1. Introduction
Ephemeral Trace ("the App") is a privacy-first camera application for iOS developed by Oleksandr Herasymchuk Unipessoal LDA ("we", "us", or "our"). The App allows you to capture photos and videos with automatic, timer-based expiration. All media is stored exclusively on your device and is never transmitted to any external server.
This Privacy Policy explains what data the App handles, how it is stored, and your rights regarding that data. We are committed to transparency and to building software that respects your privacy by design.
2. Information We Collect
We do not collect any personal information. Ephemeral Trace does not require an account, does not ask for your name, email, phone number, or any other identifying information, and does not transmit any data from your device.
3. Data Stored on Your Device
The following data is created and stored locally on your device only. It is never sent to us or any third party:
- Media files — HEIC photos and MOV videos captured within the App, stored in the App's private sandbox directory
- Metadata — Capture timestamps, timer durations, expiration dates, media type, and folder assignments, stored using Apple's SwiftData framework
- Thumbnails — Cached preview images for gallery display, stored in temporary memory
- User preferences — App settings such as default timer duration, camera configuration (HDR, frame rate, resolution), folder preferences, and gallery lock status, stored using Apple's UserDefaults
- Purchase status — Whether you have purchased Pro, verified locally through Apple's StoreKit framework
4. Data We Do Not Collect
Ephemeral Trace does not collect, store, transmit, or share any of the following:
- Personal information (names, emails, phone numbers, addresses)
- Usage analytics or behavioral data
- Crash reports or diagnostic telemetry
- Advertising identifiers or IDFA
- Location or GPS data
- Contacts or address book information
- Browsing history or search queries
- Device identifiers or fingerprints
- Data from other apps on your device
The App's privacy manifest (PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy) declares NSPrivacyTracking = false and an empty NSPrivacyCollectedDataTypes array, confirming no data collection. The only declared API usage is file timestamp access and disk space checks, both required for core timer and storage functionality.
5. Device Permissions
The App requests the following device permissions, each for a specific and limited purpose:
- Camera — To capture ephemeral photos and videos. All media stays on your device.
- Microphone — To record audio for ephemeral videos. All recordings stay private on your device.
- Face ID / Touch ID / Optic ID — To securely lock and unlock your private photo gallery (Pro feature). Biometric data is handled entirely by iOS and is never accessed by the App.
- Photo Library (Add Only) — To save photos and videos from Ephemeral Trace to your Photo Library when you explicitly choose to export them. The App cannot read or access your existing Photo Library.
All permissions are optional. The App will explain why each permission is needed before requesting it, and you can change these permissions at any time in your device's Settings.
6. Data Security
Ephemeral Trace leverages iOS platform security to protect your media:
- Encryption — All files stored by the App are protected by iOS file protection class
NSFileProtectionCompleteUntilFirstUserAuthentication. Each file is encrypted with a unique 256-bit key managed by the iOS Secure Enclave. - Cryptographic deletion — When a file is deleted (either automatically by timer expiry or manually by you), iOS destroys the per-file encryption key. This renders the data forensically unrecoverable, in compliance with NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2 guidelines for media sanitization.
- App sandbox — All media is stored within the App's private sandbox, inaccessible to other apps on your device.
7. Data Retention & Deletion
Media in Ephemeral Trace is automatically deleted based on the timer you set at capture:
- Available timers include 30 seconds, 5 minutes, 1 hour, 24 hours, custom durations (Pro), and Keep Forever (Pro)
- When a timer expires, the media file, its thumbnail, and all associated metadata are permanently and irrecoverably deleted
- You can also manually delete any media at any time
- Uninstalling the App removes all stored data from your device, including all media, metadata, and preferences
There is no way to recover media after deletion. This is by design.
8. Third-Party Services
Ephemeral Trace does not use any third-party services, SDKs, or analytics platforms. There are no third-party trackers, no advertising frameworks, no crash reporting services, and no external dependencies that transmit data from your device.
The App uses only Apple's first-party frameworks: SwiftUI, SwiftData, AVFoundation, StoreKit, LocalAuthentication, and BackgroundTasks.
9. Children's Privacy
Ephemeral Trace does not collect personal information from anyone, including children under 13 years of age. Because the App collects no data whatsoever, it complies with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) and similar international regulations.
10. Apple App Store
Ephemeral Trace is distributed through the Apple App Store. Apple may collect certain data related to your App Store account, download, and purchase activity in accordance with Apple's Privacy Policy. This data collection is performed by Apple, not by us, and is governed by Apple's own terms.
11. Changes to This Policy
We may update this Privacy Policy if the App's data practices change. If we make material changes, we will update the "Effective date" at the top of this page and note the changes here. We encourage you to review this page periodically.
The current version of this policy has been in effect since March 16, 2026.
12. Contact
If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or the App's privacy practices, please contact us:
- Email: contact@ephemeraltrace.com
- Developer: Oleksandr Herasymchuk Unipessoal LDA