ProLightX Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 5, 2026 · Applies to ProLightX v0.1.0+

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ProLightX ("we", "our", "us") is a macOS photo editor that helps you import, organize, and edit RAW and JPEG photos. This page explains what data ProLightX handles and what we do (and don't do) with it.

Short version: ProLightX does not collect, upload, or transmit your photos, edit history, or any personal information. All image processing happens locally on your Mac. We don't use third-party analytics, crash reporting, or advertising SDKs. There is no account to create and no sign-in. On-device only

1. Data we don't collect

ProLightX is designed to work entirely on your Mac. Specifically, we do not:

• Upload your photos to any server.
• Collect your edit history, ratings, or library metadata.
• Track which photos you import, edit, or export.
• Require an account, email address, or any sign-in.
• Use third-party analytics (no Google Analytics, Firebase, Mixpanel, Sentry, etc.).
• Show you ads or share data with advertisers.
• Use your photos to train AI models — yours or anyone else's.

2. Data stored locally on your Mac

ProLightX stores the following data only on your Mac, in standard macOS locations. You can delete this at any time.

• Catalog database — file paths, ratings, collection membership, keywords, and edit history. Stored in ~/Library/Application Support/ProLightX/.
• Masters (Copy-mode imports) — copies of photos you import in Copy mode. Stored in ~/Library/Application Support/ProLightX/Masters/ (or the destination folder you choose).
• Smart Previews — 2540 px long-edge JPEG previews of imported photos, used to keep editing responsive when the original file is offline. Stored with your catalog data.
• Thumbnails cache — small previews for the Library grid. Stored in ~/Library/Application Support/ProLightX/.
• App preferences — UI state and settings. Stored in ~/Library/Preferences/com.hanqi.prolight.plist.

None of this data is sent to us or any third party. It never leaves your Mac unless you explicitly export a file using the app's Export feature.

3. Purchases and subscriptions (StoreKit)

ProLightX Pro is an optional auto-renewable subscription, sold through Apple's App Store using StoreKit. The entire purchase flow is handled by Apple:

• Payment is processed by Apple under your Apple ID. We never see, receive, or store your name, card number, billing address, or any payment information.
• The app receives only an entitlement status from the system (subscribed / not subscribed, expiration date) to unlock Pro features. This status is read on-device via StoreKit 2 and is not transmitted to us.
• Subscription management, cancellation, and refunds are handled by Apple in System Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions, subject to Apple's terms.

4. System permissions ProLightX requests

macOS requires apps to request permission to access certain user data. ProLightX only asks for the permissions it needs to function. You can revoke any of these at any time in System Settings → Privacy & Security.

• Files and Folders — when you click "Import" or drag files into ProLightX, macOS prompts you to grant access to the folder containing your photos. ProLightX only reads files you explicitly select; it does not scan other folders. User-initiated
• Removable Volumes — if you import directly from an SD card, macOS may ask for access to removable volumes. User-initiated
• Notifications — used only to alert you when a long-running import or export finishes. ProLightX does not send marketing notifications. Optional

ProLightX does not request access to: Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Microphone, Camera, Location, Bluetooth, or your iCloud account.

5. How photos are processed

When you open a photo in ProLightX:

• The file is decoded on-device using Apple's Core Image and Image I/O frameworks.
• RAW files are processed using CIRAWFilter (Apple's official RAW decoder), with EXIF orientation and metadata applied locally.
• Edits (exposure, color, crop, film simulation, etc.) are applied as a non-destructive pipeline of filters running on your Mac's GPU via Metal.
• The final image is rendered on your Mac and displayed on your screen.

At no point does a photo or any derivative of it leave your Mac. We do not run a cloud service for image processing, and the app contains no code that sends your images to a remote endpoint.

6. Third-party software

ProLightX is built on Apple's first-party frameworks (AppKit, SwiftUI, Core Image, Metal, Vision, StoreKit, SQLite) plus one open-source component:

• Sparkle (direct-download version only) — the open-source update framework. See section 7.

No analytics, advertising, social, or crash-reporting SDKs are included in any version of the app.

7. Auto-updates (Sparkle, direct-download version only)

The direct-download build of ProLightX uses the open-source Sparkle framework for in-app updates. Sparkle checks a hosted appcast.xml file for new versions and downloads signed updates over HTTPS. The only information transmitted is:

• The current app version and build number.
• Your macOS version and locale (from the standard HTTP request).

This is standard HTTP request data; no photos, no edits, no file paths, no personal identifiers. You can disable update checks in ProLightX → Settings → Updates. HTTPS

The Mac App Store build does not include Sparkle; updates are delivered by Apple's App Store, governed by Apple's own privacy policy.

8. ML / AI features

ProLightX ships with no feature that sends your photos to a cloud AI service. Tone curves, color grading, HSL, sharpening, film simulation, and grain use deterministic on-device algorithms.

Future versions may add local ML features (e.g. subject masking, denoise) using Apple's Vision and Core ML frameworks. All such features will run on-device. We will never send your photos to a cloud AI service, and we will not use your photos to train any model. This page will be updated before any ML feature ships.

9. Children

ProLightX is a professional photo editor intended for adult creative professionals and enthusiasts. We do not knowingly collect any data from children under 16. The app does not target children and contains no content intended for them.

10. International transfers

Because ProLightX does not transmit your photos, edits, or personal data to any server, there are no international data transfers to disclose. The only outbound network traffic is the Sparkle update check in the direct-download version (see section 7) and StoreKit transactions handled by Apple (see section 3).

11. Your rights

You have full control over your data. You can:

• Export your edits at any time using ProLightX's Export feature (JPEG, HEIC, TIFF, and sidecar XMP for Pro users).
• Delete your catalog and cached data by removing the ~/Library/Application Support/ProLightX/ folder.
• Uninstall the app by dragging ProLightX.app to the Trash. Locally stored data is left untouched so you can reinstall and pick up where you left off, or delete it manually if you prefer.
• Revoke permissions at any time in System Settings → Privacy & Security.
• Manage or cancel your subscription in System Settings → Apple ID → Subscriptions.
• Request information by emailing us (see contact below) — though, as noted, we hold no data about you to disclose.

12. Changes to this policy

If we make material changes to this policy (for example, adding a new feature that changes what data the app handles), we will:

• Update the "Last updated" date at the top of this page.
• Show an in-app notice the next time you launch ProLightX.
• For changes that affect what data is collected, give you the option to continue using the previous version.

13. Contact