Privacy Policy

Effective September 26, 2026

The short version: Cathode TV doesn't collect personal data, doesn't track you and has no Cathode TV account. Your playlists, guide, favourites and history live on your devices and in your own iCloud.

Who we are

Cathode TV is made by Casa Vargas LLC. Questions about this policy go to support@cathodetv.app.

What stays on your device

The playlists, provider logins and guide sources you add, your favourites, watch history, profiles and settings are stored on your device. Passwords and tokens are kept in the system Keychain. None of it is sent to us.

iCloud

If iCloud is on, Cathode TV syncs favourites and settings between your devices through your private iCloud account. Apple stores that data; we can't see it. You can turn this off in your device's iCloud settings.

Your IPTV provider

Cathode TV connects straight to the provider and guide addresses you enter, to load channels, listings and video. What those services collect is governed by their own terms and policies. Cathode TV doesn't include any channels or content.

Artwork and metadata

To show posters, descriptions and ratings, the app looks up programme and movie titles with The Movie Database (TMDB) and loads images from it. These requests contain the titles being looked up, not information about you. The app may also download a public list of guide sources from a server we run; that request contains nothing about you.

Services you choose to connect

Some features connect to a third-party service only if you set them up — for example Trakt (to sync what you watch), OpenSubtitles (to fetch subtitles) or a TV listings service. When you connect one, the app talks directly to that service with the credentials you provide, under that service's privacy policy. You can disconnect any of them in Settings.

Cathode TV Server

Cathode TV Server runs on your own Mac. The app finds it on your local network and sends it the recording and guide requests you make. Nothing passes through us.

Purchases

Cathode TV Premium is sold through the App Store. Apple processes the payment and tells the app whether you own Premium; we don't receive your payment details.

Analytics and tracking

There are no analytics, advertising or tracking SDKs in Cathode TV, and it doesn't track you across apps or websites. If you choose to share crash reports and diagnostics with developers in your device settings, Apple may pass anonymous reports on to us to help fix bugs.

Children

Cathode TV isn't directed at children and doesn't knowingly collect information from anyone. Parental controls let you PIN-protect profiles and content on your own devices.

Changes

If this policy changes, we'll update it here and change the effective date above.