Privacy

On the TV

• The playlist server, username, and password stay in the TV’s local storage. switchback.tv does not receive them.
• Channel lists, favorites, history, and recordings are kept on the device.
• Android Settings, Apps, Switchback TV, Clear data removes what this app saved on that TV, including the playlist login. The button inside the app (Settings, About and app, Clear favorites, history and recordings) keeps the playlists and the login.

Free trial and license check

The first time the app opens with an internet connection, it asks switchback.tv to start this TV’s free 30-day trial. After that, and whenever a code is entered, the app checks with switchback.tv about once a day. If the TV is offline, the app keeps working for up to 30 days before it needs to check again.

What is sent:

• a TV ID, which is a one-way hash of the TV’s Android ID (the raw Android ID is never sent and cannot be recovered from the hash);
• the TV’s maker, model, and Android version (for example “Brand Model · Android 12”), when the trial starts and when a code is entered;
• the Switchback TV app version;
• the trial or license code, on each check.

What is stored: those items; the code (the trial gets a code automatically); when the trial or code was first used, when it ends (for the trial), when the TV last checked in, and how many times; and a log of trial starts, activations, check-ins, and refused attempts. For each logged request, a keyed one-way hash of the network address is kept instead of the address itself. It is used to limit how many trials one network can start and to slow down code guessing. If we gave you a code personally, we may also note your name or email next to it.

What is not sent: your playlist server, username, or password, your channels, favorites, history, or recordings, and what you watch.

Purchases

• Payment is handled by PayPal. Your card details go to PayPal, not to us. PayPal’s own privacy policy covers what it collects. PayPal also sends you the receipt.
• From them we receive and keep: your email address (when PayPal shares it), the order number, the amount and currency, and the date. We store these next to your license code, and next to the TV ID if you bought with a link made for that TV.
• We use your email to find your purchase if you lose your code, and to answer you. We don’t send marketing email and we don’t sell or share your email.
• If we email you, it comes from support@switchback.tv.
• Purchase records are kept as long as the law requires for tax and accounting.

Where it is kept

Trial, license, and purchase records are held in a database run for Switchback TV by Supabase. Requests pass through Vercel, which hosts switchback.tv and handles network addresses in its normal server logs.

The TV ID changes if the TV is factory reset. To see or remove what we hold about you, or to have a code moved to a new TV, email support@switchback.tv. We keep purchase records as long as tax and accounting rules require. Everything else can be removed on request.

Phone remote

Pairing runs on your home network. The phone talks to the TV on that network. It is not a Switchback cloud account.

Other services the player calls

• Your playlist provider, using the server address you entered.
• Open-Meteo, when the home screen weather is on, for the town you set.
• Google News, when the home screen news ticker is on.
• TMDB, when a movie or series page looks up ratings, artwork, and trailers. That runs if this copy of the app was built with a TMDB key, or if you added one in Settings, Home screen, or on the phone remote. The key stays on that TV. A public download build has no key until you add one.

Weather and the news ticker each have an Off choice in Settings, Home screen. Those requests go to those services, not to a Switchback account. Removing a TMDB key you typed returns to the key built into that APK, if it has one.