Macaron
Legal

Terms of Service

Last updated 25 October 2026

In plain words

  • Macaron lets your iPhone talk directly to your own Mac. It holds the keys to that Mac, so you are the one in charge of keeping your Mac, iPhone, router, passwords and backups safe.
  • Remote access always carries risk. Turning on Remote Login, SSH or a router VPN opens a door to your Mac, and a command you send can delete data. Macaron does exactly what you tell it to do.
  • Macaron is provided “as is”. We do our best, but we do not promise it will be secure, error free or always available. “Mac down” alerts are best effort, never a monitoring guarantee.
  • If something goes wrong, our total liability is limited to what you paid us in the last 12 months (or €50 if you paid nothing), as far as the law allows.
  • Only use Macaron on Macs you own or are allowed to control. Never use it for medical, life-safety or critical systems.
  • If you are a consumer in the EU or France, you keep every right the law gives you that cannot be waived. Nothing here takes those away.

1. Who we are and what these terms cover

Macaron is published by Jean-Sébastien Wallez, Entrepreneur Individuel (a French sole proprietorship), SIREN 852 683 887, VAT number FR71852683887, registered office 80 impasse Magali, 30000 Nîmes, France (“Macaron”, “we”, “us”). You can reach us at hello@getmacaron.app.

These Terms of Service (“Terms”) apply to:

  • the Macaron iPhone app (“iOS App”);
  • the free Macaron companion app for macOS and the command-line helpers it installs (“Mac App”);
  • the “Mac down” alert service (“Alerts”);
  • the website getmacaron.app (“Website”).

Together, these are the “Service”. By downloading, installing or using any part of the Service, you agree to these Terms and to our Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, do not use the Service.

2. Apple’s Standard EULA

The iOS App is licensed to you through the Apple App Store. Apple’s Licensed Application End User License Agreement (the “Standard EULA”) applies to the iOS App alongside these Terms. If the two conflict on a point about the iOS App, the term that gives Macaron more protection applies, to the extent Apple’s rules allow. Section 17 sets out the terms Apple requires.

3. What Macaron does

Macaron lets you control your own Mac (for example a Mac mini, Mac Studio, iMac or MacBook) from your iPhone. Depending on your setup, it can:

  • unlock FileVault remotely, for example after a power cut, and open your user session;
  • control the Mac remotely (click, type, close windows) and show you its screen;
  • lock, sleep, restart or shut down the Mac;
  • open, quit and keep apps running;
  • run shell commands in a Terminal and run Shortcuts;
  • change sound and brightness, list macOS updates;
  • show a home screen widget and send “Mac down” alerts.

How it works. Your iPhone connects directly to your Mac over SSH, using a key generated on your iPhone and written to your Mac when you pair them by QR code. The connection goes over your home network or through a WireGuard VPN server running on your own router (for example a Freebox). With your authorization on the router, Macaron can turn on the router’s VPN server and create a VPN peer through the router’s API. No Macaron server sits between your iPhone and your Mac for unlocking and control. The only Macaron server involved is the small Alerts service described in our Privacy Policy.

4. Your security is your responsibility

Macaron is a tool that gives your iPhone powerful access to your Mac. By using it, you understand and accept that:

  • You are solely responsible for securing your devices and accounts: your Mac, your iPhone, your router, your VPN, your Wi-Fi, your Apple Account, your Mac account password, your router credentials and any other password or key involved. This includes keeping your iPhone locked with a strong passcode and Face ID, keeping your software up to date, and reacting quickly if a device is lost or stolen (for example by unpairing it and changing your Mac password).
  • Remote access is inherently risky. Enabling Remote Login (SSH), a router VPN server, port forwarding or any similar feature exposes your Mac and your network to the internet or to other devices. Even when configured correctly, such features can be attacked.
  • Anyone who gets into your unlocked iPhone, or who obtains your keys or passwords, may be able to control your Mac, unlock it and access everything on it.
  • Actions are executed as instructed. Commands run in Terminal, actions taken through Remote Control, Shortcuts, power actions and app actions are carried out exactly as you (or anyone using your iPhone) send them. They can delete, overwrite or corrupt data, stop running work, or make your Mac unbootable. Macaron does not check whether a command is wise.
  • Unlocking FileVault remotely means your disk encryption password is sent to your Mac over the network. You decide whether that trade-off suits you.
  • You must keep your own backups. Keep current, independent backups of everything on your Mac. Macaron is not a backup tool.
  • Router changes are your call. Turning on a VPN server or creating a VPN peer changes your router’s configuration. You are responsible for reviewing and maintaining that configuration.
  • macOS permissions. The Mac App is not sandboxed. It installs helpers in your home folder and a LaunchAgent, and asks for macOS permissions such as Remote Login, Accessibility, Screen Recording and possibly Full Disk Access. You choose to grant them, and you can revoke them at any time in System Settings.

5. Only your Macs, and lawful use

You may only use Macaron to access Macs, routers and networks that you own or that you are explicitly authorized to control. You are responsible for having that right, and for any consequence of using Macaron on a device you are not allowed to access.

You agree not to:

  • use the Service to access any device, account or network without authorization, or to spy on, harass or harm anyone;
  • use the Service for anything illegal, or to distribute malware;
  • interfere with, overload or attack the Alerts service or the Website;
  • copy, modify, resell, sublicense or redistribute the apps, except as allowed by these Terms or by law;
  • decompile, reverse engineer or disassemble the apps, except where the law expressly allows it despite this restriction (for example for interoperability under EU law);
  • remove any notice of ownership.

6. Not for critical systems

Macaron is not designed, tested or intended for systems where a failure, delay or wrong action could lead to death, personal injury, serious physical or environmental damage, or harm to critical infrastructure. This includes medical devices, life-support, emergency services, industrial control, transport and safety systems. Do not use Macaron with such systems.

7. “Mac down” alerts are best effort

The Mac App sends a heartbeat to our Alerts service about every 5 minutes. When the heartbeats stop, the Alerts service tries to send a push notification to your iPhone through Apple Push Notification service.

Alerts are a convenience, not a monitoring service. They may arrive late, never arrive, or arrive when nothing is wrong. They depend on your Mac, your network, your internet provider, Cloudflare, Apple and our own systems, any of which can fail. Never rely on Alerts as your only way to know that a Mac, a server or a service is running.

8. Purchases and subscriptions

The Mac App is free. The iOS App requires a purchase, made through Apple In-App Purchase:

  • Lifetime: €149, paid once (a reduced launch price may apply for a limited time, as shown in the App Store);
  • Monthly: €9.99 per month, an auto-renewing subscription.

Prices include VAT where applicable and may vary by country, as shown in the App Store. There is no free trial. Apple handles payment, billing and receipts. A Monthly subscription renews automatically until you cancel it, at least 24 hours before the end of the current period, in your Apple Account settings. “Lifetime” means for as long as we offer and support the iOS App, not for the lifetime of any device.

Refunds are handled by Apple under its own policies, at reportaproblem.apple.com. We cannot issue refunds directly.

We may change prices for future purchases. If we change the price of the Monthly subscription, Apple will inform you as its rules require, and you can cancel before the new price applies.

9. EU right of withdrawal

If you are a consumer in the European Union, you normally have 14 days to withdraw from a distance contract. For digital content supplied immediately, by completing your purchase you ask for the iOS App to be supplied right away and acknowledge that you lose your right of withdrawal once supply has started. Purchases are processed by Apple, and Apple’s refund process remains available to you.

10. Your licence

Subject to these Terms, we grant you a personal, non-exclusive, non-transferable, revocable licence to use the iOS App on Apple devices you own or control, as allowed by the Standard EULA, and to use the Mac App on Macs you own or control. We (and our licensors) keep all rights, title and interest in the Service, including the name Macaron and its logos. Any feedback you send us may be used freely, without obligation to you.

11. Beta and experimental features

Some features may be labelled beta, preview or experimental. They may be incomplete, change, or stop working, and they are provided with even less assurance than the rest of the Service.

12. Third-party services and macOS changes

Macaron relies on things we do not control: Apple (iOS, macOS, the App Store, Apple Push Notification service), Cloudflare, RevenueCat, your router’s maker and its API, your internet provider, and others. We are not responsible for their availability, their security, their decisions or their changes. In particular, Apple may change macOS or iOS (for example how FileVault unlock over SSH, Remote Login or permissions work) and a router maker may change its API, which may break or remove features at any time. We will try to adapt, but we cannot promise that every feature will keep working.

13. No warranty

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, THE SERVICE IS PROVIDED “AS IS” AND “AS AVAILABLE”, WITH ALL FAULTS AND WITHOUT WARRANTY OF ANY KIND. WE DISCLAIM ALL WARRANTIES, CONDITIONS AND REPRESENTATIONS, WHETHER EXPRESS, IMPLIED OR STATUTORY, INCLUDING ANY WARRANTY OF MERCHANTABILITY, SATISFACTORY QUALITY, FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE, TITLE, NON-INFRINGEMENT, ACCURACY, SECURITY, AND ANY WARRANTY THAT THE SERVICE WILL BE UNINTERRUPTED, TIMELY, ERROR FREE, FREE OF VULNERABILITIES OR HARMFUL COMPONENTS, OR THAT IT WILL UNLOCK, CONTROL OR MONITOR YOUR MAC SUCCESSFULLY. NO ADVICE OR INFORMATION, WRITTEN OR SPOKEN, CREATES ANY WARRANTY NOT STATED IN THESE TERMS.

This section does not affect the mandatory rights described in Section 16.

14. Limitation of liability

TO THE MAXIMUM EXTENT PERMITTED BY APPLICABLE LAW, AND EXCEPT AS SET OUT IN SECTION 16:

(a) Excluded losses. Macaron will not be liable for any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, exemplary or punitive damages, or for any of the following, whether direct or indirect: loss of profits, revenue, business, goodwill or anticipated savings; business interruption; loss, corruption or theft of data; costs of replacement goods, services or data recovery.

(b) Excluded events. Macaron will not be liable for loss or damage arising from or related to:

  • unauthorized access to, or hacking of, your Mac, iPhone, router, network or accounts;
  • loss or theft of a device, or theft or disclosure of a password, key or token;
  • ransomware, malware or any other attack;
  • commands, Remote Control actions, Shortcuts, power actions or app actions sent through the Service, including by mistake or by someone using your iPhone;
  • a failed, delayed or unwanted FileVault unlock, session opening, restart or shutdown;
  • downtime of your Mac, your servers or any service you run on them;
  • missed, late or false “Mac down” alerts;
  • router or VPN misconfiguration, exposed ports or network changes;
  • third-party services and products (including Apple, Cloudflare, RevenueCat, router makers and internet providers);
  • changes to macOS, iOS or a router API that break or remove a feature;

including where the loss or damage is caused by a bug, a security vulnerability, a defect or the negligence of Macaron, and even if we were told such loss or damage was possible.

(c) Cap. Our total aggregate liability for all claims arising out of or relating to the Service or these Terms, whatever the legal basis (contract, tort including negligence, strict liability or otherwise), will not exceed the amount you actually paid for Macaron in the 12 months before the event giving rise to the first claim, or €50 if you paid nothing.

(d) Basis of the bargain. These limits reflect a fair allocation of risk. Macaron is priced on the basis that you control and secure your own devices and data, and that these limits apply. They apply even if a limited remedy fails of its essential purpose.

15. Indemnification

To the extent permitted by law, you agree to defend, indemnify and hold harmless Macaron and its publisher from any third-party claim, loss, liability, damage, fine, cost or expense (including reasonable legal fees) arising out of or related to: your use of the Service; your use of the Service on a device or network you were not authorized to access; your breach of these Terms or of any law; or the content of commands and actions you send through the Service. If you are a consumer, this applies only where the claim results from your fault.

16. What these terms do not limit

Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits any liability that cannot be excluded or limited under applicable law, including liability for death or personal injury caused by negligence, for fraud, or, under French law, for gross negligence (faute lourde) or willful misconduct (faute dolosive). Nothing in these Terms excludes or limits a liability for a breach of an essential obligation where French law forbids it.

If you are a consumer in France or the European Union, you keep all your mandatory statutory rights. In particular, you benefit from the legal guarantee of conformity for digital content and digital services under Articles L.224-25-1 and following of the French Consumer Code (Code de la consommation), and from any other right you cannot waive under the law of your country of residence. Where these Terms conflict with such rights, those rights prevail.

17. Terms required by Apple (iOS App)

These terms apply to the iOS App obtained from the Apple App Store:

  • Parties. These Terms are between you and Macaron only, not with Apple Inc. (“Apple”). Macaron, not Apple, is solely responsible for the iOS App and its content.
  • Scope of licence. Your licence to the iOS App is limited to use on Apple-branded products you own or control, as permitted by the Usage Rules in the Apple Media Services Terms and Conditions, except that the iOS App may be accessed by other accounts associated with you through Family Sharing or volume purchasing where available.
  • Maintenance and support. Macaron is solely responsible for any maintenance and support of the iOS App, as described in these Terms or as required by law. Apple has no obligation whatsoever to provide maintenance or support for the iOS App.
  • Warranty. Macaron is solely responsible for any product warranty, whether express or implied by law, to the extent not effectively disclaimed. If the iOS App fails to conform to any applicable warranty, you may notify Apple, and Apple will refund the purchase price for the iOS App to you. To the maximum extent permitted by law, Apple has no other warranty obligation whatsoever regarding the iOS App, and any other claims, losses, liabilities, damages, costs or expenses attributable to any failure to conform to any warranty are Macaron’s responsibility, subject to these Terms.
  • Product claims. Macaron, not Apple, is responsible for addressing any claims by you or a third party relating to the iOS App or your possession and use of it, including product liability claims, claims that the iOS App fails to conform to any legal or regulatory requirement, and claims under consumer protection, privacy or similar laws.
  • Intellectual property. If a third party claims that the iOS App or your possession and use of it infringes that third party’s intellectual property rights, Macaron, not Apple, is solely responsible for the investigation, defence, settlement and discharge of that claim.
  • Legal compliance. You represent and warrant that you are not located in a country subject to a U.S. Government embargo or designated by the U.S. Government as a “terrorist supporting” country, and that you are not listed on any U.S. Government list of prohibited or restricted parties.
  • Developer contact. Questions, complaints or claims about the iOS App go to Jean-Sébastien Wallez, 80 impasse Magali, 30000 Nîmes, France, hello@getmacaron.app.
  • Third-party terms. You must comply with applicable third-party terms of agreement when using the iOS App (for example your network provider’s terms).
  • Third-party beneficiary. Apple and Apple’s subsidiaries are third-party beneficiaries of these Terms, and upon your acceptance of these Terms, Apple will have the right (and will be deemed to have accepted the right) to enforce these Terms against you as a third-party beneficiary.

18. Termination

You can stop using the Service at any time: unpair your iPhone, delete the apps, uninstall the Mac App and its helpers, and cancel any subscription in your Apple Account settings. Uninstalling does not cancel a subscription.

We may suspend or end your access to the Service, or to the Alerts service, if you breach these Terms, if required by law, or if we stop offering the Service. If we discontinue the iOS App entirely, we will try to give reasonable notice. Sections 4, 6, 7 and 12 to 22 survive termination.

19. Changes to the Service and to these Terms

We may update, change or remove features of the Service at any time. We may also update these Terms. If a change is significant, we will give notice in the app or on the Website before it applies. The date at the top shows the latest version. If you keep using the Service after a change applies, you accept the updated Terms. If you do not agree, stop using the Service and cancel any subscription.

20. Governing law and disputes

These Terms are governed by French law. If you are a consumer residing in another EU country, you also keep the protection of the mandatory rules of the law of your country of residence.

If you have a problem, write to us first at hello@getmacaron.app; most issues can be solved this way.

Failing an amicable solution, any dispute will be brought before the competent French courts. If you are a consumer, you may also bring a claim before the courts of your place of residence, as allowed by law. If you are not a consumer, the courts of Paris, France, have exclusive jurisdiction.

21. General

  • Entire agreement. These Terms, the Privacy Policy and, for the iOS App, the Standard EULA, are the entire agreement between you and Macaron about the Service.
  • Severability. If any part of these Terms is found invalid or unenforceable, it will be limited to the minimum extent necessary (or removed), and the rest will remain in full effect.
  • No waiver. If we do not enforce a term, that is not a waiver of our right to do so later.
  • Assignment. You may not transfer your rights under these Terms. We may transfer ours, for example in a sale or reorganization of the business, provided your rights as a consumer are not reduced.
  • Force majeure. We are not responsible for failures caused by events beyond our reasonable control.
  • Language. These Terms are written in English. If a translation is provided, the English version prevails, unless the law requires otherwise.

22. Contact

Jean-Sébastien Wallez, Entrepreneur Individuel 80 impasse Magali, 30000 Nîmes, France SIREN 852 683 887, VAT FR71852683887 hello@getmacaron.app