Privacy Policy

Overview

Pixtide is a photo and video management app that runs entirely on your device. We built it with a simple principle: your photos are yours, and they should stay that way. If you are evaluating photo cleaners in general, see our guide on whether photo cleaner apps are safe.

What we don't collect

• Your photos and videos are never uploaded or transmitted
• We don't access your photo library contents over the network
• We don't collect your name, email, or any personal identifiers
• We don't use advertising trackers or sell data to third parties
• The app itself sets no cookies. This website uses Google Analytics cookies, described under Website below

On-device processing

All photo sorting, session progress, and deletion operations happen locally on your iPhone. Pixtide uses Apple's PhotoKit framework to access your photo library with your permission. When you delete photos through Pixtide, they are moved to iOS's "Recently Deleted" album where they remain recoverable for 30 days before being permanently removed by the system. Here is more on where deleted photos go on iPhone.

Analytics (anonymous usage data)

Pixtide uses PostHog to collect anonymous usage analytics. This helps us understand which features are used most and where people get stuck. The data collected includes:

• App open events
• Feature usage (which screens are visited, session completion, whether a reminder or the share sheet was used)
• General device type (iPhone model family) and iOS version
• Approximate user location (city-level, derived from IP address by PostHog)
• A random identifier created when the app is installed, so events from the same install can be grouped. It is not your Apple ID, device ID or advertising ID, and it resets if you reinstall.
• Crash and error reports, so we can fix bugs. These never include photo content.
• Answers to optional in-app surveys, if you choose to answer them. Please don't include personal details in free-text answers.

This data is not linked to your identity. We don't collect your Apple ID, name, email, or any identifier that could tie analytics back to you personally. No photo content or photo metadata (locations, dates, faces) is ever included in analytics.

You can switch all of this off at any time in Settings under Privacy.

The app also fetches a small public file from pixtide.com with the community totals shown on its Everyone Together page (how much space everyone has freed). That is an ordinary web request for a static file; it carries nothing about you or your library, and it works the same whether analytics is on or off.

Website

This website (pixtide.com) uses two analytics tools so we can see which pages people read and whether they go on to the App Store:

• Google Analytics 4 counts page views and App Store link clicks. It sets _ga cookies in your browser to recognise repeat visits. Google processes this data under its own privacy policy.
• PostHog records page views and App Store link clicks. It sets no cookie: it keeps a random visitor identifier in your browser's local storage instead.

Both see the page address, the referring site, your browser and device type, and an approximate location derived from your IP address. Neither receives your name, email or anything from the app, and the website never sees your photos. You can block or clear these cookies and local storage in your browser settings, or use a content blocker; the site works the same without them.

Photo library permission

Pixtide requests access to your photo library to display your photos and videos for sorting. The app reads photo metadata (such as date, location, and duration) to display helpful context while you swipe. This metadata is only used on-device for display purposes and is never transmitted or stored outside your phone.

You can grant full access or limited access (selecting specific photos). You can revoke this permission at any time in iOS Settings. Without photo library access, the app cannot function, but no data is lost or sent anywhere.

Local notifications

If you grant notification permission, Pixtide may send local reminders to continue your cleanup session. These notifications are generated on-device and are not sent through any external push notification service.

Data storage

Session progress and app preferences are stored locally on your device using SwiftData. This data is not synced to iCloud or any external service. Uninstalling the app removes all locally stored data.

Children's privacy

Pixtide does not knowingly collect any information from children under 13. The app does not require an account and collects no personal information from any user.

Changes to this policy

If we update this privacy policy, we will post the revised version on this page with an updated date. We will not retroactively reduce your privacy protections.

Contact

Questions about this policy? Reach out at hello@pixtide.com.