Privacy Policy
Last updated: July 28, 2026
NextCut is built around one principle: your face is yours. This policy explains, in plain language, what happens to your data when you use the NextCut iOS app. The short version: we don't have user accounts, we don't retain your photos, and we don't sell data or share it for advertising. Google may retain a render request for up to 55 days for abuse prevention, but every request is restricted to Google and marked as disallowed for general AI-model training.
Face data
NextCut works by editing a photo of your face, so face data is central to the app. This section describes it specifically and completely.
What face data we collect. Only one thing: the photograph you choose to submit for a try-on — taken with the camera in the app or picked from your photo library — which contains an image of your face. We collect no other face data. NextCut does not create, derive, or store a faceprint, face template, face geometry map, face embedding, or any other biometric identifier. NextCut does not perform facial recognition, face matching, identification, age or emotion estimation, or authentication. We never use face data to identify who you are.
On-device face detection. Before a photo is submitted, the app uses Apple's on-device Vision framework to check that the photo contains exactly one clearly visible face of usable quality. This check runs entirely on your iPhone, its results (a face location and a quality score) are used only to show you a “try another photo” message, and those results are never transmitted off your device and never stored.
How we use face data. Your photo is used for exactly one purpose: generating the hairstyle preview you requested, in the style and hair color you selected. We do not use it for any other purpose — no profiling, no analytics, no advertising, no general AI-model training, and no research.
Who we share face data with, and where it is stored. Your photo is transmitted over an encrypted (HTTPS/TLS) connection to the NextCut rendering service, hosted on Vercel, and is passed once to Google's Gemini image generation model, accessed through Vercel's AI Gateway. These two companies — Vercel Inc. and Google LLC — are the only third parties that ever receive your photo, and they receive it solely as our service providers for the purpose of rendering your preview. Processing takes place on their cloud infrastructure. We share face data with no one else: no data brokers, no advertisers, no analytics providers, no social networks. We never sell face data.
Protections required of our processors.Every render request restricts Vercel AI Gateway to Google's Gemini service and activates Vercel's no-prompt-training control. The request fails instead of being routed to a different AI provider. We require Vercel and Google to protect face data, use it only to provide, secure, and police the requested render, and not sell it, advertise with it, profile you, or use it for general AI-model training.
How long we retain face data.The photo and generated result are processed only for the duration of the render request — typically a few seconds. NextCut holds them in the serverless function's memory and never writes them to a database, disk, application log, or backup. Google's published abuse-monitoring policy allows it to retain prompts, contextual information (including the submitted photo), and generated output for up to 55 daysto detect and prevent policy violations, maintain service security, and make required legal or regulatory disclosures. Content may be reviewed by authorized Google personnel only when safety systems flag it. Google states that this abuse-monitoring data is not used to train or fine-tune AI/ML models except those used specifically for policy enforcement. It expires under Google's retention policy.
Deletion.NextCut keeps no server-side copy of your photo for us to delete. Google's limited abuse-monitoring copy expires automatically within 55 days; it is not a user library that NextCut can access. Previews you choose to save are stored only on your device. You can delete an individual saved look from Your Looks, delete the app to remove all saved looks, and delete any exported copy from Photos. You can also use the “Request deletion of server data” link in the app's photo-handling screen or contact us below; we will process any NextCut-held data and help route an applicable processor request.
Your permission. The app asks for your explicit permission before it sends any photo to the AI service for the first time, and the disclosure names what is sent and who receives it. You can decline and still browse the app. You can review that disclosure at any time from the try-on screen, and withdraw your permission there — after which no photo will be sent unless you agree again.
Your photos
When you try on a hairstyle, the photo you choose is sent over an encrypted connection to our rendering server, passed once to an AI image model to generate your preview, and returned to your device. NextCut does not retain a server copy. As described above, Google may retain the request and output for up to 55 days for abuse prevention and related legal obligations. Every request is marked to disallow general AI-model training and is not shared beyond the rendering providers described above.
Looks you choose to save are stored only on your device (and in your photo library, if you save them there). Deleting the app deletes them.
Device, access, and security data
NextCut has no accounts, no sign-in, no advertising, and no cross-app tracking. We do not ask for your name, email, contacts, precise location, advertising identifier, or analytics profile.
To protect the service from abuse and to track free try-ons, the app generates a random identifier and stores it in your device's Keychain. It is not your Apple advertising identifier and we do not combine it with a name, email address, Apple account, or data from other apps. It is sent to NextCut's Vercel-hosted service with API requests and is stored with the free styles already used, short-lived render counters, and App Attest security records. Google does not receive this identifier.
The random identifier, the list of complimentary styles already used, and App Attest records are retained while you use the service so that deleting and reinstalling the app cannot reset access limits. Short-lived rate-limit counters expire automatically. Vercel Inc. hosts the API. When durable storage is active, Upstash Inc. stores these limited identifier and usage records for us; otherwise they exist only in the active server instance. These processors may use the data only to provide infrastructure and must protect it to the same or an equal standard. We do not use it for advertising or tracking. To request deletion, use the link in the app's photo-handling screen; it prepares an email containing the anonymous support identifier we need to locate the record.
The app may send Apple-signed subscription and App Attest proofs to verify access and confirm that a request comes from a genuine installation. We use those proofs only for app functionality and security and do not retain payment details. Apple handles purchases; NextCut never receives your card or bank information.
Purchases
Subscriptions are handled entirely by Apple through your Apple account. We receive anonymized transaction information (such as whether a subscription is active) to unlock features, but we never see your payment details.
Permissions
Camera — used only when you choose to take a selfie for a try-on. Photo library (add-only) — used only when you save a look. Both are optional and requested in context.
Children
NextCut's AI try-on is only for adults age 18 or older. We do not knowingly process photos or face data for anyone under 18.
Changes & contact
If this policy changes, we'll update this page and the date above. Questions or requests: fistonrwanda@gmail.com.