Last updated 12 August 2026.
What we collect
Nothing. What Just Pinged Me? has no account system, no analytics, no crash reporting, and no advertising. It makes no network connections at all, so there is no mechanism by which information about you could reach us or anyone else.
What stays on your Mac
To answer "what was that noise", the app keeps two things, both only on your own machine:
- A list of recent sounds — the time each one played and what played it (an app name, a web page title and address, or the name of a background process). This list lives in memory and is gone when you quit the app.
- Short audio recordings — a few seconds around each sound, so you can play it back. These are written to the app's own cache folder inside its sandbox container, and you can delete them all at any time with the Clear button.
Audio recording
macOS asks your permission before the app can record what your Mac plays, and you can withdraw that permission at any time in System Settings under Privacy & Security. The app records only system audio output — what comes out of your speakers — and never your microphone. Recordings are kept only long enough for you to replay them and are never transmitted anywhere.
Browser information
When a web page makes a sound, the app asks your browser for the title and address of the tab that is in front, so it can name the page rather than just the browser. macOS asks your permission for this separately, per browser. That information is shown to you in the app's list and is never stored beyond that list or sent anywhere. If you refuse the permission, the app simply names the browser instead.
Children
The app is not directed at children and collects no information from anyone, of any age.
Changes
If this policy ever changes, the updated version will be posted on this page with a new date at the top.
Contact
Questions about privacy, or anything else, can go to [email protected].