Privacy without the fog machine.

Photo Time Machine is designed as a private photo-management and archive tool. This policy explains what the app accesses, what it stores, when information goes to third-party services, and the choices you have.

Effective date: September 28, 2026

1. Information Photo Time Machine accesses

Depending on the features you use and the permissions you grant, Photo Time Machine may access:

• photos, videos, Live Photo resources, including audio contained in supported media;
• related metadata in Apple Photos, such as filename, capture date, media type, dimensions, and location information embedded in your media;
• files and folders you explicitly select;
• Dropbox files, folders, metadata, and account authorization needed to browse, archive, and verify media;
• information associated with a connected Dropbox account, which may include an email address and account identifier;
• Apple StoreKit purchase-entitlement information used to determine whether paid features are unlocked;
• limited product-interaction and technical diagnostic information processed by connected third-party services as needed to provide, maintain, analyze, and improve those integrations.

2. How that information is used

Photo Time Machine uses media and metadata to build your catalog, display thumbnails and previews, organize and search your library, perform local analysis, identify possible duplicate or cleanup candidates, archive selected media, and verify archive copies before cleanup.

Connecting a source does not, by itself, move or delete your originals.

3. Data stored on your device

The app stores catalog records, indexes, analysis results, review decisions, settings, archive state, and other operational information locally on your device so Photo Time Machine can remember what it has cataloged and what you have already reviewed.

Where supported, analysis such as image recognition, OCR, duplicate review, and similar library intelligence is performed locally on your device unless a feature specifically requires communication with a connected service.

4. Dropbox

If you connect Dropbox, Photo Time Machine communicates with Dropbox to perform the actions you request.

When you archive media, the selected original resources may be uploaded to the Dropbox destination you chose. Those resources may include photos, videos, Live Photo components, embedded audio, location metadata, filenames, and other file metadata associated with the selected media.

Dropbox may also process information associated with your connected Dropbox account, including an email address, account identifier, product-interaction information, API activity, and limited technical diagnostic information needed to operate, analyze, maintain, and improve the Dropbox service and integration.

Dropbox processes this information under your Dropbox account and Dropbox’s own privacy terms.

Photo Time Machine does not use Dropbox data for third-party advertising or cross-app tracking.

5. Apple Photos and iCloud

Access to Apple Photos is controlled by Apple’s permission system. Photo Time Machine uses the access you grant to read media and, only when you explicitly approve an applicable workflow, request changes such as adding items to albums or removing selected Apple Photos copies.

Media stored in or delivered through iCloud Photos is handled through Apple’s Photos framework and your Apple account settings.

6. Location information

Photo Time Machine may access precise location information embedded in the metadata of photos or videos.

That location information may be used to organize or label media and, when you choose to archive that media to Dropbox, may be included with the archived file or its metadata.

Photo Time Machine does not use location information for advertising or tracking.

7. Purchases

Purchases and restorations are processed by Apple through StoreKit.

Photo Time Machine receives the entitlement information needed to determine whether the app is unlocked. AR-CADE does not receive your full payment-card details from Apple.

8. Accounts, advertising, analytics, and sale of data

The current Photo Time Machine workflow does not require a separate Photo Time Machine account.

Photo Time Machine does not use third-party advertising trackers and AR-CADE does not sell your personal photo information or other personal data.

Connected third-party services, including Dropbox, may process limited product-interaction and technical diagnostic information for app functionality, analytics, service operation, security, reliability, and product improvement.

This may include information such as account identifiers, API activity, and technical diagnostic events associated with use of the connected service.

Photo Time Machine does not use this information for third-party advertising, advertising measurement, or cross-app tracking.

If future versions add new analytics, cloud services, accounts, advertising, or other data-handling features, this policy and the App Store privacy disclosures will be updated accordingly.

9. Data sharing

Photo Time Machine shares information with third-party services only as needed for features you choose to use, such as:

• Dropbox for archive storage and connected-account functionality;
• Apple Photos and iCloud Photos for photo-library access;
• Apple StoreKit for purchases and entitlement verification;
• Apple system services for features such as reverse geocoding and related platform functionality.

AR-CADE does not make your private photo library publicly available through this website or through Photo Time Machine.

10. Retention and deletion

Local catalog and analysis data remains on your device until it is removed through app or device-level data removal.

Files archived to Dropbox remain in your Dropbox until you remove them there.

Disconnecting Dropbox from Photo Time Machine does not automatically delete files already stored in Dropbox.

Revoking Apple Photos or Dropbox access may stop future access by Photo Time Machine, but it does not automatically remove data already stored by Apple or Dropbox.

Photo Time Machine does not silently delete Apple Photos originals or local source files. Cleanup requires explicit review and approval, and archive-dependent cleanup rechecks the archive before requesting deletion or moving a local file to Trash.

11. Your privacy choices

You can:

• revoke Apple Photos permission through Apple system privacy settings;
• revoke Dropbox authorization through Dropbox;
• disconnect or stop using connected sources;
• choose not to use archive, analysis, or cleanup features;
• remove local Photo Time Machine data through available app or device-level controls;
• remove archived files directly from Dropbox.

For questions about removing local Photo Time Machine data or other privacy choices, contact support.

12. Children

Photo Time Machine is a general photo-management tool and is not designed to collect personal information from children through an AR-CADE account or online profile.

The app may organize or archive photos that contain images of children if those photos are part of a user’s personal library, but Photo Time Machine does not create child profiles or use that content for advertising or tracking.

13. Changes to this policy

This policy may change as Photo Time Machine evolves. The effective date above will be updated when material changes are published.

Privacy questions

Email support@ar-cade.net