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Fresh respects your privacy. This page explains what data is collected, why, and how to disable it.

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What Fresh Collects

Fresh checks for new versions to notify you when upgrades are available. Alongside this check, it sends basic anonymous telemetry to help understand usage patterns.

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Data Collected

The data collected includes:
The version of Fresh you’re running (e.g., 1.0.0).Purpose: Track which versions are in use to prioritize support and bug fixes.
Your OS and CPU architecture (e.g., linux-x86_64, macos-aarch64, windows-x86_64).Purpose: Understand platform distribution to focus development and testing efforts.
The TERM environment variable value (e.g., xterm-256color, screen, tmux-256color).Purpose: Identify terminal compatibility issues and improve rendering support.

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What Is NOT Collected

Fresh does NOT collect:
  • Personal information (name, email, IP address, etc.)
  • File contents or file names
  • Keyboard input or editing behavior
  • Project or directory names
  • Configuration details
  • Plugin usage
  • Any personally identifiable information (PII)

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When Checks Occur

Upgrade checks and telemetry are sent:
  1. Once on startup when you launch Fresh
  2. Once daily while Fresh is running
No data is sent:
  • While you’re editing
  • When Fresh is idle
  • Continuously in the background
The check is performed asynchronously and does not block the editor or impact performance.

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Disabling Telemetry

You can disable both upgrade checking and telemetry together. There are two methods:

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Method 1: Command-Line Flag

Disable for a single session: 
fresh --no-upgrade-check
This flag disables both upgrade checks and telemetry for that run of Fresh.

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Method 2: Configuration File

Disable permanently by editing ~/.config/fresh/config.json: 
{
  "check_for_updates": false
}
Save the file and restart Fresh. Telemetry and upgrade checks will be disabled.
You can verify the setting is applied:
fresh --cmd config show | grep check_for_updates
Should output:
"check_for_updates": false

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Why Telemetry?

Telemetry helps the Fresh maintainers:
  • Prioritize platforms: Focus development on the most-used OS/architecture combinations
  • Improve terminal support: Identify which terminal emulators need better compatibility
  • Measure adoption: Understand how quickly users upgrade to new versions
  • Validate releases: Confirm new versions are being successfully deployed
Telemetry is completely optional and can be disabled at any time. Fresh works perfectly fine without it.

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Transparency

Fresh’s telemetry implementation is open source. You can review the code:
  • Telemetry code: Check crates/fresh-editor/src/services/release_checker.rs in the Fresh repository
  • What’s sent: All telemetry data is included in the upgrade check HTTP request
  • No tracking: There are no analytics IDs, cookies, or persistent tracking

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Network Requests

When telemetry is enabled, Fresh makes HTTP requests to:
  • Purpose: Check for new releases and send telemetry
  • Frequency: Once on startup, then once per day
  • Protocol: HTTPS (encrypted)
  • Response: Returns information about the latest Fresh release
If you’re on a corporate or restricted network, these requests may be blocked by your firewall. This is harmless - Fresh will continue working normally.

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Offline Usage

Fresh works completely offline:
  • No internet connection required for editing
  • Telemetry gracefully fails if offline
  • LSP and plugins work locally (unless they require network access)

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Privacy-Focused Alternatives

If you want to stay informed about updates without telemetry:
  1. Watch the GitHub repository: Get notifications for new releases
  2. Check manually: Run fresh --version and compare with the releases page
  3. Subscribe to announcements: Follow the project’s communication channels

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Examples

fresh --no-upgrade-check file.txt

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Comparison with Other Editors

EditorTelemetry DefaultOpt-out Method
FreshEnabledSingle flag or config setting
VS CodeEnabledMultiple settings to disable
IntelliJ IDEAEnabledMultiple dialogs and settings
Vim/NeovimNoneN/A
EmacsNoneN/A
Fresh’s telemetry is:
  • Minimal: Only 3 data points
  • Anonymous: No personal information
  • Easy to disable: Single flag or config option
  • Transparent: Open source implementation

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FAQ

No. Fresh works exactly the same with or without telemetry. You only miss notifications about new releases.
No. The update check and telemetry are sent in the same HTTP request. Disabling one disables both.
Fresh does not log IP addresses. Your IP may appear in standard web server logs (like any HTTP request), but it’s not stored or associated with telemetry data.
No. There are no user IDs, session IDs, or any form of persistent tracking. Each telemetry ping is completely anonymous.
No. Fresh does not use any third-party analytics services. All requests go directly to Fresh’s update server.
If telemetry requests are blocked, Fresh will fail silently and continue working normally. No errors or warnings are shown.

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Contact

If you have questions or concerns about privacy:

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See Also

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