LifeVis Privacy Policy

Last Updated: March 15, 2026

        Summary: LifeVis is a local-first, offline app. Your data stays on your device. We don't collect, transmit, or store any of your personal data on our servers.
    

1. Introduction

LifeVis is developed and maintained by Stephen Suess, based in the Netherlands. LifeVis ("we", "our", or "the app") is a personal data visualization application that helps you organize and visualize your digital life through imported social media archives, location history, and other personal data.

This Privacy Policy explains how we handle your information when you use LifeVis on iOS, macOS, or Android.

2. Legal Basis for Processing

All data processing in LifeVis occurs locally on your device. The legal bases for this processing are:

Performance of contract: Processing your data to provide the app's core functionality (importing, organizing, and visualizing your data) as described in our Terms of Use.
Consent: You explicitly choose which data to import, and you explicitly initiate any sharing. You can withdraw consent at any time by deleting your data or stopping a share.

3. Data Collection and Storage

3.1 Local-Only Storage

LifeVis is designed as a local-first, offline-capable application. All data you import into LifeVis is stored exclusively on your device:

Posts and content - Stored in an encrypted local database
Photos and videos - Stored in the app's private storage directory
Location data - Stored locally, never transmitted
Tags and metadata - Stored in the local database

3.2 What We Do NOT Collect

We do not collect, transmit, or have access to:

Your imported social media data
Your photos or videos
Your location history
Your employment or education history
Analytics or usage data
Device identifiers
Any personally identifiable information

3.3 Data Encryption

Android: All data is encrypted at rest using SQLCipher (AES-256 encryption) with keys stored in the Android Keystore
iOS: Data is protected by iOS Data Protection (hardware-backed encryption) and the app sandbox
macOS: Data is protected by the app sandbox and FileVault full-disk encryption (when enabled on your Mac)

4. Data Sharing Feature

4.1 Optional Sharing

LifeVis includes an optional sharing feature that allows you to share selected content with others. This feature:

Is completely optional and disabled by default
Only activates when you explicitly create a share link
Shares only the specific content you select
Can be password-protected
Can be stopped at any time

4.2 How Sharing Works

Your data is never uploaded to or hosted on any external server. When you create a share link, your device itself acts as the server:

Local sharing: Your device runs a temporary web server on your local Wi-Fi network. The recipient's browser connects directly to your device. No data leaves your network.
Internet sharing (via relay): For sharing outside your local network, your device connects to our relay server (relay.mylifevis.com). The relay acts as a passthrough — it forwards requests from the recipient's browser to your device and sends your device's responses back. Your data passes through the relay in real time but is never stored or cached on the relay. When you stop sharing or close the app, the connection ends and no data remains on the relay. Standard operational logs (see Section 10: Server Logs) are retained temporarily for security and debugging purposes.

4.3 Relay Server

The relay server exists solely to bridge the connection between your device and the recipient when they are not on the same network. Specifically:

Your data is served directly from your device, not from the relay
The relay forwards data in real time and does not store your content (posts, images, or personal data)
Standard operational logs (IP addresses, timestamps, request paths) are retained for up to 14 days for security and debugging, then automatically deleted
All connections are encrypted (WSS/HTTPS)
You can choose local-only sharing to bypass the relay entirely

5. Add-ons

LifeVis supports add-ons that provide alternative ways to view and interact with your data (such as a CV/Resume view). These add-ons:

Run entirely locally within a sandboxed environment on your device
Can access your imported data (posts, tags, locations) in order to display it
Cannot transmit data to external servers — network access is blocked by design
Store any configuration or preferences locally on your device

Currently, only add-ons bundled with the app are available. There is no third-party add-on store or mechanism for installing external add-ons.

6. Data You Import

LifeVis can import data from various sources including:

Instagram data exports
Facebook data exports
LinkedIn data exports
WordPress exports
Google Maps Timeline
Resume/CV documents

All imported data remains on your device. The import process:

Reads files you explicitly select
Processes data locally on your device
Stores results in your local database
Does not transmit any data to external servers

7. Permissions

7.1 Android Permissions

Internet: Required for optional sharing feature and downloading images during import
Network State: To detect network availability for sharing
Storage (Android 12 and below): To access files you select for import

7.2 iOS/macOS Permissions

File Access: To read files you select for import
Network: For optional sharing feature
Local Network: For local sharing on your network

8. Data Retention and Deletion

Since all data is stored locally on your device:

You have complete control over your data
You can delete individual posts, tags, or all data at any time
On iOS, deleting the app removes all associated data
On Android and macOS, uninstalling through the standard system process removes app data, though you can also use Settings → Delete All Data before uninstalling to ensure complete removal
We cannot recover deleted data (we never had access to it)

8.1 How to Delete Your Data

Delete specific items: Use the edit/delete functions within the app
Delete all data: Go to Settings → Delete All Data
Complete removal: Use Settings → Delete All Data, then uninstall the app

9. Children's Privacy

LifeVis is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect any information from children. Since we don't collect any user data, this is inherently enforced by design.

10. Server Logs and Operational Data

While LifeVis does not collect your personal data within the app, our servers maintain standard operational logs for security monitoring and debugging. These logs may include:

Web server logs: IP addresses, timestamps, URLs requested, browser user agent strings
Relay logs: Connection events, share token identifiers, and request paths (but never the content of your posts, images, or personal data)
Contact form submissions: If you use the contact form on our website, your email address, message category, and IP address are logged for the purpose of responding to your inquiry

All operational logs are automatically deleted after 14 days. The legal basis for this processing is legitimate interest (Article 6(1)(f) GDPR) for security, abuse prevention, and debugging. These logs are never shared with third parties or used for tracking or profiling.

11. Third-Party Services

LifeVis does not integrate with third-party analytics, advertising, or tracking services. The only external service is our optional relay server for internet sharing, which does not store your content.

12. Security

We implement appropriate security measures:

Database encryption (AES-256 on Android)
Encrypted storage for sensitive preferences
Password hashing using PBKDF2-SHA256 (600,000 iterations) for share links
Secure random token generation
App sandbox isolation

13. Your Rights

Because your data is stored only on your device, you inherently have:

Right to Access: All your data is visible in the app
Right to Rectification: Edit any data directly in the app
Right to Erasure: Delete any or all data at any time
Right to Portability: Your data exports remain in standard formats
Right to Restrict Processing: The app only processes data when you use it
Right to Lodge a Complaint: You have the right to lodge a complaint with your local data protection supervisory authority (e.g., the Autoriteit Persoonsgegevens in the Netherlands, the ICO in the UK, or your local EU data protection authority)

14. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. This policy is reviewed at least annually.

15. About Us and Contact

LifeVis is developed and maintained by Stephen Suess, based in the Netherlands. We do not have access to your data — it exists only on your device.

Developer: Stephen Suess
Location: The Netherlands
Contact: lifevis.app/support

For any privacy-related inquiries, please use the contact form linked above.

16. International Data Transfers

All your data is stored locally on your device and is not transferred internationally. If you use the optional internet sharing feature, your selected data is temporarily transmitted through our relay server hosted in Europe (Germany). The relay server does not store your data; it only passes it through to the recipient in real time.

17. Jurisdiction-Specific Disclosures

For EU/EEA Users (GDPR)

LifeVis is developed by Stephen Suess, based in the Netherlands. Since we do not collect or process your personal data on our servers, your data remains entirely under your control on your device. The legal basis for on-device processing is performance of contract and your explicit consent (see Section 2).

For California Users (CCPA/CPRA)

We do not sell your personal information as defined by the CCPA/CPRA. We do not share your personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising. In the preceding 12 months, we have not collected any personal information from users on our servers. Since all data remains on your device, there is no personal information for us to sell, share, or disclose.

For Brazilian Users (LGPD)

Your data is processed locally on your device. The legal basis for processing is performance of contract and consent. You maintain full control and can exercise all LGPD rights directly through the app.