Privacy Policy

Last updated September 14, 2026

What Filter accesses

Apple Music (MusicKit). Filter requires Apple Music authorization to play music, search Apple Music, read your library and playlists, and, when you use the Filtered playlist feature, write a playlist back to your library. This access happens entirely through Apple's MusicKit framework. Filter never sees your Apple Music credentials, and no music data is ever sent to a Filter-owned server, because there isn't one.

Your filters, rules, and history. The artists, keywords, and genres you filter, any songs or artists you've told a filter to always allow, and your block history are stored using SwiftData on your device by default. This includes any playlist-specific filters you create (for a playlist you've exempted from your global filters) and playlists you make inside Filter. This data never leaves your device unless you turn on iCloud sync.

Playlist artwork. If you choose a photo as artwork for a playlist you make in Filter, the system photo picker hands Filter only the photo you select. Filter has no access to the rest of your photo library. The photo is cropped, shrunk, and saved with that playlist on your device, and in your private iCloud database if sync is on.

Playback state. Songs you like, your recently played playlists, and where you left off (so Filter can pick up where you stopped) are stored locally on your device. They are not synced and never sent anywhere.

iCloud sync (opt-in). If you turn on "Sync to iCloud" in Settings, Filter signs you in with Sign in with Apple and stores your filters, block history, playlists made in Filter, and preferences in your own private CloudKit database. This data is scoped to your Apple ID and lives in your iCloud account. Filter's developer cannot read it, access it, or export it. Sign in with Apple is used only to unlock your private CloudKit container; Filter does not request your name or email, and does not retain your Apple user identifier anywhere.

Filter suggestions. If you manually skip the same artist early in a track a few times, Filter may ask whether you'd like to add a filter for that artist. This is tracked with a simple on-device counter, stored locally, never synced, and never sent anywhere. It only counts skips you initiate. A track a filter already skipped automatically is never counted. You can turn suggestions off in Settings.

Exporting your filters. Exporting from Settings writes a plain JSON file to a temporary location on your device so it can be handed to the system share sheet. Filter does not upload this file anywhere. Where it goes from there (AirDrop, Files, Messages, etc.) is entirely your choice in the share sheet.

Lock Screen, Control Center, and CarPlay. Now Playing info is published to the system through Apple's standard APIs (MPNowPlayingInfoCenter) so Lock Screen and Control Center work normally. When you use Filter in CarPlay, your library and playback are shown on the car's display through Apple's CarPlay framework. All of this stays between your iPhone and Apple's system features.

What Filter does not do

• Filter does not operate a backend server of any kind. The only network calls the app makes are to Apple (MusicKit, CloudKit, Sign in with Apple).
• Filter does not collect, sell, or share your data with anyone, ever.
• Filter does not use analytics SDKs, ad networks, or attribution/tracking frameworks.
• Filter does not have access to your iCloud data. It is stored in your account, not ours.
• Filter does not collect your name, contacts, location, or any device or advertising identifier.
• Filter does not track you across apps or websites.

The Filtered playlist

When you use the Filtered playlist feature, Filter scans your Apple Music library on-device to find tracks matching your enabled filters, then creates or updates a real playlist named "Filtered" directly in your Apple Music library, using Apple's MusicLibrary API. This playlist lives in your library like any other and syncs across your devices the same way the rest of your Apple Music library does: through Apple, not through Filter.

Pre-release builds

Filter is distributed through the App Store. If you install a pre-release build through Apple's TestFlight instead, TestFlight may share crash reports, device information, and any feedback you choose to send with Filter's developer. That is handled by Apple under Apple's privacy policy, not by Filter, and it does not apply to the App Store version.

Data retention and deletion

Your data lives in at most two places: on your device, and, only if you enabled it, in your own iCloud account.

To clear just your skip and match history, tap History in the Filters tab and tap Clear. This doesn't touch your filters. To delete everything else, delete the Filter app from your device.

To delete your iCloud data, open Settings on your iPhone, tap your name, tap iCloud → Manage Account Storage (or iCloud Storage), find Filter, and remove its data.

A "Filtered" playlist created in your Apple Music library is your library content going forward; deleting the Filter app does not delete that playlist. You can delete it from the Music app like any other playlist.

Children

Filter does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone, including children, because Filter does not collect personal information from anyone.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes in a meaningful way, we'll update the date at the top of this page. Continuing to use Filter after a change means you accept the updated policy.