typecoach

Privacy Policy

Last updated: 5 November 2026

typecoach is a typing coach for Mac that lives in the menu bar. This page explains what the app keeps, where it keeps it and when it connects to the internet. typecoach is made by Sonokinetic BV in the Netherlands and published under the Usefulisms name. If you have questions, email [email protected].

The short version

typecoach has no account, no server of its own, no analytics and no crash reporting. Your typing stats are saved in a file on your Mac and are never uploaded. The app goes online only to check for updates.

What the app reads while you type

typecoach only sees the keys you press while its own panel is open and you are doing a drill. It does not read what you type in other apps.

Outside the panel, it does two things. It asks macOS how many seconds have passed since you last used the keyboard or mouse, so it can wait until you are at the computer and in a pause before it nudges you. It gets that number of seconds and nothing about which keys you pressed. It also registers one keyboard shortcut, Control+Option+T, which opens the panel.

What it stores on your Mac

Your progress and settings are saved in a file called typecoach.json in ~/Library/Application Support/com.typecoach.desktop/. It holds:

• per-key stats: how often you hit each key, how often you got it right, and a short list of recent timings and hits for that key
• which keys you have unlocked so far
• how many drills you did on each day, and for each finished drill its time, speed, accuracy and stage
• your settings (drills per day, active hours, minimum gap between nudges, start at login) and when the next nudge is due
• where you last placed the panel on screen
• whether you have dismissed the card that asks if you want to give something back

It does not save the text of your drills. A snooze, if you set one, is kept in the app's own local web storage on your Mac.

To remove everything, quit typecoach, delete the app and delete the com.typecoach.desktop folder above. If you turned on start at login, turn it off in typecoach's settings first.

When it connects to the internet

The app checks for updates about 90 seconds after it starts and then every 6 hours. It asks GitHub for the latest version file (github.com/sonthomsen/typecoach-dist) and, if that does not work, asks typecoach.usefulisms.com. If there is a new version, it downloads it, checks its signature and installs it in the background. The request does not include any of your typing data. As with any download, GitHub or Cloudflare (which hosts typecoach.usefulisms.com) can see your IP address and the request.

That is the only network traffic the app starts on its own.

Notifications

The nudge to practice is a local macOS notification created on your Mac. It is not sent through any push service.

Giving back

typecoach is free. After you have used it for a while, the app may show a card asking if you want to give something back. If you click it, a Stripe payment page opens in your browser, and any payment is handled by Stripe under its own privacy policy. We never see your card details. The card also lists a Lightning address and a Bitcoin address that you can copy. Copying them does not send anything anywhere.

This website

typecoach.usefulisms.com is hosted on Cloudflare Pages. The page loads its font from Google Fonts, so Google receives your IP address when you visit. The download link points to GitHub. The pages themselves set no cookies and include no analytics scripts.

Who we share data with

We do not collect your typing data, so there is nothing for us to share or sell. The only outside services involved are the ones named above: GitHub and Cloudflare for downloads and updates, Google Fonts for this website, and Stripe if you choose to pay.

Your rights

Depending on where you live (including under the EU and UK GDPR), you may have the right to access, correct or delete data about you. Since typecoach keeps your data only on your Mac, you can see and delete it yourself as described above. For anything else, email [email protected].

Children

typecoach does not collect personal data from anyone, including children.

Changes

If this policy changes, we will update it on this page and change the date at the top.

Contact

Sonokinetic BV, [email protected]