Cookie Policy

Last updated: January 2026

1. What Are Cookies?

Cookies are small text files that websites place on your device when you visit. They are widely used to make websites work — keeping you signed in, remembering your preferences, and helping site owners understand how their pages are used. Similar technologies (local storage, pixels, and software development kits) are covered by this policy as well.

On Shortical, cookies are part of what makes a smooth global streaming experience possible: they remember your subtitle language among our 130+ options, keep your "Continue Watching" episode in place across devices, and help us figure out which new series to license and localize next.

2. Types of Cookies We Use

Strictly necessary cookies. These are essential for the website to function. They enable core features such as page navigation, secure sign-in, playback licensing, and fraud prevention. The website cannot work properly without them, and they cannot be switched off in our systems.

Preference cookies. These remember the choices you make — your interface and subtitle language, playback quality, and whether you've dismissed a notice — so you don't have to set them again on every visit. For example, when you switch the site from English to Spanish, a preference stores that choice for your next visit.

Performance and analytics cookies. These help us understand, in aggregate, how viewers use Shortical: which pages are visited, where playback starts slowly, which genres are watched to completion, and which series deserve faster subtitle rollouts in more languages. The data is aggregated and does not identify you personally.

Functionality cookies. These enable enhanced features, such as machine-assisted translation of the interface into your language and social sharing integrations.

Advertising cookies. On ad-supported plans, these cookies are used by us and our partners to deliver ads, limit how often you see the same ad, and — where you have not opted out — to make ads more relevant to your interests. You can control personalized advertising at any time as described in Section 4.

3. Main Cookies on Shortical

The exact cookies set during your visit depend on your plan, your region, and the choices you made in the cookie banner.

4. Managing Your Cookie Choices

Cookie banner. The first time you visit Shortical, a banner lets you accept all cookies or reject all non-essential ones. You can change your mind at any time via the link in our site footer — "Cookie Policy" — or by clearing the "consent" cookie, which makes the banner reappear.

Your browser. Every major browser lets you view, block, or delete cookies:

• Chrome: Settings → Privacy and security → Third-party cookies / Delete browsing data;
• Safari: Settings → Privacy → Manage Website Data;
• Firefox: Settings → Privacy & Security → Cookies and Site Data;
• Edge: Settings → Cookies and site permissions.

Blocking strictly necessary cookies may break sign-in and playback. Blocking analytics or advertising cookies only removes you from measurement and ad personalization — every episode stays fully available.

Do Not Track / Global Privacy Control. Where required by law, we respond to browser and system privacy signals such as GPC and treat them as an opt-out of the "sale" or "sharing" of personal information.

5. Third-Party Cookies

Some cookies on Shortical are set by third parties that help us run the service: translation providers that power automatic interface translation, analytics providers that aggregate viewing statistics, payment providers that process subscriptions securely, and advertising partners on ad-supported plans. These third parties may place cookies when you interact with our pages. Their use of the information they collect is governed by their own privacy policies, which we link to where required. We do not sell your personal information.

6. Cookies and Your Privacy

For details on how Shortical collects, uses, and protects personal information in general — including your rights under the GDPR, CCPA, and similar laws — please read our Privacy Policy. Questions about either policy can be sent to [email protected].

7. Changes to This Policy

As our services evolve, the cookies we use may change. We will update this page whenever a new cookie category is introduced, and reflect the change in the "Last updated" date above. If a change meaningfully affects your privacy, we will also notify you on-site or by email before it takes effect.