TRANSPARENT ARCHITECTURE · SILICON PRIVACY

Privacy Policy & Data Practices

Technical disclosure of data handling across the Velis native Apple cinema player (Apple TV 4K, macOS, iOS, iPadOS) and the velisapp.com marketing website.

Effective: October 2026 • Version 2.6 • Independent Technical Disclosure
Part 1

Marketing Website (velisapp.com)

1. Launch Notification Pre-Registration

The marketing website offers an optional pre-registration form to receive an alert when Velis launches on the Apple App Store.

  • Email Service Provider: Form submissions are handled securely by Loops.so (Loops Privacy Policy), a third-party email messaging platform.
  • Collected Information: Your submitted email address and your self-selected target platform preferences (Apple TV 4K, macOS, iOS, iPadOS).
  • Purpose: Sending product launch notifications and critical release updates. We do not sell or rent this list to third-party advertisers.
  • Retention & Unsubscribe: Your email address is retained until launch notifications are fulfilled or until you request removal. Every notification contains an unsubscribe link. You can also request immediate manual deletion by contacting privacy@velisapp.com.
  • Local Storage: The website does not store your unencrypted raw email in browser localStorage.

2. Web Hosting & Edge Network

The marketing website is hosted and globally distributed via Cloudflare Pages.

  • Cloudflare's edge network processes standard HTTP connection headers (such as IP address, user-agent string, and timestamp) strictly to deliver content, mitigate security threats, and prevent abuse.
  • The marketing website does not deploy behavioral trackers, advertising cookies, or cross-site tracking scripts.
Part 2

Native Apple Application (Velis Player)

3. Zero Telemetry & Zero Tracking

Velis is architected with a privacy-by-default posture for native Apple platforms:

  • The native app contains no third-party analytics SDKs, advertising frameworks, behavioral trackers, or fingerprinting beacons.
  • No playback metrics, library file listings, personal viewing histories, or hardware identifiers are collected by Velis or transmitted to Velis servers.
  • Velis does not participate in Apple App Tracking Transparency (ATT) advertising frameworks because no ad-tracking or profile-building code exists within the app.

4. Metadata, Artwork & Edge Proxy Requests

To enrich title views with artwork, cast lists, and synopses without requiring users to obtain their own API keys, Velis queries The Movie Database (TMDB):

  • Edge Caching Proxy: Metadata queries are routed through a Cloudflare Worker edge proxy at api.velisapp.com. The proxy caches public TMDB JSON responses and images to accelerate load times and reduce load on TMDB.
  • Data Scope: Requests sent to the proxy contain only standard HTTP headers and public title queries or TMDB numeric identifiers. Velis maintains no central server database recording user query histories.
  • Optional Trakt Integration: If you connect an optional Trakt account, scrobble and watchlist updates communicate directly between your Apple device and Trakt servers using your authenticated OAuth token.

5. Semantic Search (Vibe Search) & Cloud AI Providers

Velis includes a multi-tiered search architecture designed to maintain user privacy while allowing natural-language discovery:

On-Device Semantic Matching (Default)

Vibe Search runs vector inference locally on your device using an optimized CoreML model (bge-small) executed on the Apple Neural Engine and GPU. It evaluates semantic vectors against a bundled offline catalog without transmitting text over the network during this local matching operation.

Optional User-Configured Cloud AI Providers

Users may optionally configure third-party AI providers (such as OpenAI, Anthropic, or OpenRouter) within Velis settings by entering their own API key. When enabled and explicitly invoked:

  • The descriptive text query is transmitted directly to the configured provider API under your personal account and key.
  • No media server file names, credentials, browsing histories, or personal identities are included in the request payload.
  • Requests are subject to the privacy terms and data-retention policies of your chosen provider. Any API usage charges are billed directly by that provider to your account.
  • Cloud AI fallback is completely optional and can be toggled off at any time.

6. Media Server Credentials & Direct Playback Streams

How media access, authorization credentials, and stream data are processed:

  • Apple Keychain Isolation: All media server access tokens and authentication credentials (Plex, Jellyfin, Emby, WebDAV) are stored locally in the Apple Keychain, protected by the operating system and hardware Secure Enclave. Credentials are never transmitted to Velis servers.
  • Direct Streaming: Playback video streams establish direct connections between your Apple device and your configured local media servers or network endpoints. No audio or video stream data is ever proxied or routed through Velis infrastructure.
  • Local File Access: On macOS, iOS, and iPadOS, opening files from local folders or network-mounted storage uses the native system file importer (.fileImporter) with sandboxed, security-scoped URL bookmarks.

7. Multi-Device Sync: CloudKit & iCloud Key-Value Storage

Velis uses Apple's native iCloud ecosystem to synchronize state across your Apple devices without requiring a proprietary account:

  • CloudKit Private Database: Saved favorites, custom watchlists, viewing profile preferences, and title watch histories are stored in your personal CloudKit private database container (iCloud.com.velisapp.cinema). Velis developers have no administrative access to records stored in your private database.
  • iCloud Key-Value Storage (KVS): Playback resume timestamps (scrub positions) are synchronized between devices signed into the same Apple ID using NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore.
  • Sync Disabling vs. Data Retention: Turning off iCloud sync in system settings stops local synchronization on that device. However, disabling sync does not automatically delete previously stored records from Apple's servers. To delete stored sync data from iCloud, use the in-app "Purge All Data" function.
  • Security & Encryption: Synchronization traffic and storage are governed by Apple's iCloud security architecture. CloudKit data is encrypted in transit and at rest using Apple-managed keys, or end-to-end encrypted when you enable Apple Advanced Data Protection on your Apple ID.

8. App Store Purchases & StoreKit 2

All transactions, licensing, and Universal Purchase entitlements are validated on-device using Apple's StoreKit 2 APIs. Velis does not collect, handle, or store credit card numbers, billing addresses, or Apple ID credentials.

9. Data Control & Erasure Procedures

Because Velis maintains no centralized user accounts or server databases, users retain direct control over all stored data:

  • In-App "Purge All Data": Located in Velis Settings → Diagnostics. Executing this command immediately erases all locally cached metadata, poster images, vector indexes, Keychain credentials, and sends deletion commands to purge CloudKit private database records and iCloud KVS resume keys.
  • Mailing List Removal: To remove your email from pre-registration announcements, click the unsubscribe link in any received email or contact privacy@velisapp.com.

10. Technical Data Flow Matrix

Function Destination Data Transferred / Stored
Website Launch Alert Loops.so API Email address and target platform selections.
Metadata Enrichment Cloudflare Edge Proxy → TMDB Public title queries and TMDB IDs; no personal account data.
On-Device Vibe Search Apple Neural Engine / Metal Zero network transmission; matches against bundled catalog.
Cloud AI Search (Opt-in) User-Configured Provider (OpenAI/Anthropic/OpenRouter) Search text query only; uses user's own API key.
Library Synchronization Apple CloudKit Private Container Watchlists, history items, and profile settings in user's private container.
Resume Timestamp Sync iCloud Key-Value Storage (KVS) Playback position timestamps across user's Apple devices.
Server Credentials Apple Keychain (On-Device) Tokens and passwords isolated in hardware Secure Enclave.
Media Playback Streams Direct to User's Servers / Shares Audio/video payload connects directly; never routed through Velis.
Purchases & Licensing Apple StoreKit 2 Managed entirely by Apple; no financial details shared with Velis.

11. Contact & Questions

For technical privacy inquiries, architectural questions, or to request mailing list data deletion, contact us directly:

Email: privacy@velisapp.com