Privacy Policy
For Unheic
Last updated: 2026-05-13
Effective date: 2026-05-13 Last updated: 2026-05-13
TL;DR
Unheic converts HEIC photos to JPG and PNG entirely on your device. There are no servers, no accounts, no analytics, and no third-party SDKs that collect data. Your photos never leave your phone unless you save them somewhere.
If you stop reading here, this is the whole policy in one line: we don’t collect your data.
1. Who We Are
Unheic (“the App”) is an independent iOS application developed by Damian Wiśniewski, operating under thehardway.pl (“we”, “us”, “Developer”).
E-mail: contact@thehardway.pl Website: https://thehardway.pl
For questions about this policy, reach us at contact@thehardway.pl.
2. What Data We Collect
None. Unheic does not collect personal data through the App.
Specifically, we do not:
- Operate any server that stores your data
- Require or allow you to create an account
- Include analytics SDKs, crash reporting SDKs, or tracking pixels
- Include advertising SDKs
- Fingerprint your device
- Measure your usage, sessions, or behavior
- Share or sell data (we couldn’t — we don’t have any)
This isn’t a marketing claim. It’s an architecture decision: Unheic ships without any networking code for data collection, so the data doesn’t exist to collect.
3. What Data Is Processed on Your Device
Unheic processes the following locally on your device, without transmitting it anywhere:
- Source photos — the HEIC files you pick from your Photos library or share into the App. They are read into memory or written to a temporary file solely to perform the conversion, and removed when the operation finishes or the App is closed.
- Converted files — the JPG or PNG output produced by the conversion. These are returned to you (saved back to Photos, shared, or exported) and not retained by the App.
- Image metadata — EXIF, GPS, and other embedded metadata are read from the source file and, depending on your “Keep EXIF” setting, either preserved in the output or stripped out. Either way, this data stays on-device.
- App preferences — your default output format, quality, and “Keep EXIF” setting, stored in iOS
UserDefaults. No personal identifiers. - In-app purchase entitlement receipts — handled by Apple’s StoreKit 2 framework, used only to confirm whether you’ve purchased “Unheic Pro”.
This data never leaves your device. Unheic does not back it up to any server we operate.
How to delete all local data: delete Unheic from your device. All local data (temporary files, preferences) is erased.
4. Apple’s Role
Unheic relies on Apple platform services that operate under Apple’s own privacy terms:
| Service | Purpose | Operated By |
|---|---|---|
| App Store / StoreKit 2 | In-app purchase processing for “Unheic Pro” (lifetime unlock) | Apple |
| Photos library | Reading photos you pick and saving converted files back, only with your permission | Apple |
| Crash Reports | Anonymized crash diagnostics, if you opted in via iOS Settings → Privacy → Analytics & Improvements | Apple |
Unheic does not receive identifiable data from any of these services. Your relationship with Apple is governed by Apple’s Privacy Policy.
5. Permissions Unheic Requests
Unheic requests the minimum permissions required to do its job:
- Photos — add only (when you save a converted file back to Photos). Unheic does not request read access to your full library; it works with photos you explicitly pick via the standard Photos picker, which doesn’t require library-wide access.
You can review and revoke these permissions at any time in iOS Settings → Privacy & Security → Photos → Unheic.
6. Third Parties
Unheic does not integrate with any third-party services that receive your data. There are no SDKs for:
- Analytics (no Firebase, no Mixpanel, no Amplitude, no PostHog)
- Crash reporting (no Sentry, no Bugsnag, no Crashlytics)
- Advertising (no AdMob, no Meta Audience Network, no AppLovin)
- Marketing (no Braze, no OneSignal, no Customer.io)
- Social logins (no Google, no Facebook, no sign-in of any kind)
The only external service Unheic uses is Apple’s own platform (App Store, Photos) — and even there, Apple does not share your data with us.
7. Your Rights (GDPR, UK GDPR, CCPA/CPRA)
Because we don’t collect or store your data, most data subject rights don’t have anything to act on. That said, under the GDPR, UK GDPR, California CCPA/CPRA, and similar laws, you have the following rights — and here’s how to exercise them with Unheic:
| Right | How to exercise |
|---|---|
| Access | Your photos and metadata stay on your device — open them in Photos or Files. We have no copy. |
| Portability | Use Share or Save to export converted files anywhere you want. |
| Deletion | Delete the App from your device to remove all local temporary files and preferences. |
| Rectification | Re-run the conversion with different settings. |
| Object / Restrict | Use the App fully offline; revoke Photos permission in iOS Settings. |
| Withdraw consent | Delete the App or revoke Photos permission. |
| Non-discrimination | We don’t charge extra for privacy. All privacy properties apply equally to the free and paid tier. |
Since Unheic has no account system and does not collect email addresses, we cannot reply to a “data request” about a specific user — we have no way to identify whose data is whose. This is by design.
For questions: contact@thehardway.pl.
8. Children’s Privacy
Unheic is not directed at children. In the EEA and UK, where local law sets an age threshold for consent to information-society services (typically 16 in Poland and the EEA, 13 in the UK), Unheic is not directed below that threshold. We do not knowingly collect data from children. If you believe a child’s data was somehow transmitted to us, contact contact@thehardway.pl — though given our architecture, there’s nothing to transmit.
Parents and guardians can use Apple’s Screen Time and Family Sharing to manage app access and purchases.
9. International Users
Unheic is available globally through the App Store. Because we don’t collect or transfer data, there are no international transfers to disclose.
10. Data Retention
We retain zero personal data. There is nothing to retain.
Temporary files created during conversion (source image staged for processing, output file before you save or share it) live only as long as the conversion takes, and are removed when the App is closed or the operation completes.
Apple retains App Store purchase records under Apple’s own terms.
11. Data Security
We cannot lose what we don’t have. Data processed locally is protected by iOS file encryption (when your device is locked with a passcode/Face ID/Touch ID). Purchases are protected by Apple’s StoreKit infrastructure.
We recommend enabling a passcode and using Face ID or Touch ID on your device.
12. Changes to This Policy
If we update this policy, we’ll update the Effective date at the top and notify users on the next app launch where reasonably possible. Material changes will be highlighted. Continued use after changes constitutes acceptance.
13. Contact
For privacy questions, data requests, or concerns:
- E-mail: contact@thehardway.pl
- Website: https://thehardway.pl
- Developer: Damian Wiśniewski
We aim to respond to all privacy-related inquiries within 30 days.
This policy is written in plain English by design. Legal clarity shouldn’t require a law degree to read.