Your viewing data, explained.

What ShowNext processes

You can browse public shows and movies without a ShowNext account. Connecting Trakt is optional. When you authorize it, ShowNext processes the account identity, library, viewing history, progress, Watchlist and related activity needed for the features you use. A local copy supports responsive browsing and pending actions.

ShowNext requests title, episode, person, artwork, rating, trailer and availability information from attributed catalog providers, including TMDB and Trakt. Availability can originate from JustWatch through TMDB; additional published information can come from TVmaze or Wikipedia. Providers receive the requests sent to their services, which can include search text and public title identifiers, under their own policies. ShowNext does not send a Trakt credential to the metadata providers. Persisted TMDB media and person records expire at the six-calendar-month boundary.

Private ShowNext choices, such as snoozes, organization, preferences and viewing-profile signals, may synchronize through your private Apple iCloud container when the relevant account and feature are available. Your Trakt account remains the authority for Trakt history and Watchlist. Community-site identity, comments and votes are kept separate from Trakt identity and viewing history.

Trakt authorization

ShowNext does not create a separate ShowNext login and never asks for your Trakt password. You authorize access on Trakt. Resulting account tokens are stored in the device Keychain.

The shipping iPhone app uses a ShowNext-operated Cloudflare relay for authorization-code exchange and token refresh. The relay transiently handles the authorization code or refresh token and the returned token response so it can communicate with Trakt. It uses Apple's App Attest to check admitted app requests. Its configured diagnostics exclude provider credentials and token bodies. Admission records and token-safe operational metadata support security, replay protection and troubleshooting; Cloudflare also processes ordinary network-request information under its service policies. This is not a viewing-history storage service.

Apple TV uses Trakt's device-authorization flow and communicates directly with Trakt for its connection. Normal library and tracking requests go to Trakt. Disconnecting a device stops its authorized use; you can also revoke ShowNext access from your Trakt account.

Storage and deletion

Local library copies, preferences and caches can remain until you remove them using the available data controls or remove the app. Signing out and deleting data are different actions. On iPhone, Settings offers Delete ShowNext Data to remove the local credential, downloaded library, pending ShowNext actions, private choices, metadata and signed-in widget projection. ShowNext data deletion does not delete your Trakt account or rewrite your Trakt history, Watchlist, ratings, collection or lists.

ShowNext-owned private-iCloud choices remain until an explicit deletion converges across your devices. A verified deletion may keep a bounded recovery record for 30 days; retries do not extend that window. Availability and deletion controls differ between platforms. Contact us if you need help removing ShowNext-owned cloud data or support correspondence.

The optional iPhone Practice Library uses isolated, resettable local state and public catalog requests. Practice activity does not write to Trakt or synchronize a Practice identity to iCloud.

Diagnostics and support

An iPhone support report is created locally only when you request it. It is not uploaded automatically. The default report contains app and sync status counts and excludes credentials, tokens, usernames, comments, titles, viewing details and provider payloads. You review the report and choose whether and where to share it.

If you send correspondence or a report to contact@lifewithtech.net, Thomas/LifeWithTech handles it for support. Support correspondence and attachments are deleted within 30 days after resolution, or sooner on request. Your chosen transport and email provider process the message while delivering or storing it.

Features and providers

The current release is free and has no ShowNext subscription or in-app purchase. Ask, OpenAI setup, voice conversation and Encore generation have been retired. No OpenAI API key is required and the current release does not send new AI-generation requests. Existing historical saved content is preserved unless you deliberately delete the relevant ShowNext data.

Optional reminders use Apple local notifications after you request permission. The iPhone Watchlist calendar uses a dedicated calendar after opt-in. Recommendation sharing and maintenance exports leave the device only when you choose an external share destination. These choices do not automatically send those materials to LifeWithTech.

On iPhone, trailers use the embedded YouTube player or an explicit external handoff. On Apple TV, trailers open the installed YouTube app. YouTube and other destinations you choose receive their own requests under their own privacy policies. ShowNext does not stream full films or episodes.

ShowNext does not sell personal information, display third-party advertising or use cross-app tracking. App Store privacy disclosures cover applicable account identifiers, product interactions, searches and user-chosen support or content transfers. Retained legacy permissions or conservative declarations in an installed build do not activate the retired voice or AI features.

Choices and contact

Use the available Settings controls to disconnect Trakt, manage ShowNext data, change notification and calendar choices, and review a support report. Apple TV provides sign-out and its Privacy & Data Sources screen. You can manage Trakt permissions in Trakt and Apple account permissions in system settings.

For privacy questions, access requests or deletion help, email contact@lifewithtech.net. ShowNext uses this policy URL and its in-app controls rather than a separate privacy-choices URL. Material changes to data practices will be described in an updated policy.