iCloud sync and privacy

Understand exactly what Hoolo syncs, what stays local, and how offline merging works.

iCloud rule sync is optional and off by default. Enable it under Settings → General → iCloud Rule Sync.

What syncs

The current development build syncs:

• rules and their enabled state;
• rule ordering;
• global exclusions;
• version and deletion metadata needed to merge changes.

What does not sync

Hoolo does not sync monitored folders, scanned file caches, operation logs, snapshots, scheduled reports, tag data, license information, or the files being organized.

The sync document lives in your own iCloud Drive. Hoolo’s encrypted local state remains the runtime source, so rules continue to work when iCloud is offline or unavailable.

How changes merge

Rules are merged by UUID. When the same rule changed on two Macs, the newer record wins. Ordering has its own version, and deleted rules use tombstones so an offline Mac does not revive them when it reconnects. The first merge also removes identical preset duplicates that have different IDs.

Use Sync Now when you want to request a merge immediately. iCloud may still need time to download or upload the underlying document.

Local file access

Full Disk Access and selected-folder bookmarks are used only to read or change local locations you asked Hoolo to manage. Rule sync does not grant access to files on another Mac and does not turn iCloud folders into monitored folders.