Pixer Privacy Policy

Last updated: 2026-08-22

Overview

Pixer (“the app”, “we”, “us”) is a Mac photo viewer and non-destructive editor. It reads the photos in folders you choose and keeps your edits beside your own files. We built it to be privacy-first: there is no account, no server of ours, and no analytics. This policy explains exactly what the app touches, what (if anything) leaves your Mac, and why.

Summary (the short version)

  • We do not collect, store, or sell your personal data.
  • We have no servers and no user accounts. There is nothing to sign up for.
  • Your photos and your edits stay on your Mac, in the folders you already keep them in.
  • No analytics, no tracking, no advertising, no third-party SDKs.
  • The app reaches the network in exactly two situations, both under your control: downloading an AI model the first time you use a feature that needs one, and purchases, which are handled entirely by Apple.

Data We Collect

None. Pixer does not collect or transmit personal data of any kind.

To do its job the app accesses the following on your Mac, and only locally:

  • Folders and photos you choose. The app is sandboxed. Your Pictures folder is available to it directly; any other folder becomes readable only after you pick it in the standard macOS open panel. That grant is remembered as a security-scoped bookmark so you are not asked again for the same folder.
  • Photo metadata. EXIF fields such as capture date, camera model and exposure settings are read from your files to show them in the info panel, to sort photos, and to expand filename templates when you rename a batch. They are read on your Mac and never sent anywhere.

How We Use Data

All processing — decoding, RAW conversion, every adjustment, and every AI feature (background removal, object erase, subject selection, 4× upscaling and portrait exposure analysis) — runs locally on your Mac’s CPU. Your images are never uploaded for processing.

Data Storage

Edits are non-destructive: adjustments are written to a small sidecar file inside a .pixer folder next to the image, and the original file is left byte-for-byte unchanged. The one exception is File > Save (⌘S), which you invoke deliberately to write adjustments back into the original file.

Your presets, imported LUTs and app settings are stored locally in the app’s own support folder. Downloaded AI models are cached locally as well. Nothing is stored on our servers, because we do not operate any.

Sharing

We do not sell, rent or share your data. Photos leave your Mac only when you export or share them yourself, to a destination you choose.

Third-Party Services

  • AI model downloads. Five of the app’s features use machine-learning models that are downloaded the first time you use the feature that needs one, rather than being bundled in the app. Downloads go over HTTPS to huggingface.co and are verified against a known hash before use. Only the model file is requested; no information about you, your Mac or your photos is sent. If you never use those features, no such request is ever made.
  • Purchases. If you buy Pixer Pro, the transaction is handled entirely by Apple’s StoreKit / the App Store. We do not process or receive your payment details, and we do not run any receipt server of our own. Apple’s handling of your purchase is governed by Apple’s Privacy Policy.

There are no analytics, advertising, crash-reporting or tracking SDKs in the app.

Your Choices

  • Revoke folder access: remove Pixer’s access under System Settings > Privacy & Security > Files and Folders (and Photos, if granted).
  • Delete your edits: delete the .pixer folder beside your photos; the originals are untouched.
  • Delete downloaded models: remove them from the app’s model settings, or delete the app.
  • Stay fully offline: apart from the one-time model download, the app needs no network connection at all.

Children’s Privacy

Pixer does not knowingly collect any personal information from anyone, including children under 13.

Changes to This Policy

If this policy changes, we will update the “Last updated” date above and publish the revised version with the app.

Contact

Questions about this policy or your privacy? Contact us at:

Email: support@mzjpg.com