Legal

subMatik — Privacy Policy

Last updated: June 2026

subMatik is a video-subtitling app made by CatHead AI. This policy explains exactly what subMatik does — and does not do — with your data. The short version: your audio and video never leave your device, and the only data ever sent to a third party is subtitle text — and only when you explicitly choose to translate it with Google Translate or DeepL.

1 On-device transcription

subMatik transcribes the audio in your videos entirely on your device, using the Apple Neural Engine and Core ML (via WhisperKit). Your audio and video files never leave your device and are never uploaded — not to us, not to anyone. There is no server that receives your media.

2 Translation & third-party services

Translation is optional. It only runs if you start it, and you choose which translation engine to use:

Apple Translation — runs entirely on-device. Nothing leaves your iPhone or iPad.
Google Translate or DeepL — these are third-party services. If you select one of them, the subtitle text produced by on-device transcription is sent to that service for the sole purpose of translating it. Your audio and video are never sent — only the text. subMatik does not store this text on any server of ours.

We ask for your explicit permission before any text is sent to Google or DeepL. You can grant or revoke this permission at any time in the app's Settings. If you don't grant permission, no subtitle text is ever sent off your device for translation.

Details of this data sharing:

Data sent

Subtitle text only — never audio, never video.

Recipients

Google or DeepL, depending on the engine you choose. These providers process the text under their own privacy policies, which provide an equivalent level of protection.

Purpose

Translation only.

3 Diagnostics

subMatik may collect optional, anonymous crash and performance diagnostics through Apple MetricKit. This data is aggregated by Apple, contains no personal information, and is not linked to your identity. It only helps us find and fix bugs.

4 What we do not collect

subMatik does not:

require an account or login;
show ads or use any advertising identifiers;
track you across other apps or websites;
access your contacts, location, or browsing data;
sell your data — ever.

5 Photos

When you save a subtitled video, subMatik adds it to your Photos library using Apple's add-only permission. subMatik does not read, browse, or access your existing photos.

6 Data retention

Your subtitles and videos stay on your device, under your control. Subtitle text that you choose to send for translation is processed transiently by Google or DeepL to return the translation, and is not retained by us on any server.

7 Children

subMatik is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them.

8 Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time. Material changes will be reflected here with a new "Last updated" date.

9 Contact

Questions about this policy or your privacy? Email support@catheadai.com.