Privacy Policy
This Privacy Policy describes how Pikpik ("the App", "we", "us", or "our") handles information when you use the Pikpik mobile application. Please read it carefully.
1. Summary
- Pikpik runs entirely on your iPhone. Your photos and videos never leave it.
- We do not have a server. We do not have a user database. We do not have an account system.
- The only third parties that receive data are Apple (for the App Store, in-app purchases, and crash reporting if you opted in), RevenueCat (our subscription engine, which only sees an anonymous device identifier and your purchase history), and Expo (which delivers JavaScript bundle updates the same way Apple delivers App Store updates — see §5b).
- We do not show ads. We do not sell data. We do not run analytics SDKs that identify you.
- Don't take our word for it — Pikpik's source code is public so you can verify everything in this policy yourself.
2. Data we access on your device
To work, Pikpik needs the following permissions on your iPhone:
| Permission | Why we need it | Where it goes |
|---|---|---|
| Photo Library (read) | To show your photos and videos so you can swipe through them | Stays on your device |
| Photo Library (write) | Required for the "Delete" action — iOS requires write permission to remove assets from your library | Stays on your device |
Photos and videos are read and decoded on your device only. They are never uploaded, copied to a server, shared with us, or transmitted off the device for any reason.
3. Data stored locally on your device
Pikpik keeps a small amount of state on your device so the app remembers you between launches. This data never leaves your iPhone unless you initiate a backup yourself through iCloud Backup.
We store:
- Seen-photo history — IDs of photos you've already
swiped, plus the action (keep / delete / favorite) and a timestamp,
in a local SQLite database (
pikpik.db). Used only to avoid showing you the same photo twice. - Daily swipe counter — number of swipes used today (free tier only).
- Aggregate stats — total kept / deleted / favorited counts and a running tally of storage you've reclaimed.
- Pending-delete queue — IDs of photos you've swiped left but haven't yet confirmed for deletion.
- Preferences — theme mode, haptics on/off, your selected filters, and an onboarding-completion flag.
- Pro entitlement flag — a local cache of whether your Pro subscription is active, to avoid hitting the network on every launch.
You can erase all of this at any time from Settings → Erase All Data, which clears the local database and all preferences. Uninstalling the app removes it from your device entirely.
4. Subscriptions and purchases (RevenueCat)
Pro subscriptions are processed by Apple through the App Store. We use RevenueCat as a layer on top of Apple's StoreKit to track entitlements. RevenueCat receives:
- An anonymous user identifier generated by RevenueCat on first launch
- The receipt for any purchase you make (to validate it)
- The subscription state (active / cancelled / expired)
RevenueCat does not receive your name, email, photos, contacts, location, device contacts, or any photo data. See RevenueCat's privacy policy at revenuecat.com/privacy.
Payment itself is handled by Apple. We never see your payment details.
5. Crash reports and diagnostics
If you opted into "Share with App Developers" in iOS Settings, Apple may send us anonymized crash logs through App Store Connect. These logs contain stack traces and device model information. They do not contain your photos.
We currently do not run any third-party analytics or crash-reporting SDK beyond what Apple provides natively.
5b. Over-the-air JavaScript updates
Pikpik uses Expo's EAS Update service to deliver small JavaScript improvements between App Store releases — the same way Apple delivers App Store updates. Each launch makes one short network request to check for a new bundle; if one exists, it downloads in the background. EAS receives standard request metadata (your IP address at request time, app version) but no personal information and no photo data. See Expo's privacy policy.
6. Children
Pikpik is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect any information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided information to us, contact us and we will delete it (though, as noted above, we do not collect personal information in the first place).
7. Your rights
Because we do not store your information on our servers, there is no account to delete and no data for us to export or correct. You control all your data directly:
- Access / portability — your data lives on your iPhone. iOS lets you back it up through iCloud Backup.
- Deletion — use Settings → Erase All Data, then uninstall the app to remove everything.
- Withdraw consent — revoke Photos permission in iOS Settings → Pikpik.
EU/UK users have rights under GDPR; California residents have rights under the CCPA. Because we do not hold your personal information, most of these rights are exercised by you directly on your device. To make a formal request, contact us at the address below.
8. Changes to this policy
We may update this policy. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top. Material changes will be announced in the app or via an App Store update note.
9. Contact
Questions? Email us at thepikpikapp@gmail.com.