{"id":"privacy-safety.what-is-the-anonymous-machine-tag","url":"/faq/privacy-safety/what-is-the-anonymous-machine-tag","category":{"id":"privacy-safety","title":"Privacy & safety"},"subcategory":{"id":"what-leaves-your-mac","title":"What leaves your Mac"},"question":"What is the anonymous machine tag, and does it identify me?","alt_questions":["What is the machine fingerprint Storage Studio uses?","Does Storage Studio track my Mac's serial number?","Is the machine ID linked to my name?","storage studio fingerprint privacy","Why does the app need a machine identifier?","Can the machine tag be traced back to me?"],"short_answer":"It's a one-way scrambled code unique to your Mac. It can't be reversed, doesn't contain your Mac's name or serial number, and is used to tie a trial or licence to this Mac and count machines anonymously.","answer_markdown":"It's a scrambled, one-way code that is unique to your Mac but can't be reversed to reveal anything about it. It doesn't contain your Mac's name, serial number or network address.\n\nIt exists for two practical reasons: to tie a licence or free trial to the Mac it was started on (so a trial can't be restarted endlessly by reinstalling), and to count machines in the anonymous activity report without knowing whose they are.\n\nOn its own it isn't linked to your name or email. When you activate a paid licence, your purchase is associated with that tag so the licence works on this Mac — that's the only place the two meet.\n\nMore in the [Privacy Policy](/legal/privacy).","answer_html":"

It's a scrambled, one-way code that is unique to your Mac but can't be reversed to reveal anything about it. It doesn't contain your Mac's name, serial number or network address.

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It exists for two practical reasons: to tie a licence or free trial to the Mac it was started on (so a trial can't be restarted endlessly by reinstalling), and to count machines in the anonymous activity report without knowing whose they are.

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On its own it isn't linked to your name or email. When you activate a paid licence, your purchase is associated with that tag so the licence works on this Mac — that's the only place the two meet.

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More in the Privacy Policy.

","answer_text":"It's a scrambled, one-way code that is unique to your Mac but can't be reversed to reveal anything about it. It doesn't contain your Mac's name, serial number or network address.\n\nIt exists for two practical reasons: to tie a licence or free trial to the Mac it was started on (so a trial can't be restarted endlessly by reinstalling), and to count machines in the anonymous activity report without knowing whose they are.\n\nOn its own it isn't linked to your name or email. When you activate a paid licence, your purchase is associated with that tag so the licence works on this Mac — that's the only place the two meet.\n\nMore in the Privacy Policy.","tags":["machine tag","fingerprint","privacy","licence"],"related":[{"id":"privacy-safety.what-information-is-shared-when-i-activate-a-licence","question":"What information is shared when I activate a licence?","url":"/faq/privacy-safety/what-information-is-shared-when-i-activate-a-licence"},{"id":"privacy-safety.what-is-anonymous-activity-reporting","question":"What is the “Anonymous activity reporting” row in the Services pane?","url":"/faq/privacy-safety/what-is-anonymous-activity-reporting"}],"applies_to":"all","last_reviewed":"2026-10-01","title":"What is the anonymous machine tag, and does it identify me? — Storage Studio FAQ","description":"It's a one-way scrambled code unique to your Mac. It can't be reversed, doesn't contain your Mac's name or serial number, and is used to tie a trial or licence to this Mac and count machines anonymously.","crumbs":[{"name":"Home","path":"/"},{"name":"FAQ","path":"/faq/"},{"name":"Privacy & safety","path":"/faq/privacy-safety/"},{"name":"What is the anonymous machine tag, and does it identify me?","path":"/faq/privacy-safety/what-is-the-anonymous-machine-tag"}],"jsonld":{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/privacy-safety/what-is-the-anonymous-machine-tag","inLanguage":"en","dateModified":"2026-10-01","mainEntity":[{"@type":"Question","name":"What is the anonymous machine tag, and does it identify me?","alternateName":["What is the machine fingerprint Storage Studio uses?","Does Storage Studio track my Mac's serial number?","Is the machine ID linked to my name?","storage studio fingerprint privacy","Why does the app need a machine identifier?","Can the machine tag be traced back to me?"],"acceptedAnswer":{"@type":"Answer","text":"It's a scrambled, one-way code that is unique to your Mac but can't be reversed to reveal anything about it. It doesn't contain your Mac's name, serial number or network address.\n\nIt exists for two practical reasons: to tie a licence or free trial to the Mac it was started on (so a trial can't be restarted endlessly by reinstalling), and to count machines in the anonymous activity report without knowing whose they are.\n\nOn its own it isn't linked to your name or email. When you activate a paid licence, your purchase is associated with that tag so the licence works on this Mac — that's the only place the two meet.\n\nMore in the Privacy Policy.","url":"https://storagestudio.us/faq/privacy-safety/what-is-the-anonymous-machine-tag"}}]},"fragment":"
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Privacy & safety · What leaves your Mac

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What is the anonymous machine tag, and does it identify me?

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Short answer: It's a one-way scrambled code unique to your Mac. It can't be reversed, doesn't contain your Mac's name or serial number, and is used to tie a trial or licence to this Mac and count machines anonymously.

\n

It's a scrambled, one-way code that is unique to your Mac but can't be reversed to reveal anything about it. It doesn't contain your Mac's name, serial number or network address.

\n

It exists for two practical reasons: to tie a licence or free trial to the Mac it was started on (so a trial can't be restarted endlessly by reinstalling), and to count machines in the anonymous activity report without knowing whose they are.

\n

On its own it isn't linked to your name or email. When you activate a paid licence, your purchase is associated with that tag so the licence works on this Mac — that's the only place the two meet.

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More in the Privacy Policy.

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Last reviewed

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Related questions

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