Is Vidsmark safe? Do I have to install an app?
Short version: Vidsmark is a website, not an app you download. There's nothing to install on your phone, nothing that can carry malware, and your card and password never touch us. Here's exactly how it works, in plain terms.
Is it a real app I download from the App Store or Google Play?
No. Vidsmark is a website — vidsmark.ca. When your phone offers to "install" or "add to home screen," all that does is drop a shortcut on your home screen so it opens full-screen, without the browser bars. Nothing installs on your phone. There's no app package, no code running on your device, and no access to your files, photos, or contacts. You can also just use it in your browser and never add anything — it's the exact same site.
Could it put malware on my phone or steal my data?
No. Because it's a website, it runs inside your browser's sandbox — the same way visiting any site does. A website can't install software on your phone or reach into your device. The scary stories you may have heard are about downloadable apps that run their own code on your phone; Vidsmark isn't that, so there's literally nothing on your device to "crack."
What about my credit card?
Your card details never touch Vidsmark. When you pay, the card step is handled entirely by Stripe — the same payments company behind checkout on a huge number of well-known sites. We never see, handle, or store your card number.
What about my password?
We never store passwords. Signing in goes through Google's secure sign-in (Firebase) — the standard, battle-tested login system used by countless apps. Your password stays with Google; Vidsmark only ever sees that you're verified.
What about the personal info I do share — my name, email, city?
That's kept in Google's cloud database, encrypted, with access rules so people can only see their own account data. We collect what the marketplace actually needs (your email, name, the city you show on listings, your messages and listings) and nothing sneaky. We're writing up a plain-English privacy policy and doing the security groundwork as we head toward public launch — because that's the part that actually matters, and we're not skipping it.
Will I still get notifications if I don't add it to my home screen?
Yes — and here's the full picture, because it's slightly different per device:
- On a computer or an Android phone: you get pop-up notifications right in your browser. Just tap "Allow" when it asks — nothing to install.
- On an iPhone: Apple only lets any website send pop-up notifications if you've added it to your home screen first. That's Apple's rule for every website, not a Vidsmark thing. So on iPhone, the home-screen shortcut is what unlocks pop-ups. (Still just a shortcut — nothing installs.)
Either way, you never miss anything. Vidsmark also emails you when a sale, message, or offer comes in — on every device, installed or not — and your notifications are always waiting in the bell when you open the site. Push pop-ups are just the instant version on top of that.
"Aren't AI-built apps a security risk?"
It's a fair question, and it's really about the behind-the-scenes data side, not about downloading anything. The honest answer: yes, some builders skip the security and privacy homework — so we're doing it. Payments run through Stripe, sign-in through Google, the database has access rules, and we're putting the privacy policy, security review, and insurance in place before we push this to the public. You're not the guinea pig for someone cutting corners.
The bottom line
You can use Vidsmark in your browser with nothing installed. Adding it to your home screen is an optional shortcut — safe, and the same site. Your card goes through Stripe, your password stays with Google, and you'll get emails and in-app alerts no matter what you choose. If anything here isn't clear, get in touch — we'd rather answer than have you wonder.