Updated October 2026
AI agent privacy: what CoWork OS sends and stores
An AI agent sees a lot: your files, messages, accounts and habits. Before you trust one, you should know exactly what it sends and to whom. This page lists every kind of data that leaves your machine when you use CoWork OS, what stays local, and how to check it yourself in the source code.
At a glance
| Data | Leaves your machine? | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Your files, tasks, history and memory | No, unless a task sends them to a service you configured | Stored locally by default |
| Prompts and context for a cloud model | Yes, to the provider you chose | Not sent if you use a local model (Ollama or MLX) |
| Credentials and API keys | Only to the provider or service they belong to | Encrypted locally with your OS's secure storage |
| Usage counts (CoWork Pulse) | Only if you opt in | Off until you choose Share counts; never includes prompts, responses, files, commands or URLs |
| Update check | Yes, once a day | Sends only the app version, platform, architecture and surface |
Usage analytics: off unless you opt in
CoWork OS has one optional analytics stream, CoWork Pulse. It is disabled by default. After your first successful task the app asks once ("Help improve CoWork?"), and nothing is sent unless you choose Share counts.
If you opt in, Pulse sends daily aggregate counts: app version, operating-system family and architecture, numbers of sessions and tasks, coarse tool categories, error counts and an active-time bucket. It never includes prompts, responses, file names or contents, commands or URLs. The server stores a pseudonymous identifier rather than your raw install ID, and data is kept for 24 months. Because it is a daily record from one installation, it is pseudonymous, not anonymous.
You can change your choice any time in Settings → CoWork Pulse, or from the command line:
cowork telemetry status
cowork telemetry show
cowork telemetry off
cowork telemetry delete --yes
show prints exactly what would be sent, and delete removes your data from the server. CoWork Pulse documentation · Privacy policy.
Update checks
To tell you about new releases, the app checks for updates shortly after launch and then once a day. The check sends only the app version, platform, architecture and surface, with no Pulse identifier, and falls back to GitHub's public releases API. Updates are never downloaded without asking.
What stays on your machine
- Task state, history and memory are stored locally in the app's data folder (
~/Library/Application Support/cowork-os/on macOS,%APPDATA%\cowork-os\on Windows). - Credentials and settings are encrypted with Electron safeStorage, which uses the macOS Keychain or Windows DPAPI.
- Files from chat channels are saved into your workspace.
What you control
- Which model sees your prompts: choose a cloud provider, or run Ollama or MLX so prompts never leave your computer.
- What a task may touch: access profiles set filesystem, network and command rules per task. Access profiles.
- Which services are connected: connectors, MCP servers and channels only receive data for the actions you enable.
Check it yourself
CoWork OS is MIT-licensed and the full source is on GitHub, including the Pulse client and the update checker. The security guide documents data storage and trust boundaries in detail.
Frequently asked questions
Does CoWork OS collect telemetry?
Only if you opt in. CoWork Pulse, its optional usage-count stream, is off by default and never includes prompts, responses, files, commands or URLs. The app also checks for updates daily, sending only its version, platform and architecture.
Does CoWork OS send my files or prompts to its own servers?
No. Prompts and context go only to the model provider you configure, and not off your machine at all if you use a local model. Your files, history and memory are stored locally.
How are API keys stored?
Encrypted locally using Electron safeStorage, which relies on the macOS Keychain or Windows DPAPI. Keys are only sent to the provider or service they belong to.
Can I see exactly what usage data would be sent?
Yes. Run cowork telemetry show to print the pending payload, and cowork telemetry delete --yes to remove previously sent data from the server.
CoWork OS itself is free and open source. Model providers, gateways, connected services, and account plans may charge separately and apply their own eligibility and usage rules.
Last reviewed 2026-10-20 against official documentation. Features, plans and prices change; check the linked sources before deciding.