Zapio

Legal

Privacy Policy for Zapio

Last updated: 2026-11-04

Controller

Andreas Klundt, Rieheweg 1, 32469 Petershagen, zapio.app@proton.me

In short

Zapio has no account and no server of its own. There are no ads, no analytics, no tracking and no automatic crash reports sent to us. Everything you enter or save in the app stays on your device. To work, the app connects directly to the services listed below. Data only reaches us if you send us a support email yourself (see "Support requests by email").

What is stored on your device

  • In the iOS keychain: the address of your playlist or your Xtream login (server, username, password), the address of the TV guide, the kids mode PIN and the state of the trial and purchase. These entries are bound to this device and do not move to a new device.
  • In the app's catalog database: channel lists, movies, series, TV guide data, favorites, viewing progress. This includes the stream addresses of all channels and titles. For Xtream logins these addresses contain your username and password, because the providers' format requires it. The database lives only in the app's protected area (its "sandbox", folder Application Support) and is encrypted by iOS data protection while the device has not been unlocked since it was restarted.
  • In the app's settings: your settings, search history, reminders, saved programmes, hidden languages and locked categories.
  • As files: downloads of movies and episodes, still images of recently watched channels (in the cache, which iOS may clear on its own) and a playback log for troubleshooting (at most about 200 KB, without username and password; it may contain the shortened public IP address from the network check, e.g. "93.184.x.x"). In addition, summaries of the crash and hang reports that iOS records on the device and hands to the app (MetricKit) are kept in the files diagnostics.log and diagnostics-last.json (together at most about 1 MB): time, app build, iOS version, device type, exception type and code or hang duration and – only in diagnostics-last.json – the technical call stack of the latest report, without login data.

Zapio does not transmit this data to us.

Backups and deletion

Like with other apps, the catalog database, the settings and the crash and hang reports (diagnostics.log, diagnostics-last.json) are part of your device backup (iCloud backup or a backup on your computer) – and with them the stream addresses that contain the Xtream login. Apple encrypts iCloud backups; for backups on a computer we recommend the option "Encrypt local backup". Downloads, still images and the playback log are excluded from backups.

Everything stays until you delete it: when you remove a source in Settings, the app deletes its catalog with all stream addresses, its TV guide, its login, saved programmes and downloads. Favorites and progress (only the IDs of the titles, without addresses) are kept so that they are back when you set up the same source again. The app deletes past TV guide data on its own. If you delete the app, the system removes its files and settings on the device. iOS does not remove the app's items in the iOS keychain (login details, PIN, state of the trial and purchase): if you reinstall Zapio, your sources are back. If you do not want that, remove your sources and the PIN in Settings before deleting the app. Deleting the app also does not affect what is stored in iCloud: the items from "Share Sources with Apple TV" in iCloud Keychain (switch it off before deleting) and the sync copy in iCloud key-value storage (on the Apple TV, go to Settings → "Delete backup" before deleting).

iPhone and Apple TV

  • "Share Sources with Apple TV" (iPhone, Settings): Only if you switch this on, Zapio stores your own sources – address or Xtream login with username and password, name, your own TV guide address and time shift – as synchronized items in the iCloud Keychain of your Apple Account. iCloud Keychain is end-to-end encrypted by Apple; neither Apple nor we can read the items. Zapio on the Apple TV with the same Apple Account reads them under "Take Over from iPhone" and never writes back. The demo, free channels and imported files are not shared. When you switch it off, Zapio removes this iPhone's items from iCloud Keychain again.
  • "Send to Apple TV" with a code (without iCloud): Under "Take Over from iPhone" → "Send with Code" the Apple TV shows a random code (also as a QR code). The iPhone sends your own sources (as above) directly to this Apple TV within your own network, only after you tap "Send". The connection is encrypted with a key derived from this code and stays in your home network; it does not pass through any server, ours included. Without the code nothing arrives; after several wrong attempts a new code applies.
  • Sync via iCloud (iPhone, iPad, Apple TV): So that favorites, "Continue Watching", titles marked as watched, saved programmes, recently watched channels, "Always remind", the list of your sources (only ID and name) and selected settings (languages, sorting, playback) are the same on all your devices with the same Apple Account, Zapio keeps a small copy of them in the iCloud key-value storage of your own iCloud account, plus a copy in the app's settings. On Apple TV it also serves as a backup: tvOS may delete the app's database at any time when it needs space. The copy contains title IDs, playback positions, times (including when you removed something), names and settings; for saved programmes also title, description, channel name and the address of the channel logo from your list. Each source gets a checksum by which every device recognizes the same source: for Xtream logins from server and username, for playlists from the playlist address (without username and password, if the address contains any). Not included are passwords, stream addresses, the PIN, whether Kids Mode is on, locked categories and the daily limit of parental controls, "Adult content", the search history and the catalog. The data stays with Apple in your iCloud account and does not reach us. Without an iCloud account only the copy on the device remains. On iPhone and iPad you turn sync off under Settings → "Sync with iCloud"; on Apple TV, Settings → "Delete backup" removes the copy from iCloud and from the Apple TV. If sync is still on on an iPhone or iPad, that device writes the copy again – to remove it completely, first turn off "Sync with iCloud" there.
  • Playback test from Apple TV to iPhone (only on request): If you select "Send to iPhone" on Apple TV after a playback test, Zapio stores the result and the last lines of the playback log (channel names, the provider's server without user name and password, times, error codes) in the iCloud key-value store of your own iCloud account. iPhone and iPad with the same Apple Account show it under Settings → "Diagnostics" so you can share it. It is deleted after 24 hours, with "Remove" or with "Delete backup", and does not reach us – unless you share it with us yourself.

Apple operates iCloud Keychain and iCloud storage for you as part of iCloud; Apple's privacy policy applies to them. You can manage or turn off iCloud in the settings of your iPhone and Apple TV.

Who the app talks to

Every server the app connects to sees your IP address, the time and technical details of the request, as with any internet connection. Zapio sends none of these services identifiers of your device or information about you.

  • Your provider (the servers whose address you enter): when loading the channel list, catalog and TV guide, and during playback. Your login and the chosen channels and titles are transmitted. Purpose: the playback you set up yourself. The same applies to a custom TV guide address you enter.
  • Images from your list: Zapio loads channel logos and posters from the addresses in your list. Only the request for the image is transmitted.
  • Devices on your home network (Fritz!Box, SAT>IP servers, TVHeadend, Jellyfin, Plex, Emby): only when you open the “Fritz!Box / SAT>IP on Home Network” search under “Add Source” or set up such a source. The search asks the Fritz!Box at fritz.box or 192.168.178.1 for its channel lists and sends an SSDP search request for SAT>IP servers into your local network. Channel lists, TV guide and streams come directly from these devices. These connections stay on your home network – nothing leaves it or reaches us or third parties. iOS asks once for access to the local network for this.
  • iptv-org (iptv-org.github.io, GitHub Pages): at most once a month the public channel database, if your provider is missing channel logos, and, for countries without their own list in Zapio, the free channel list for "Load more free channels (iptv-org)". The logos themselves come from the image addresses listed in that database. Only the request is transmitted.
  • Demo, free channels and open movies: the channel list and TV guide of the demo ("Try with free channels") are inside the app. Its test streams come from Apple (devstreaming-cdn.apple.com) and Mux (test-streams.mux.dev). The demo and the iptv-org list both include the open movies of the Blender Foundation: they come from download.blender.org and upload.wikimedia.org, and their posters from upload.wikimedia.org – the app loads the posters as soon as the demo or the iptv-org list is shown. After "Load more free channels (iptv-org)", the channels' streams come directly from the broadcasters' servers (their addresses are in the public iptv-org list). Only the request for the chosen channel, movie or image is transmitted. The lists of free-to-air channels ("Load free channels from …", Settings → "Free-to-air channels") are also inside the app, per country, without a TV guide (built from the public Free-TV/IPTV collection, every address checked by us). Their streams come directly from the servers of the broadcasters or their service providers (e.g. Akamai), their logos from upload.wikimedia.org or the broadcasters. With your own provider, Zapio adds them to its channel list on the device; nothing is sent to the broadcasters or to us in doing so. Without a provider, the open movies are included as well.
  • api.ipify.org: in the playback self-test (Settings → "Diagnostics"), for "Check network" in Help, and automatically at most once per app launch when your provider blocks a channel switch. You can turn the automatic check off under Settings → "Check network automatically when blocked". The app briefly asks three times for its public IP address (once unencrypted, twice encrypted). If the answers differ, iCloud Private Relay is active or the address keeps changing – the app then explains what helps. The answer contains only the IP address; Zapio shows it shortened and sends it nowhere.
  • Free programme guides (epgshare01.online): only if you turn one on (Settings → “Guide URL” → “Free Guides”, or the suggestion in the guide; the app asks first). Zapio then downloads the guide file for the chosen countries once a day. Only the download request is transmitted – no login details, no channel list, no identifier. The service does not say where its server is located; it may be outside the EU. Turning it off in the same place stops the downloads.
  • YouTube: if you tap "Trailer", the video opens in the YouTube app or in the browser. Google's privacy policy applies there.
  • Apple: the trial and purchase go through the App Store (StoreKit). Apple handles the payment; Zapio only learns whether the trial and the full version are active. Siri, Spotlight search, widgets and reminders use iOS features on your device. At most once a day, Zapio asks Apple (itunes.apple.com) for the app's current version number in your country's App Store to point out a new version; only this request with the country code is transmitted.

GitHub, ipify, Apple (test streams), Mux, the Blender Foundation, Wikimedia and the servers of the free channels receive no login data and nothing about your channel list. Their own privacy policies apply to their processing.

Transfers to third countries (USA)

Some of the services named above are based or have their servers outside the EU, mainly in the USA: GitHub (iptv-org.github.io), ipify (api.ipify.org), the Wikimedia Foundation (upload.wikimedia.org), Apple (devstreaming-cdn.apple.com), Mux (test-streams.mux.dev) and Google (YouTube). Where your provider, a custom TV guide address or the servers of the free channels are located depends on your choice; they can be anywhere in the world. With these connections, the service receives your IP address and the information listed in the section above.

If a service is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (see www.dataprivacyframework.gov), the transfer is based on the European Commission's adequacy decision (Art. 45 GDPR). For the other services there is no such decision and no contract between us and the service: your device connects directly, and only when you use the respective function. In the USA, authorities may be able to access data without you having the same legal remedies as in the EU. If you do not want this, turn off the automatic network check in Settings and do not use trailers or the free channels.

  • Connections to your provider, to the free channels and open movies, to iptv-org and to Apple serve the functions you use in the app: Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR.
  • Requests to api.ipify.org (network check) are based on our legitimate interest in explaining playback problems: Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. You can turn off the automatic network check in Settings; the self-test and "Check network" only run when you start them.
  • Support emails: see below.

Support requests by email

"Contact Support" (Settings → "Legal & Contact") opens a prepared email in your own mail app. Besides your text it contains: app version, iOS version, device model, language, the type of your source (Xtream, M3U or free channels) and the number of saved sources, whether the full version is purchased and whether the trial is running, up to five summaries of the latest crashes and hangs (time, app build, iOS version, device type, exception type and code or hang duration) and the latest 20 playback events (for example channel and movie titles, the name of the provider's server, error codes and possibly the shortened IP address). Username and password are removed, and the address of your source is not included.

You see the email before sending, can change or delete anything, and decide yourself whether to send it. It is sent through your own email provider. The same applies if you share the self-test result under "Diagnostics"; it additionally contains your shortened IP address and up to ten summaries of crashes and hangs. With "Share Reports" under "Crashes and Hangs" you share the summaries and the latest full report from iOS (technical call stack, without login data).

If you send us an email, we receive your email address, your text and the diagnostics. We use them only to answer your request and to fix the problem. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR (your request about the app) and Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR (our interest in fixing errors in the app). We delete the email once your request is resolved, at the latest twelve months after the last contact, unless a statutory retention obligation applies.

Children

Kids mode limits what is shown and removes Zapio's entries from the iPhone's Spotlight search while it is on. It collects no data about children.

This website

This section covers the website you are reading. It is a static site with no accounts, forms or comments.

  • Hosting on GitHub Pages: The website is hosted on GitHub Pages, a service of GitHub, Inc., 88 Colton Street, San Francisco, CA 94107, USA. On every visit GitHub processes your IP address, the date and time, the page requested and details about your browser (such as browser type and operating system) in server logs to deliver the site and protect it against abuse and attacks. The legal basis is Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR; our legitimate interest is a secure and available website. How long these logs are kept is governed by GitHub: GitHub’s privacy statement.
  • Transfer to the USA: GitHub is certified under the EU-US Data Privacy Framework (see www.dataprivacyframework.gov). The transfer is based on the European Commission’s adequacy decision (Art. 45 GDPR).
  • No cookies, no analytics, no third-party content: The website sets no cookies, uses no analytics or statistics services and loads no fonts, scripts, videos or other content from third-party servers. We do not analyze visitor data.
  • Email links: Clicking an email address opens your own mail app; nothing is sent automatically. If you write to us, the section Support requests by email applies.

Your rights

Right to object (Art. 21 GDPR): you can object at any time, on grounds relating to your particular situation, to processing based on Art. 6(1)(f) GDPR. In the app you can do this without contacting us: turning off Settings → "Check network automatically when blocked" stops the automatic request to api.ipify.org. The self-test and "Check network" only run when you start them yourself. You can object to the processing of your support email by writing to zapio.app@proton.me.

We store no data about you from the app itself. If you have sent us a support email, you have the right to access, rectification and erasure of that data, to restriction of processing and to data portability, and you can object to the processing (Art. 15–21 GDPR). Questions: zapio.app@proton.me. You have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority.