Privacy & Data
Mirage is a locally running desktop app. It does not operate any account system, and it does not upload your usage data to Mirage’s servers. This page covers the key privacy-related points.
Steam Credentials
Section titled “Steam Credentials”- When you log in to Steam, your username and password are handed only to the local SteamCMD process to complete the login, and are never uploaded to any third-party server.
- Your password is not kept in plain text long-term; after a successful login, SteamCMD maintains its own session in a local isolated directory.
- Mirage only persists your username, to reuse the session next time.
- Steam Guard codes are likewise used only for the current login.
See Steam Login and SteamCMD for details.
Steam Web API Key
Section titled “Steam Web API Key”- The API Key you enter is stored in local settings and is used only to request Workshop browsing data from your own machine.
- Do not share your key publicly.
- The app ships with a built-in key shared by all users, for browsing only.
See Steam Web API Key.
Network Requests
Section titled “Network Requests”Mirage makes network requests in a limited and predictable set of cases:
| Purpose | Target |
|---|---|
| Browse the Workshop | Steam Web API (the official endpoint or a mirror you choose) |
| Download Workshop content | Steam, via SteamCMD |
| Install SteamCMD | Valve’s official CDN |
| Check / download updates | Mirage’s update feed (GitHub Release / appcast) |
| Web wallpapers | Determined by the wallpaper itself (see below) |
Mirror Endpoints
Section titled “Mirror Endpoints”The optional SteamCF mirror available to users in mainland China is not an official Steam service. It offers no guarantee of security or availability, and it only proxies the browsing API — it does not accelerate logins or downloads. Whether to use it is up to you.
Web Wallpapers
Section titled “Web Wallpapers”Web wallpapers execute JavaScript and may make their own network requests or load remote resources. That’s why Mirage has a security confirmation for untrusted web wallpapers. Only trust web wallpapers from reliable sources.
Diagnostic Logs
Section titled “Diagnostic Logs”- Mirage’s Workshop support reports are redacted automatically: fields such as passwords, API Keys, and tokens are replaced with
[hidden]. - Enabling “Verbose logging” records more information for debugging; before you export or share logs, please confirm for yourself that they contain nothing sensitive.
Local Data
Section titled “Local Data”Your wallpapers, downloads, caches, and settings are all stored on your own machine. For the relevant paths, see Data Directories. You can view, back up, or clean up these directories in Finder at any time.
Affiliation Notice
Section titled “Affiliation Notice”Mirage is not affiliated with, nor endorsed by, Valve, Steam, or Wallpaper Engine. Workshop content belongs to its respective authors; please observe the applicable licenses and terms of use.