Shorty — Shorts & Reels Control
Privacy Policy
Last updated: March 21, 2026
Overview
Shorty is a Safari Web Extension that gives you control over short-form video on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok. This policy explains what data Shorty collects, how it is stored, and who can access it.
The short version: everything stays on your device. Shorty has no servers, no accounts, no analytics, and no third-party SDKs. We never see your data.
What Data Shorty Collects
Viewing Activity
When activity tracking is enabled (you can turn it off), Shorty records the following each time you watch a short-form video:
- Platform (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, or TikTok)
- Watch duration (how long you watched, in seconds)
- Loop count (how many times the video replayed)
- Video URL (the page address of the video)
- Timestamp (when you watched it)
This data is used to show you viewing statistics in the app and to enforce daily time budgets you set for yourself.
Settings and Preferences
Shorty stores your configuration choices, including which platforms are enabled, player mode selections, element hiding preferences, budget limits, and notification preferences.
Device Identifier
If you enable iCloud sync, Shorty generates a random identifier (UUID) for your device. This is used solely to avoid duplicating watch events when syncing between your own devices. It is not linked to your Apple ID or any personal information.
Where Data Is Stored
On Your Device
All data is stored locally using:
- App Group UserDefaults — shared between the Shorty app and its Safari extension on your device
- Browser Extension Storage — settings cached in Safari's extension storage for quick access
Watch events older than 90 days are automatically deleted.
iCloud (Optional)
If you explicitly enable iCloud sync in Shorty's settings, your watch events and preferences are synced across your devices using Apple's iCloud Key-Value Store (NSUbiquitousKeyValueStore). This data is:
- Encrypted in transit and at rest by Apple
- Stored in your personal iCloud account
- Accessible only on devices signed into your Apple ID
- Subject to Apple's own iCloud privacy policy
iCloud sync is off by default. If you never enable it, no data leaves your device.
What Shorty Does NOT Do
- No servers. Shorty does not operate any backend servers. There is nowhere for your data to be sent.
- No accounts. There is no sign-up, login, or user account of any kind.
- No analytics or tracking. Shorty contains no analytics SDKs (no Google Analytics, no Mixpanel, no Firebase, no tracking pixels).
- No advertising. Shorty contains no ad networks or ad-related code.
- No third-party services. Shorty makes no network requests to any external service. The only communication is between the Safari extension and the native app on your device.
- No data selling or sharing. Your data is never sold, shared, or transferred to any third party.
Notifications
Shorty can send local notifications to remind you when you are approaching or have exceeded your daily time budget. These notifications are generated entirely on your device. No notification data is transmitted externally. You can disable notifications at any time in the app or in your device's notification settings.
Extension Permissions
Shorty's Safari extension requests permission to access web page content on supported sites (YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and TikTok). This access is used to:
- Detect and control video playback
- Apply your element-hiding preferences (removing UI elements like action buttons, captions, etc.)
- Track watch time for videos you view
- Display budget warnings when your usage approaches your set limit
Shorty does not read, collect, or transmit any other content from the web pages you visit.
Data Retention
- Watch events are retained for 90 days, then automatically deleted.
- Settings persist until you change or reset them.
- Uninstalling Shorty removes all locally stored data.
- If iCloud sync was enabled, synced data in your iCloud account can be removed by disabling sync before uninstalling, or by managing iCloud storage in your device settings.
Children's Privacy
Shorty does not knowingly collect personal information from children under the age of 13. The app does not require or collect any personal information from any user.
Changes to This Policy
If this policy is updated, the revised version will be published with an updated date at the top. Continued use of Shorty after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact
If you have questions about this privacy policy, you can reach us at [email protected].