Privacy

Good Backup for Google Drive Privacy Policy

Good Backup for Google Drive is a Mac desktop app by Good Tools in Saskatchewan, Canada. It backs up the Google Drive folders you select to the Nextcloud server and destination folder you choose. Backups run when you start them or on the daily schedule you enable.

Effective October 27, 2026

Google data the app accesses

With your consent, the app requests Google Drive read-only access (https://www.googleapis.com/auth/drive.readonly). Google describes this permission as seeing and downloading all your Google Drive files. The app uses it to browse My Drive, Shared with me, and accessible Shared Drives; read file and folder IDs, names, types, sizes, modification times, checksums, and folder structure; and copy the contents of the folders you select. It also reads your signed-in account email address to identify the connected account.

The app receives OAuth access and refresh tokens to maintain the connection. It does not receive your Google password, request Gmail or Calendar access, or request permission to create, edit, or delete your Google Drive files. Google Docs, Sheets, Slides, and Drawings are exported to supported file formats. Unsupported Google objects and shortcuts may be skipped; Google sharing restrictions can prevent downloads.

How the data is used

Metadata powers folder selection, folder structure, duplicate-name handling, progress, and the comparison that identifies new or changed files. File contents are used only to create and maintain the backups you configure. The first run copies the selected contents; later runs transfer new or changed files. The app can run in the background on your Mac according to your saved daily schedule.

Read-only Drive access is needed to back up existing folder trees recursively, including accessible shared folders and descendants that were not individually created by or opened with the app. Metadata-only access cannot download contents. Per-file access would limit this workflow to individually authorized files and does not provide the existing-folder access used here.

Google data is not used to serve advertising, build profiles, sell data, determine creditworthiness, or train generalized AI or machine-learning models. Good Tools does not operate a server that receives your backup contents.

Transfer to your Nextcloud server

The app communicates directly from your Mac with Google OAuth and Google Drive, then transfers selected file contents and their backup paths from your Mac to your chosen Nextcloud server using HTTPS. This transfer to Nextcloud is the app's main purpose and happens under the account, folder selection, destination, and schedule you configure. Data does not pass through a Good Tools proxy.

Your Nextcloud server receives the copied files, folder names, and associated file metadata. Its operator, administrators, storage providers, and people with access to the destination may be able to access those backups according to that server's permissions and policies. Choose a server and destination you trust. Google and Nextcloud may retain their own service and security logs under their respective settings and policies.

Good Tools does not sell, rent, or send your Google file contents, folder listings, or tokens to advertisers, analytics providers, AI providers, or data brokers. If you voluntarily contact support, we receive the information you send; please omit tokens, passwords, and private file contents.

Local storage and protection

On macOS, Google OAuth tokens, an imported Google desktop OAuth client configuration, and the Nextcloud device app password are stored in this edition's macOS Keychain service. Nextcloud sign-in uses a device app password obtained through its browser approval flow, rather than asking for your main account password.

Rclone, the transfer engine bundled with the app, receives a temporary local configuration containing credentials while an operation runs. The app uses a private directory with owner-only permissions requested, and removes it on normal completion or cancellation. Temporary listings, command output, changed duplicate-file downloads, and some exports can be stored locally during processing. A crash or forced termination can leave private temporary files behind.

Settings, selected folder IDs and paths, remembered duplicate IDs, backup status, and activity logs are stored locally in the app's Application Support folder. Logs can contain file names, paths, transfer details, and errors. Large logs are rotated at the beginning of a subsequent backup run. Protect your Mac account and use disk encryption where appropriate.

Backups on Nextcloud are ordinary readable files. This edition does not add client-side encryption or create the encrypted restic vaults used by the separate computer-backup edition of Good Backup. HTTPS protects the connection; protection of stored backups depends on your server, storage encryption, account permissions, and sharing settings.

Retention, recovery, and deletion

The Current folder holds the most recently copied files. Before a changed file is replaced, the older backup is moved into a dated History folder. Duplicate source names receive Google-ID suffixes in the backup so both objects can be preserved without changing the originals in Drive. Deleting a source file does not automatically remove its backup. This beta does not automatically purge retained files or history; those copies remain until you remove them on Nextcloud.

You control retention and deletion of the backups on your server and any downloads, restores, or additional server backups. Removing a source from the app's selection does not erase previously saved copies. Deleting a backup does not delete the original Google Drive file.

Local settings, remembered IDs, logs, and Keychain credentials remain until you remove them. Removing the app alone may leave this data behind. This edition uses ~/Library/Application Support/Good Backup for Google Drive and the Keychain service ca.goodtools.goodbackup.googledrive. Turn off the daily schedule and save before removing the app. You can revoke its Google authorization in Google Account connections, revoke the device password in your Nextcloud security settings, and remove local data and credentials using macOS. Existing backup files are not automatically deleted when access is revoked.

Google API Limited Use

Our use and transfer of Google API data follows the Google API Services User Data Policy, including its Limited Use requirements.

Contact and changes

For questions, contact hello@goodtools.ca. Good Tools cannot remove files held only on your Mac, Google account, or Nextcloud server, but can help you locate local app data and revoke access. Policy changes will be published here with an updated effective date. If the app's use of Google data changes, users will be informed and asked to authorize the changed use before it begins.