privacy policy (for Claude, Anthropic's privacy policy). A local model keeps everything on your own machine. You can turn the check off in Settings → AI.
- Apple Push Notification service receives the sender name and subject of new mail, so it can show the notification on your iPhone. Email bodies are never sent.
- Google and Microsoft sign-in, if you choose "Sign in with Google" or "Sign in with Microsoft", grant Sheaf access to your mailbox through their standard OAuth consent.
Google user data
Sheaf's use of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. Gmail data is used only to show, send and organize your mail inside Sheaf. It is not used for advertising, not sold, and not read by people, except to comply with law or with your explicit permission for support.
What Sheaf does not do
- No advertising, tracking, analytics or selling of data.
- Remote images in emails are blocked by default, so senders' tracking pixels can't tell when you've opened their email.
- No training of AI models on your email.
Your choices
You can remove an account at any time in Settings → Accounts. That deletes it from the device and from the server. You can turn off the check before sending, Gatekeeper and notifications in Settings. Deleting the app removes everything it stored on the device.
Contact
Questions about privacy: privacy@sheafmail.com.