Privacy Policy

ChannelSurf ("the app", "we") is a media player that plays streams from a provider you supply. We built it to collect as little as possible. This policy explains what the app does and does not collect, on all platforms (Windows, iOS, Android, smart TVs) and on this website.

What you provide stays on your device

• Provider details (server URL, username/password, M3U/Xtream playlists, Stalker portal addresses) are entered by you and stored locally on your device only. They are never transmitted to us and are not part of cloud sync.
• Channel logos, posters, EPG data, and streams are fetched directly from your provider, not from us. We do not host, index, supply, or sell any media content.

What we collect — and only if you turn it on

Cross-device sync (optional)

Cloud sync is off until you enable it. When enabled, the app sends the following to our cloud backend (Supabase) so your library appears on your other devices:

• Your favorites, watchlist, watched / recently-watched items, and resume positions — i.e., your in-app interactions.
• A randomly generated per-device identifier and, if you pair devices, a short-lived pairing code.

Premium account (optional)

If you start a free trial or purchase ChannelSurf Premium, we additionally store:

• Your email address, which acts as your account (sign-in works by a one-time code sent to that email — we never store a password).
• Your subscription status (plan, renewal date, and which store it was purchased through) so your devices know what to unlock.
• A one-way hash of your email, kept to enforce the one-free-trial-per-email rule. The hash cannot be reversed into your address and is retained even if you delete your account (it contains no readable personal data).

Payments

We never see or store your payment card details.

• Web purchases are processed by Paddle, our merchant of record, which handles payment data, invoicing, and tax under its own privacy policy. Paddle shares with us your email, order details, and subscription status — not your card number.
• App Store / Google Play purchases are processed by Apple or Google under their privacy policies; they share with us only an anonymized purchase token used to verify the subscription.

What we do NOT do

• No tracking. We do not track you across apps or websites, and the app and this website contain no third-party advertising or analytics trackers.
• No selling or sharing of personal data with third parties for their own purposes.
• No ads.
• No content surveillance. What you watch is not transmitted to us except as part of the optional sync data described above, which exists solely to power your own cross-device experience.

Device permissions

• Camera — only to scan a QR code when pairing devices or upgrading from a TV. No images are stored or transmitted.
• Local network — to discover and stream to/from devices on your own network (casting, TV handoff, Room Sync, DVR streaming).

Third-party processors

• Supabase (cloud database and authentication) processes the sync and account data described above on our behalf.
• Paddle (merchant of record) processes web payments.
• Apple / Google process in-app purchases made through their stores.
• Resend (transactional email) delivers sign-in codes and receipts to the email you provide.
• Google Cast / AirPlay / DLNA are used only when you choose to cast; the playback data involved is handled by those platforms per their own policies.

Data retention & deletion

Synced data persists in our backend while sync is enabled so it can reach your devices. Account and subscription records persist while your account exists. You can:

• Disable sync at any time (Settings → Sync & Pairing).
• Delete your account and synced data from within the app (Settings → Subscription) or by emailing us at the address below. Deletion removes your email, account, entitlement records, and synced data; the irreversible trial-claim hash and legally required billing records held by our payment processors are retained.

Your rights

Depending on where you live (e.g., GDPR in the EU/UK, CCPA in California), you may have rights to access, correct, delete, or export your personal data, and to object to or restrict certain processing. Contact us at the address below and we will honor applicable requests.

Children

The app is not directed to children and does not knowingly collect data from children.

Changes

We may update this policy; material changes will be reflected by the "Last updated" date above.

Contact

Patrick Walders — pwalders@gmail.com