Privacy Policy

Effective 2026-10-11. Last updated 2026-10-11.

What stays on your device

Everything you put into Refract and everything it makes: the audio you import, the soundtrack Refract takes from a video you choose, the photographs you add, the projects you build, and the videos you export. Projects live in Refract's own folder on your iPhone and are included in your device backup if you have one enabled. Deleting the app deletes them.

Using the sound from your own video

If you choose a video as a project's music, Refract checks it and copies only its soundtrack into the project, on your iPhone. The video itself is not kept, and nothing from it is uploaded. If you paste a link to an audio or video file, your iPhone downloads that file directly from the address you gave; it does not pass through any server of ours, and the downloaded copy is deleted once its sound is in your project. When you import music, Refract asks you to confirm that you own it or have the right to use it; that confirmation stays on your device.

How your music is analyzed

Refract reads your track on your device to find its beats, tempo and structure, and to measure the frequencies it draws from. That analysis happens entirely on your iPhone using Apple's own audio frameworks. The audio is never uploaded, never streamed to us, and never sent to any third party.

Anonymous usage counts

Refract counts which features get used, so we can tell what is working and what to fix. This is the Usage Data entry on Refract's App Store privacy label. It is not linked to you, and there is no identifier of any kind in it — no device id, no install id, no account, nothing that could be joined back to a person.

When you leave the app, Refract may send a single summary containing:

• whether this was a first launch, whether the app was opened on a day after the first (counted once a day, so we can tell how many people come back), roughly how long ago Refract was first opened (as a broad band: the same day, a few days, a week, a month or more), how far the session got (a project made, an edit, an export, a video saved or shared, the upgrade screen shown), where a project's music came from (an audio file, a video or a link — never which one, and never the link itself), and whether you are on the free tier, a trial or Pro — and, if you subscribe, which plan. No price, no transaction, no receipt: Apple handles all of that and we never see it;
• your iPhone model, the major iOS version and Refract's version — so we know which devices Refract runs well on;
• counts of feature events by their catalogue name, such as which visualizers, effects, overlays, typefaces and looks were added, which export settings were used (preset, resolution, frame rate, shape, length and quality), roughly how long an export took, whether it finished, failed or was cancelled, and whether the video was saved to Photos or the Share button tapped;
• whether the upgrade screen was shown and what happened on it, how many projects and exports you have as broad bands, which settings were switched, whether photo-saving permission was allowed, and whether something went wrong (the kind of error, never its contents).

What is never included: your music or anything about the track, your photos, your projects, your videos, project or file names, any link you paste, anything you type — including Explore searches and feedback — and your location. The counts are totals only — there is no record of who did what, because there is nothing in them to identify anyone.

Because the counts carry no identifier and are not about any individual, Refract does not ask for permission to count and does not use them for advertising or tracking. They are never sold or shared. Refract also fetches a few app settings from our server (for example how long a free export may be); that request carries nothing about you.

What we do receive

Apart from the anonymous counts above, only what you deliberately send:

• Feedback. If you use Send feedback in Settings, we receive your message, the category you picked, your app version, your iOS version, your device model, your system locale, and whether you are on the free tier, a trial or Refract Pro. That list is shown to you on the feedback screen before you send. No projects, no photos, no audio and no exports are attached.

Feedback reaches us by email and is used only to answer you and to fix what you reported. It is not sold, shared or used for advertising.

Purchases

Refract Pro is sold through Apple's In-App Purchase. Apple processes the payment; we never see your payment details. Refract asks Apple's StoreKit whether the current Apple Account is entitled to Pro; apart from the free/trial/Pro note in the anonymous counts above, that answer stays on your device.

Photo library access

When you add a photograph, iOS shows you its own picker and Refract receives only the pictures you choose. If you take a photo inside Refract, the camera is used for that one shot. Refract does not browse your library and does not read your location, faces or albums.

Sharing an export

When you share a finished video, iOS hands it to whichever app you pick — Instagram, TikTok, Messages, Files, or anything else. From that point their privacy policy applies, not ours.

Children

Refract is not directed at children under 13 and collects no personal information from anyone — the anonymous usage counts above carry no identifier.

Changes

If this policy changes, the date at the top changes with it, and any material change will be described in the app's release notes.

Contact

Questions about any of this: gwolny@me.com.