Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 11, 2026

This policy covers the Atlas iOS app. Atlas is a native client for Piped, an open-source frontend for YouTube. Atlas is built by Chase Frazier. This page explains what remains on your device, what leaves it when you use online features, and which other parties may handle those requests.

TL;DR

Atlas has no account system, ads, third-party analytics, or tracking.
We do not operate an Atlas backend or keep a database of your viewing activity.
You choose a Piped instance. It receives searches and identifiers needed for feeds, recommendations, playback, comments, and related features.
Atlas also contacts media, image, artwork, and caption hosts referenced by the selected instance. Self-hosting Piped does not proxy every connection the app makes.
Your library is stored locally, but selected data can appear in Apple system surfaces such as Spotlight, Shortcuts, and Now Playing.

What Atlas Collects

We do not collect personal data through an Atlas-operated server. The app has no Atlas sign-in, advertising SDK, or third-party analytics SDK, and its Apple privacy manifest declares no tracking and no collected data categories. Apple may separately make diagnostic reports available to developers when a user enables Apple’s analytics sharing; that process is controlled by Apple.

The privacy manifest declares UserDefaults access under Apple’s CA92.1 reason and disk-space access under E174.1. Atlas uses these APIs to store app settings and avoid starting downloads that cannot fit. If you contact us, we receive the information you choose to provide and use it to respond.

Data Stored on Your Device

Atlas stores the data it needs to provide your local library, including:

Your selected Piped instance and app settings.
Subscriptions, watch history, resume positions, and search history.
Playlists, Suggest More / Suggest Less feedback, and recommendation data.
Completed download metadata and downloaded media, artwork, and captions.

Most library data is stored in the app’s private container. The selected Piped instance is also mirrored to the iOS Keychain so the app and App Shortcuts can share it. Atlas does not provide cloud sync for this library data.

Network Connections

Atlas does not ship with a default Piped instance. Online features begin after you add one. Hosted instances must use HTTPS; HTTP is accepted only for local or private-network hosts.

The selected Piped instance receives your IP address and the requests Atlas sends to it. Depending on the feature, those requests can include search terms, video or channel identifiers, feed and recommendation requests, stream metadata, comments, and SponsorBlock category IDs. A third-party instance is operated under its own terms and privacy policy; Atlas does not control its logs or retention. Running your own instance gives you more control over that API traffic.

Piped responses contain URLs for video and audio streams, HLS playlists, thumbnails, avatars, artwork, and captions. Atlas contacts those referenced hosts directly for browsing, playback, prefetching, Now Playing artwork, and downloads. Those hosts can receive your IP address and the requested resource information. A self-hosted Piped instance therefore does not hide every runtime request from third-party media or asset hosts.

Atlas can optionally contact youtube.com to resolve collaborator details that are missing from Piped. This is off by default and only runs after you enable Resolve Collaborators via YouTubein Atlas’s Privacy settings.

SponsorBlock

When SponsorBlock is enabled, Atlas sends the selected category IDs to your Piped instance and receives segment information for the current video. Atlas does not automatically skip segments; it presents a user-controlled skip button.

Apple System Surfaces and Caches

Atlas can make selected local or derived data available to iOS:

Spotlight can index recent history and completed downloads, including titles, creator names, and poster references.
Siri, Shortcuts, and App Intents can query downloads, recent history, playlists, and videos recently visible in the app.
Now Playing can show the active title, creator, artwork, and playback state on the Lock Screen, Control Center, CarPlay, and connected media controls.

Atlas also uses temporary in-memory caches and an Apple-managed URL cache that may use memory and disk. Cached network responses and system index entries can remain until Atlas or iOS refreshes or evicts them.

Backups and Exports

Library → Settings → Backup & Data can export history, search history, subscriptions, playlists, and Suggest More / Suggest Less feedback. Downloads are not included.

An export is an ordinary, unencrypted JSON file handed to the iOS share sheet. Atlas does not add encryption to it. Its final location and protection depend on the app, service, or person you choose to share it with, so treat the file as sensitive.

Diagnostics

Atlas contains no third-party crash-reporting or telemetry SDK. Playback and download diagnostics use Apple’s unified logging system. Atlas marks video identifiers private and does not intentionally log full media URLs, search terms, titles, or backup contents.

If you enable Apple’s analytics sharing, Apple may provide developers with crash and performance reports under Apple’s own privacy practices. You can review that setting in Settings → Privacy & Security → Analytics & Improvements.

Retention and Deletion

We retain no Atlas account or viewing database because the app does not send one to us. Data stored by the app remains on your device until you remove it. Atlas provides controls for deleting individual library items and clearing watch history, but it does not currently provide one global “erase everything” button.

Deleting Atlas removes its app container, including its database and downloaded files. The selected Piped instance is mirrored to the iOS Keychain and may remain available to Atlas if you reinstall it. Apple controls the retention of Apple diagnostic reports and system-managed caches or indexes.

Library Recovery

If Atlas cannot open its persistent library, it starts with an empty, temporary store and leaves the existing on-device store untouched. Do not export from that recovery session expecting it to contain the inaccessible library. Preserve the app container while diagnosing the store or restore from a JSON backup created while the library was healthy.

Security

Atlas validates network destinations, rechecks redirects, requires HTTPS for hosted Piped instances, and limits local HTTP to local or private networks. Local data is protected by the security of your device and operating system. No transmission, device, third-party service, or storage method can be guaranteed to be completely secure.

Children’s Privacy

Atlas does not knowingly collect personal information from children or maintain user accounts for them. Content reached through Piped comes from YouTube and is not selected, filtered, or moderated by Atlas. Parents and guardians should supervise use as appropriate.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this policy when Atlas’s behavior or supporting services change. The date at the top identifies the latest revision.

Contact

Questions or requests about this policy can be sent to the address below.

Email contact@cmf.sh.