Ballast privacy
Short version: your photos stay on this device.
Ballast reads the photos you allow it to see, on this device, to find duplicates, screenshots and large videos. It has no account, no server, no analytics, no advertising and no networking code of its own. Nothing is uploaded, shared or sold.
On-device analysis, no third-party AI
Photos are compared on the device with Apple's Vision framework. No image, fingerprint or result is sent to NexG, to Apple's servers by Ballast, or to any third party, and Ballast uses no third-party AI service and no third-party SDK. Where Vision's models are unavailable, Ballast falls back to a simpler on-device comparison and tells you so on the Home screen.
What Ballast stores on this device
- A scan cache: for each photo, a small fingerprint, an estimated size and group results, so rescans are fast. No pictures are copied. You can clear it in Settings > Reset scan cache.
- Your cart and cleanup history: identifiers and sizes only.
- A counter of free deletes used, kept in the Keychain on this device so reinstalling the app does not reset it.
All of this lives in the app's own storage on this device. It is not synced by Ballast, and it may be included in your own device backups.
Retention and deletion
Ballast keeps this data until you clear it or delete the app. Deleting the app removes the scan cache, the cart and the history. The free-delete counter is stored in the Keychain and stays after you delete the app, by design, so that reinstalling does not hand out another set of free deletes; it holds a number and nothing else. Your photos are never touched by clearing the cache or deleting the app.
Permissions
- Photos (read and write). Asked when you tap "Allow photo access" during setup. Ballast works with full access or with a selection of photos. Write access is used only to send the delete request you confirm.
- No other permissions: no location, contacts, microphone, camera or notifications.
- Optional background scanning: if you turn on "Keep scanning in background", iOS may let a scan you started continue for a while. Nothing runs in the background otherwise.
Ballast only deletes photos after you confirm in the cart and again in the iOS prompt; deleted items go to Recently Deleted.
Purchases
The unlock is an in-app purchase handled entirely by Apple. Ballast never sees your payment details. See Apple's privacy policy for how Apple processes purchases.
Tracking and third parties
None. Ballast contains no third-party SDKs and no analytics.
Changes and contact
If this policy changes, this page is updated and the app version notes say so. Contact: hello@nexg.tech.
Last updated 20 October 2026.