What happens to your photos?

Updated September 6, 2026. This page describes the current Cheese beta operated by Hostmaid, LLC. The website and browser exchange use Netlify; the online photo relay uses DigitalOcean. Both providers process network information to deliver and protect their services.

No customer account

Cheese does not require a username or password. Temporary session credentials connect the two participants; these are not proof of identity.

Photos and storage

The camera is used for an accepted photo request. Received photos are stored in My moments on your device (browser storage on the web and app files on iPhone). They remain until deleted or app/site data is removed. There is no cloud photo library.

Online transfers pass through a server that can read the photos; this is not end-to-end encryption. Transfer photos are kept in server memory until acknowledgement, cancellation, expiry, or server restart. Sent transfers expire after three minutes if they are not acknowledged. The photographer’s temporary copies are removed after delivery acknowledgement. Exported copies are outside Cheese’s storage controls.

Nearby connections

The iPhone implementation uses local-network and Bluetooth capabilities for nearby exchange. It is still undergoing physical-device validation. Location coordinates are not collected by the current app.

Technical data

The current relay uses connection IP addresses for short-term rate limits. Your device stores a random installation identifier, locally blocked installation identifiers, walkthrough preferences, settings, received photos, and, in the browser, active session credentials. The application does not include advertising or analytics tracking. A website or service host may process connection information to deliver and protect its service.

Pairing and safety

Both participants compare a session number and the requester approves the photographer. Installation identifiers are shared with the paired device to support local blocking. They do not verify a person’s identity; reinstalling or changing devices can bypass a block. Safety reports are composed and sent through your email app to our support address. Do not include sensitive photos in reports.

Support and your choices

If you email support, we receive your email address and the information you include. Contact us for privacy or deletion requests. Delete received photos in Settings; remove exported copies separately. You may revoke camera and nearby-network permissions in device settings.

Contact

Hostmaid, LLC
5935 South Blvd, Charlotte, NC 28217-4123, United States
ben@capuletcleaning.com