No network.
No trace.
LAST UPDATED · OCTOBER 6, 2026 · APPLIES TO THE iOS APP, THE DESKTOP APPS (macOS / WINDOWS / LINUX), THE BROWSER EXTENSION, AND opticdrop.app
01What OpticDrop Does
OpticDrop transfers files between devices using light — animated optical patterns displayed on one screen, captured by another device's camera. No Wi-Fi, no Bluetooth, no internet connection is used or required during any transfer.
The OpticDrop iOS app receives only. Senders include the web sender at opticdrop.app/send, the Chrome/Edge browser extension, and the desktop apps for macOS, Windows and Linux. All senders send only; receiving requires the iOS app's camera. This policy also describes the desktop apps where applicable.
OpticDrop does not transmit your data over any network. Files travel through the air between two screens — not through our servers, not through the internet.
02Data We Access
OpticDrop accesses the minimum required to function:
| Data | Why | Stored? |
|---|---|---|
| Camera | Scanning optical patterns to receive files. Frames are normally processed in memory. If receiving test mode is enabled, diagnostic frames may be saved locally and shared at your direction. | In memory; local diagnostic files in test mode |
| Files you choose to send (sender only) | You select a file; the sender encodes it into frames displayed on screen. The original file is read from your device but never uploaded anywhere. | On-device only |
| Received files | Decoded files are saved to your device's Documents folder (Documents/OpticDropReceive/). They never leave your device unless you explicitly share them. | On-device only |
| In-App Purchase | If you purchase OpticDrop Pro, Apple's StoreKit framework processes the transaction. We receive only a confirmation that the purchase was completed — no payment details. | Apple only |
| Files sent from a desktop app, the extension, or the web sender | The file is read and encoded into optical patterns entirely on your own machine. On the web sender this happens inside your browser tab — the file is never uploaded, and no copy of it is transmitted to us or to anyone else. | Never leaves the device |
| Your language and theme choice | Stored in your browser's local storage so the site remembers your preference. Never sent anywhere. | Your browser only |
The web sender downloads an encoder (a WebAssembly module) from our server the first time you use it, then does all encoding locally. Your file is never part of any network request — you can verify this yourself in your browser's network inspector.
03Data We Do Not Collect
The apps (iOS, macOS, Windows, Linux) and the browser extension collect none of the following:
- ✕User accounts or registration
- ✕Email addresses or names
- ✕IP addresses or network logs
- ✕Location data
- ✕Analytics or usage telemetry
- ✕Crash reports sent to our servers
- ✕Advertising identifiers (IDFA)
- ✕Contacts or photos library
- ✕Microphone access
- ✕Any data while the app is backgrounded
There are no third-party SDKs for analytics, advertising, or tracking embedded in any OpticDrop app or extension.
opticdrop.app carries no analytics, no advertising and no tracking scripts of any kind, and we set no cookies. But any website necessarily sees the IP address of whoever requests a page — that is how the web works, and we would be lying if we claimed otherwise. Our site is served through Cloudflare's network, so Cloudflare processes those requests on our behalf. We do not build profiles from this, and we do not combine it with anything else.
04Data Storage & Deletion
Receiving happens only in the iOS app. All files received by OpticDrop are stored locally in your iOS device's sandboxed Documents directory. They are accessible through the Files app under On My iPhone → OpticDrop.
The browser extension, web sender, and desktop apps do not receive files; they send only. They read the file you pick and encode it in memory without retaining a received file.
You can delete any received file from within the OpticDrop Files tab or through the iOS Files app. Using Clear Transfer Records in Settings deletes received files as well as their in-app records.
We do not operate servers that store your files. We have no ability to access, recover, or delete files stored on your device.
05Third Parties
We do not sell, rent or share your data with third parties, and we run no advertising. Three external services are involved, each in a narrow and disclosed way:
- Apple (App Store & StoreKit) — distributes the iOS app and handles the optional Pro purchase. We receive only a confirmation that a purchase completed, never payment details. See Apple's Privacy Policy.
- Cloudflare — delivers opticdrop.app and its downloads. It processes page requests, including visitor IP addresses, in order to serve the site. See Cloudflare's Privacy Policy.
- Fonts — the site's typefaces are served from our own domain. No font CDN is contacted, and no request leaves opticdrop.app to load them.
None of these are involved in a transfer itself. A file moving from one screen to another touches no network and no third party at all.
The core encoding engine, libcimbar, is open-source (MPL 2.0) and operates entirely on-device with no network calls.
06Children
OpticDrop does not knowingly collect any information from children under 13. The app does not require account creation or personal information of any kind.
07Changes to This Policy
If this policy changes materially, we will update the date above and, where feasible, notify users through an app update. Continued use after a policy update constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.
08Contact
Questions about this privacy policy or your data: [email protected]