Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

Shield ("we", "our", "the app") is a DNS-based ad and tracker blocking application for iOS, developed by Zenbyte. We are committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains what information we do and do not collect when you use Shield.

Our core principle: Shield is designed to protect your privacy, not compromise it. We do not collect, store, process, or transmit any personal data from your device.

2. Information We Do NOT Collect

Shield does not collect any of the following:

Personal information — no name, email, phone number, or account credentials
Browsing history — we never see, log, or store the websites you visit
DNS queries — all DNS resolution happens on your device; we have no visibility into your queries
Device identifiers — no IDFA, IDFV, or hardware identifiers are collected
Location data — we do not access or collect your location
Usage analytics — we do not use any analytics SDKs or tracking tools
IP addresses — we do not log or store your IP address

3. How Shield Works

Shield uses Apple's NEDNSSettingsManager API to configure DNS settings on your device. When protection is enabled:

DNS queries from your device are sent to a privacy-focused DNS resolver (AdGuard DNS)
Known ad and tracker domains are blocked at the DNS level before they load
All processing happens on your device and through the DNS resolver
Shield does not act as a VPN and does not route your traffic through our servers

Important: When DNS protection is enabled, your DNS queries are resolved by AdGuard DNS (dns.adguard.com). AdGuard's own privacy policy applies to the DNS resolution service. We encourage you to review their privacy practices.

4. Data Stored on Your Device

Shield stores the following data locally on your device only:

Data	Purpose	Stored Locally	Sent to Server
Custom blocked domains	User-configured blocking rules	Yes	Never
Allowlisted domains	User-configured exceptions	Yes	Never
Subscription status	Determine free or premium features	Yes	Never
Onboarding completion flag	Skip onboarding on subsequent launches	Yes	Never
Cached blocklist rules	Offline protection capability	Yes	Never

This data is stored in your device's local storage and Keychain. It is never transmitted to our servers or any third party. Deleting the app removes all locally stored data.

5. Network Requests

Shield makes the following network requests:

5.1 Rule List Updates

Shield periodically downloads an updated list of ad and tracker domains from our server. This request contains:

No personal information
No device identifiers
Only a standard HTTPS request to fetch a public JSON file

5.2 App Store / StoreKit

For in-app purchases and subscription management, Shield communicates with Apple's StoreKit servers. This is handled entirely by Apple's framework and is governed by Apple's Privacy Policy.

5.3 DNS Resolution

When protection is enabled, DNS queries are sent to AdGuard's DNS-over-HTTPS service. This is a direct connection between your device and AdGuard — Shield does not intercept, log, or relay these queries.

6. In-App Purchases

Shield offers an optional Premium subscription processed entirely through Apple's App Store. We do not collect or have access to your payment information. All billing is handled by Apple according to their terms and privacy policy.

7. Children's Privacy

Shield does not knowingly collect any information from children under the age of 13. The app does not require any personal information to function, and no data is collected from any user regardless of age.

8. Third-Party Services

Shield uses the following third-party services:

Service	Purpose	Data Shared
Apple StoreKit	In-app purchase processing	Managed by Apple
AdGuard DNS	DNS resolution for ad blocking	DNS queries (device to AdGuard directly)

We do not use any analytics, advertising, crash reporting, or attribution SDKs.

9. Data Security

Since we do not collect personal data, there is minimal risk of data breach on our end. Local data on your device is protected by iOS security mechanisms, including:

Keychain encryption for sensitive data (subscription status cache)
App sandboxing provided by iOS
Device-level encryption (passcode/Face ID/Touch ID)

10. Your Rights

Since we do not collect personal data, traditional data subject rights (access, deletion, portability) do not apply in the conventional sense. However:

Deletion: Uninstalling Shield removes all locally stored data from your device
Access: All data stored by Shield is on your device and accessible to you
Portability: Your custom domain lists are stored in standard JSON format on your device

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be reflected on this page with an updated "Last updated" date. We encourage you to review this page periodically.

If we ever change our data practices in a material way, we will provide prominent notice within the app before the change becomes effective.

12. Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or Shield's privacy practices, please contact us at:

Email: info@zenbyte.app

Developer: Zenbyte