Cinecase - Privacy Policy

Last updated: 25 July 2026

Cinecase ("the app", "we") is a local-first movie/Blu-ray collection app. This policy explains what data the app handles, where it goes, and the choices you have. In plain terms: your collection lives on your device unless you choose Google Drive sync; optional Google sign-in for shared scan lookups does not send your collection to us. We do not store or sell your library.

Who we are

Developer: Canadilian Soft
Contact: canadiliansoft@gmail.com

The short version

• Your movie collection is stored on your device. No account is required to use the app.
• Custom cover photos you choose or take, and downloaded poster artwork cached for faster/offline display, stay in Cinecase's private storage on that device.
• You may optionally sign in with Google to help the shared scan database resolve new barcodes. This does not request Google Drive access and does not upload your collection.
• We do not operate a collection server and have no database of your library. We cannot see your collection.
• Cinecase uses a small backend lookup service for public barcode/movie metadata so API keys stay off your device; it does not store your library.
• The app contains no advertising, no analytics SDKs, and no third-party trackers. Cinecase may send limited first-party product events, described below, to help improve scanning, import, sync, and upgrade flows.
• Some features send data to third-party services (TMDb, a barcode lookup service, optional Google Sign-In, and, only if you turn on cloud sync, your own Google Drive). These are described below.

What stays on your device

• Your libraries, movies, ratings, watch status, loans, tags, and settings are stored locally in an on-device database. Uninstalling the app deletes them.
• The app also writes periodic local backup files to its own private app storage so you can restore after an accident. These never leave your device unless you share or sync them.
• If you choose or photograph custom cover artwork, Cinecase copies that image into its private app storage. Custom-cover image files are device-specific and are not included in JSON exports or Google Drive collection snapshots.
• Poster artwork downloaded from TMDb may be cached in private app storage for faster loading and offline display. Cached posters refresh periodically, are not included in exports or Drive snapshots, and are removed by uninstalling Cinecase or clearing its app data.

Third-party services the app uses

1. Cinecase metadata lookup service - When you search for a title or scan a disc, the app may contact Cinecase's lookup service to resolve public movie or barcode metadata while keeping third-party API keys off your device. For cached barcode matches, the service receives the barcode number. The service stores shared public barcode-to-movie mappings so the same disc can resolve faster for future users. To keep the service available and prevent abuse, the lookup service records a one-way hash of your IP address and a one-way hash of the search text for each title-search request, together with the date. The raw IP address and raw search text are not stored, these hashes are not linked to your Cinecase identity or collection, and they are used only to apply rate limits.

If you turn on the Shared scan database toggle in Settings, accept the contextual Help make barcode scans faster prompt, or approve sharing a barcode correction, the app signs you in with Google only for identity. This identity-only sign-in does not request Google Drive scope. For first-time barcode resolution and user-approved corrections, the app may send a Google ID token to confirm the request is from the app and apply abuse limits; the service stores only an opaque Google user id for rate-limiting and consensus, not your email or collection. If you manually correct a barcode match and choose to share it, the service receives the barcode and public movie metadata for that correction. It does not receive your shelf contents, library names, notes, ratings, reviews, or loan details.

2. The Movie Database (TMDb) - When you search for a title or scan a disc, the app or Cinecase lookup service sends the search text and, for scans, the looked-up title/year to TMDb to fetch movie details and artwork. Artwork images, such as posters, load from TMDb's public image CDN. Cinecase may cache the selected poster on your device for faster/offline display as described above. See TMDb's privacy policy at themoviedb.org. This product uses the TMDb API but is not endorsed or certified by TMDb.

3. Barcode lookup (UPCitemdb / optional Barcode Lookup) - When you scan a disc, the app or Cinecase lookup service may send the barcode number to a barcode database to identify the product. No collection contents are attached to these requests.

4. Camera and photo selection - For barcode scanning, camera frames are processed on your device to read the barcode and are not stored or transmitted. If you explicitly choose Take photo or Choose photo for custom cover artwork, Cinecase stores the selected/captured image in its private app storage on that device. Custom-cover images are not sent to Cinecase's lookup service, TMDb, barcode providers, or product-event service, and are not included in JSON exports or Google Drive collection snapshots.

5. Google Sign-In and Google Drive - Google Sign-In is optional and can be used in two separate ways:

• Shared scan database: if you enable the Settings toggle, accept the contextual sign-in prompt, or share a barcode correction, the app requests identity only. No Google Drive scope is requested. Your Google email address may be shown in the app so you know which account is connected, and cached on your device. The lookup service receives only the ID token needed to verify an opaque user id for abuse prevention; it does not receive your collection.
• Optional cloud sync: if you turn on cloud sync, the app requests Google Drive drive.file access and creates a Cinecase backup file in your own Google Drive. Cinecase's developer servers cannot access this file. The app can read or update the file only while you authorize it, and you can delete the file from your Drive.

6. Google Play Billing (Android) / the App Store (iOS) - The optional one-time "Cinecase Pro" purchase is processed by Google or Apple. The app only records whether Pro is unlocked; we never receive your payment details.

7. First-party product events - Cinecase may send a small set of product events to understand whether core flows are working, such as scan started, scan succeeded, scan failed, import started, import completed, paywall viewed, purchase started, purchase completed, sync enabled, restore attempted, or correction shared. These events include only the event name plus coarse platform and app version metadata. They do not include movie titles, barcodes, TMDb IDs, poster paths, ratings, reviews, shelf names, notes, loan details, or collection contents. You can turn product diagnostics off in the app settings.

What we collect

We do not collect or store your movie collection. Cinecase has no email/password account, advertising, or third-party tracking. Optional Google sign-in creates an opaque Cinecase identity for shared-registry requests. The metadata lookup service handles the public barcode/search data needed to make lookups work; the hashed IP address, hashed search text, and date used to rate-limit title searches; and, for rate-limited first-time barcode resolution or user-approved corrections, that opaque Google user id. Turning on the free shared-scan identity sign-in does not transmit your collection and does not grant Drive access. Cinecase may store the limited first-party product events described above. Your full collection is transmitted only to your own Google Drive if you enable sync. All such transmission uses encrypted (HTTPS) connections. Custom-cover photos and the on-device poster cache are not collected by Cinecase's developer services.

How long we keep things

• Hashed title-search request data and first-party product events are scheduled for deletion once they are more than 90 days old.
• Shared scan-database activity linked to your opaque Google user id is kept until you use the account-deletion options below.
• Shared barcode records are community data and carry no link to you after deletion. Film details drawn from TMDb inside those records are refreshed or removed within 150 days.

Sharing your collection

Export and "share my shelf" features send a file (JSON/CSV/PDF/image) only when you choose to, through your device's standard share sheet, to the destination you pick.

Your choices and data deletion

• Delete items / libraries in the app at any time.
• Uninstall the app to remove all on-device data, custom-cover photos, cached poster artwork, and local backups.
• Delete Cinecase account & cloud data (in-app): Settings > Privacy > "Delete Cinecase account & cloud data" removes, in one confirmed step, everything Cinecase keeps under your Google identity: your shared scan-database activity (lookup logs, submissions, and votes tied to the opaque Google user id) is deleted and your attribution is removed from record history; the Cinecase backup file in your own Google Drive is deleted (if cloud sync was used); and this device is signed out of Google in Cinecase. Shared barcode records themselves (barcode-to-movie facts) are community data and carry no link to you after deletion. Film details drawn from TMDb inside those records are refreshed or removed within 150 days. Your collection on your device is not deleted by this action.
• Deletion by request: if you can no longer use the app, email canadiliansoft@gmail.com from the Google account you used with Cinecase and we will perform the same server-side deletion. See the account deletion page for details.
• Cloud sync: you can also simply sign out of Google in Settings and delete the Cinecase backup from your Google Drive yourself.
• Shared scan database sign-in: turn off the Shared scan database toggle in Settings to forget the identity-only sign-in on this device; use the in-app deletion action above to also delete the server-side data.
• Export your full collection at any time so your data is portable.

Children

Cinecase is not directed at children under 13 or the equivalent minimum age in your country, and we do not knowingly collect data from them.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the app evolves. Material changes will be reflected by the "Last updated" date above and, where appropriate, noted in the app or store listing.

Contact

Questions about privacy? Email canadiliansoft@gmail.com.