Privacy Policy

Last updated: 11 August 2026

Deutsche Version

FlixCast is a podcast player for Windows and iPhone with an Apple Watch companion app. The apps initially store your library locally on your devices. If you link a FlixCast account, a dedicated FlixCast server synchronizes the data that should be shared between your devices.

This Privacy Policy explains which personal data FlixCast processes, why it is needed, and how long it is stored.

Controller

The controller responsible for FlixCast is:

Felix Steindorff
Gutenbergstraße 11
35037 Marburg
Germany
Email: info@flixcast.app

Further information is available in the Legal Notice.

Use without a FlixCast account

You can use FlixCast without an account. In that case, your library, listening positions, queue, and settings are not transmitted to the FlixCast server.

Network requests still take place. Podcast feeds are fetched directly from the respective podcast provider by your device. When you stream or download an episode, your device also connects to the server hosting the audio file. This may be the podcast provider itself or a content delivery network (CDN) used by that provider.

Those servers necessarily receive your IP address and the usual connection data required to serve the request. The respective providers are responsible for their processing of that data.

This also applies to other files supplied by a podcast that you access in FlixCast. These can include cover and chapter images, transcripts, and external chapter documents.

You can use search, trending shows, categories, and similar podcasts without a FlixCast account. Your device connects to the FlixCast server for these features. Depending on the function, the data transmitted includes in particular:

The FlixCast server sends the search information required for the request to the public Podcast Index directory. Podcast Index receives the request from the FlixCast server rather than directly from your device. Results can be cached on the FlixCast server; they are not associated with a FlixCast account. Retention periods are described under “Retention periods.”

If the FlixCast server is unavailable for a text search, the app can query Apple’s iTunes Search directory directly as a fallback. In that case, the search term, your IP address, and normal technical connection data are sent directly to Apple. This fallback is used only for text searches.

Podcast-directory requests can be logged for 14 days as described under “Operational logs.” This can include the search term or feed URL contained in the requested address.

Account

Apple user identifier

FlixCast stores the user identifier (sub) provided by Sign in with Apple. It is specific to the FlixCast developer and is not your actual Apple ID.

Name

Only if Apple provides it to FlixCast when the account is created and you choose to share it.

Email address

Only if you choose to share it. If you use Apple’s Hide My Email feature, FlixCast receives an Apple relay address rather than your actual email address.

Account creation date

FlixCast also stores when the account was created.

FlixCast does not store its own account password. Authentication is handled through Sign in with Apple.

Devices

A device record is stored for each device linked to your account. Depending on the platform, this can include:

A device name can itself contain personal information, for example if you have included your name in the device name.

Data that is synchronized

A FlixCast account can synchronize in particular:

Taken together, this information can provide a detailed picture of which podcasts and episodes you listen to and when you listened to them.

Synchronized data is stored on the FlixCast server in Germany.

Downloaded audio files are not stored on the FlixCast server. They remain on the relevant device. Whether an episode has been downloaded locally is also not synchronized between devices.

Podcast feeds

When you use a FlixCast account, subscribed podcast feeds are fetched centrally by the server. This means the same feed does not need to be fetched separately by every FlixCast device.

The server stores publicly available podcast information such as:

Podcast metadata is not personal data merely because FlixCast stores it. The personal element is in particular the association between your account and your subscriptions.

Audio files themselves continue to be fetched directly from the relevant audio provider or CDN.

Notifications

If you enable notifications for new episodes, FlixCast uses the Apple Push Notification service (APNs).

For this purpose, the FlixCast server processes in particular:

For visible episode notifications, the notification sent through APNs contains the podcast name and the title of the new episode.

You can disable notifications globally or for individual podcasts. No corresponding episode notification is sent when notifications are disabled.

Recipients and external providers

Personal data is transmitted to external providers only where this is required for a feature you use. These providers include:

Data is not disclosed for advertising purposes.

Apple

FlixCast uses Apple for three functions.

Sign in with Apple

Account creation and authentication use Sign in with Apple. Apple provides FlixCast with a developer-specific user identifier and, if you choose to share them, your name and email address.

Apple Push Notification service

If push notifications are enabled, notifications are delivered through Apple’s push infrastructure. Apple necessarily receives the push data required for delivery, including the content of a visible notification.

iTunes Search directory

Only when text search through the FlixCast server is unavailable can the app send the search term directly to Apple’s iTunes Search directory. Apple also receives your IP address and normal technical connection data. Further details are provided under “Podcast directory and search.”

For individuals in the European Economic Area, Apple states that personal data is controlled by Apple Distribution International Limited in Ireland. Apple may also process data internationally as part of its global infrastructure. According to Apple, international transfers of personal data collected in the European Economic Area are governed by Standard Contractual Clauses.

Further information is available in the Apple Privacy Policy.

Podcast Index

FlixCast uses Podcast Index as its podcast directory for search, trending shows, categories, and similar podcasts. The FlixCast server sends Podcast Index the search information required for the relevant request. Your device’s IP address is not forwarded to Podcast Index; the FlixCast server is the system making the request to Podcast Index.

Further information is available in the Podcast Index Privacy Policy.

Operational logs

The FlixCast server creates technical operational logs. They are used solely to operate the service securely and reliably and to diagnose technical problems.

These logs may include in particular:

IP addresses are also processed to detect and limit abusive authentication attempts.

Logs are not used for advertising, user profiling, or usage analytics.

Operational logs are retained for 14 days and are then deleted or overwritten by the configured log rotation.

This website

This website is served as a static website. It does not use advertising, analytics, or tracking services and does not automatically embed third-party content.

The website itself does not set non-essential cookies.

When you access a page, your browser must establish a technical connection to the web server. The server therefore processes your IP address and normal HTTP connection data in order to deliver the page and maintain secure operation.

The web server creates access logs. They can include in particular the time, requested address, result or HTTP status, IP address, browser identifier, and amount of data transferred. They are retained for 14 days and are then deleted.

No advertising or tracking

FlixCast does not use advertising, tracking SDKs, or services for creating user profiles.

Personal listening and subscription data is not sold and is not disclosed for advertising purposes.

Retention periods

Account and synchronized data

This data is generally retained for as long as your FlixCast account exists. When you delete your account, it is removed from the active system unless a legal retention obligation requires otherwise.

Authentication sessions

Unused authentication sessions are removed or invalidated after 60 days without use.

Operational logs

Operational logs are retained for 14 days.

Podcast directory

The directory cache can contain the lowercased search term or the identifier or feed URL of the podcast requested together with the result. A text-search entry remains current for six hours and a similar-podcast entry for 24 hours. It can then be retained for up to another 30 days as a marked fallback response if the directory is unavailable, after which it is automatically deleted. Repeating the same request renews this period.

Backups

The rules below apply to backups.

Backups and account deletion

The FlixCast server is backed up regularly. Backups may include database backups and backups of the virtual machine.

When you delete your account, it is removed from the active system. Backups that were created earlier may still contain an older copy of the data until the relevant backup expires under the backup retention schedule.

Backups are used exclusively to restore the service after technical failures. They are not evaluated for other purposes and are not used to routinely restore deleted accounts.

The maximum period for which data may remain in backups is one year.

Account data, synchronization data, directory data, and data required to provide features you choose to use are processed on the basis of Article 6(1)(b) GDPR to the extent that the processing is necessary to provide the FlixCast service you requested.

Technical logs, abuse prevention, and backups are processed on the basis of Article 6(1)(f) GDPR. The legitimate interest is to operate FlixCast securely, reliably, and resiliently and to identify and resolve technical problems.

Where a different legal basis is required for a particular processing activity, it is stated in the relevant section.

Is providing the data required?

A FlixCast account is not required for local use of the podcast player.

If you want to use synchronization between multiple devices, the account and synchronization data described above must be processed. Without that data, the synchronization service cannot be provided.

Push notifications are optional and can be disabled.

Your rights

Subject to the applicable legal requirements, you have in particular the right to:

You also have the right to lodge a complaint with a data protection supervisory authority.

Competent data protection supervisory authority:

Der Hessische Beauftragte für Datenschutz und Informationsfreiheit
(Hessian Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information)
Postfach 3163
65021 Wiesbaden, Germany
https://datenschutz.hessen.de

Delete account

You can delete your FlixCast account directly in the app:

Settings → Accounts → Delete Account

FlixCast asks for confirmation before the account is permanently deleted.

Deleting the account stops synchronization and removes the account data from the active server system. The podcast library stored locally on your devices remains on those devices.

The effect on existing backups is described under “Backups and account deletion”.

Sign out

Signing out and deleting your account are not the same thing.

When you sign out on a device, only that device is disconnected from the account. The FlixCast account and synchronized data stored on the server remain in place.

No automated decision-making

FlixCast does not use your personal data for automated decision-making or profiling within the meaning of Article 22 GDPR.

Contact

For privacy requests, contact:

info@flixcast.app

Further contact details are available in the Legal Notice.

Changes to this Privacy Policy

This Privacy Policy is updated whenever FlixCast’s data processing changes. It is intended to reflect the actual technical operation of the service at all times.