> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.desktop.faros.ai/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.desktop.faros.ai/settings-and-privacy/understand-your-data.md).

# Understand Your Data

Faros Desktop and Faros Agent analyze supported AI-tool history on your Mac. Local processing and optional network features have different data boundaries.

## Local History and Analysis

Faros processes session content locally for its core analysis. Its database stores normalized activity, usage, metadata, and analysis results. The original AI-tool transcripts remain a separate source and can be read again when needed.

Do not assume that turning off collection deletes earlier records or deletes the AI tool's original history.

## Optional Network Activity

| Feature                 | What can leave this Mac                                                                                                               |
| ----------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| Product usage analytics | Feature use, active time, basic app and agent health, and standard app/device details; not prompts, code, transcripts, or file paths. |
| Crash reporting         | Sanitized crash reports.                                                                                                              |
| Updates and model setup | Requests needed to check for or download the selected resources.                                                                      |
| Organization connection | Account/team identity and usage or spend summaries; configured usage/cost telemetry can also be exported.                             |
| Semaphore               | Session summaries and messages you choose to share with the configured team server.                                                   |
| Model-provider requests | Your AI tools' requests continue to their providers; an enabled local gateway forwards the selected traffic.                          |

Advanced features configured to call external models can send their selected model input, potentially including transcript content. Review those features and your organization's configuration before use. Local analysis does not mean every optional integration is offline.

## Control Sharing

Use **Settings → General → Privacy** to change **Share product usage analytics** and **Send crash reports**. Analytics starts after setup and is on unless disabled. These controls are separate from organization telemetry and provider requests.

Open **What leaves this Mac** for the in-app disclosure. Organization policy can manage settings.

Support prompts are reviewed and copied by you; creating one does not automatically send a report.

## Sensitive Derived Data

Local analysis can process prompt and tool content in memory and reread original records. The Agent is not intended to archive raw session histories. Its SQLite records can include usage, estimated costs, identifiers, paths, classifications, and summaries.

Derived summaries and titles can themselves contain sensitive information. Include them in your security and data-handling review, even when original transcripts remain with the coding assistant.

## Local Access and Retention

Faros Desktop's access is limited to what your local user can access on your local Mac. This includes an owner-only state directory and restrictive socket/database permissions. Further, this means that applications running as the same user are not separately authenticated. Optional MCP and model-proxy endpoints need their own access and content-transmission review.

Most derived records have no general age-based expiry. Original histories follow the coding assistant's own retention. Stopping ingestion does not remove earlier records.

Plan deletion separately for Faros state, original histories, backups, and any exports. Removing the app does not remove all of these data sources; see [Updates and Support](/troubleshooting/updates-and-support.md) and contact your designated FDE for full data-removal steps.

## Review Configured Exports

When configured, platform exports can include selected usage, identity, git context, and annotations. The specifics depend on the export configuration alongside analytics, diagnostics, and optional remote features settings.

## Related Guides

* [Configure Faros](/settings-and-privacy/configure-faros.md)
* [Skills, Extensions, and Integrations](/power-ups/skills-extensions-and-integrations.md)


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