YOUR INFORMATION
Privacy notice
Effective October 6, 2026.
This notice describes Sidekick Player for Fire TV, Android TV, iPhone and iPad, its support website, Sidekick Studio, and the billing portal at billing.sidekickplayer.com.
Who operates Sidekick?
Sidekick Player is operated by Sidekick Player, based in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Contact: mysidekickplayer@gmail.com.
Information on your device
Sidekick stores app preferences, household profile names, allowed categories, favorites, recent channels, watch progress and downloaded catalog information on your device. Your parental PIN is stored as a salted password-derived hash. Saved provider credentials and saved playlist addresses are encrypted using a key kept in Android Keystore.
Your provider credentials are sent to the provider when you connect or request content. Sidekick supports provider links that use HTTP as well as HTTPS; the protection of those connections depends on the provider address and transport. Device storage encryption does not make an HTTP stream encrypted in transit.
iPhone and iPad preview
The iPhone/iPad app stores provider credentials and its Sidekick access token in Apple Keychain. Downloaded library catalogs are encrypted on the device using Apple CryptoKit, with the encryption key stored in Keychain. Favorites, playback progress and an app-generated device identifier are stored locally. Artwork and programme information are requested from the provider or the addresses it supplies.
Activation sends your activation code, app-generated device identifier, device name and app version to Sidekick. Access checks send the app access token and app version. Your provider login is sent directly to your chosen provider for authentication and media requests; it is separate from Sidekick activation. Providers receive your connection information, including IP address. HTTP provider connections are not encrypted in transit.
This preview has no advertising or third-party analytics SDK, optional playback-report feature, household/child profiles, parental PIN, recording, or external-player handoff. The descriptions of those features elsewhere in this notice apply to the TV app where available. Apple may process TestFlight installation, diagnostic and feedback information under its own privacy terms. Do not include passwords or activation codes in TestFlight feedback.
Uninstalling the iPhone/iPad app does not cancel a license or provider subscription, and Keychain items may persist after uninstalling. Use the app’s available account and device-release controls before uninstalling, or contact support for help removing Sidekick-held account/device records. Provider-held records are controlled by your provider.
Connections to Sidekick
The app contacts Sidekick’s service for configuration, provider connection settings and app update information. Internet services necessarily receive your connection’s IP address. Where Sidekick app activation is used, the service stores an app-generated device identifier, device name, app version, activation status and access activity. The administrator may also maintain customer name, email and license records.
The current Fire TV and Android TV app does not include an advertising or third-party analytics SDK. Its optional playback reports do not include channel names, media titles, provider addresses, usernames or passwords.
Billing portal and license records
The Sidekick billing portal uses WHMCS to manage software-license accounts. It may store your name, email, billing contact details, order and invoice records, license status, support correspondence, login activity and payment references. We use these records to deliver and support app licenses, administer renewals and refunds, maintain security, and meet recordkeeping obligations.
Card payments are processed by Stripe. Payment-card details are submitted to Stripe; our billing portal stores payment references and limited card details to manage your invoices and payments. See Stripe’s privacy policy for its handling of payment information. Do not send payment-card details through support email or the app. A separate content provider is responsible for payments and records for its own services.
If you choose a free trial, we record the account owner and client identifiers, a hash of the verified email for duplicate-trial checks, the license identifier, start and expiration times, and any later paid-license association. Trial eligibility records help prevent repeated free trials and remain subject to the retention and request process below. Verification emails are sent to the address you register.
Optional playback reports and support
A playback report is sent only when you choose Send report and confirm. It includes issue category, technical error and HTTP status codes, app version, device model, Android version, configuration revision and whether playback was Live streaming or video on demand. It receives a reference number so support can locate it. The active list is limited to 200 reports; reports older than 30 days are removed the next time the list is read.
If you email support, we receive your email address and the information you send. Email is handled through our Gmail support account. Please avoid sending passwords, activation codes, payment information or full stream links.
Provider services and external players
Streams, guide information, artwork and trailers may connect directly to your provider or the services it specifies. Those services receive the information needed to serve your request and operate under their own policies.
If you choose VLC or MX Player, Sidekick sends the selected video’s stream link and title to that installed app. The link can contain provider credentials. Sidekick displays this before handoff. The other app’s privacy practices apply, and watch progress may not return to Sidekick.
Backups and sharing
A household backup exported from the app includes settings, profiles and saved items. It excludes provider logins, server configuration and your parental PIN. You control where this file is saved or shared. Treat it as private.
Studio uses service providers for hosting and operational email. Access is limited to authorized administrators and service providers needed to operate and support Sidekick. Studio’s server backups contain operational and customer records; the off-server repository is encrypted. Records already in backups can remain until those backups expire.
Retention and your choices
Local data remains until you remove it, clear app data or uninstall. Exported backups can remain outside the app and must be deleted separately. Removing a playlist or Sidekick app data does not cancel your provider subscription.
Customer, license and operational records are retained for account administration, support and security. These records are not automatically deleted when you uninstall the app or end a provider subscription. Contact us to request access, correction or deletion of Sidekick-held records. We review requests individually, may need to verify your identity, and may retain information needed for security, resolving disputes or legal obligations. Deleted records may remain in restricted backups until those backups rotate out. Your provider controls its own account records.
Household and child profiles
Child profiles are controlled by the household administrator. They do not create separate online child accounts. Category restrictions depend on the provider’s catalog and the choices made by the administrator. Contact support if you believe personal information was provided by a child without appropriate authorization.
Website and updates to this notice
The public pages at sidekickplayer.com use no advertising scripts, analytics trackers or customer account cookies. The separate Studio sign-in area uses a session cookie to keep administrators signed in. The billing portal uses cookies needed for sign-in, sessions, security and checkout functionality. Blocking those cookies can prevent those features from working. Hosting and security systems may process connection information to serve requests and protect the service.
We will update this notice when our practices change and display the effective date here.