We are a privacy-first photo storage platform tailored for European consumers, offering a secure and private alternative to major tech platforms.
In light of recent geopolitical developments between the United States and Europe, the need for robust European solutions has become evident. We were created to address this gap, providing a reliable and privacy-focused option for photo storage within the EU.
Yes we do.
Kind of..
For the moment we rely on the open source app in the Google and Apple stores. This app is fully compatible with our platform. In the future, we aim to create our own version of the app while contributing back to the open source community.
Your data finds its cozy home in Germany, where it’s protected by some of the strongest privacy laws in the world. We use encryption both at rest (when your data is stored) and in transit (when it’s zooming across the internet).
Our state-of-the-art security measures ensure your photos stay private and safe, no matter what. Curious to learn more? Feel free to reach out to us anytime via the support page. We’re always happy to chat!
Also check out our privacy policy which explains in more detail how we handle your data. We tried to keep it as simple as possible so you don’t have to be a lawyer to understand it.
Yes, we offer a free forever plan with 16GB of photo storage—1GB more than Google Photos! While it may seem like a small difference, we take pride in providing that extra space for your memories. And it’s funny.
When you’re ready to upgrade to a larger plan, we’ll be here to help you seamlessly transition to a premium option that fits your needs.
Nope! Even if we ever close up shop (don’t worry, we like it here), you’ll get plenty of notice — so you can move your photos to another service.
Enter your subdomain (e.g., myphotos.pixelunion.eu) in the Immich app’s server address field. For more information on how to get going with the app, visit this page.
Yes and no. We don’t offer a separate paid family plan (we’re not Netflix), but all our subscriptions include family features.
You can invite family members or friends to join your domain by creating individual accounts for them within your subdomain.
Here’s how:
Yes, we fully support the Immich API, allowing you to use it with any compatible software or tools you prefer. This means you can integrate our platform into your workflows, build custom apps, or automate tasks using the Immich API.
However, for security and privacy reasons, we have disabled two specific endpoints:
/api/system-config: This endpoint is disabled to prevent unauthorized access to system-level configurations./api/library: This endpoint is disabled to ensure stricter control over media library access.All other endpoints are fully functional, so you can enjoy the flexibility and power of the Immich API while keeping your data secure. If you have any questions or need help getting started, feel free to reach out to our support team!
No, we are NOT associated with Immich. Our platform is built on a forked version of the Immich open-source project. We deeply respect the work of the Immich community and actively contribute back to the project whenever possible, both through code and financial support. Read more about open source.
Our main storage server is in Germany, and we keep a backup in Finland. So if, by some tiny chance, the storage box in Germany explodes (hey, you never know), we’ve got your back. It might take a little time to transfer everything from Finland — it’s pretty far from Alkmaar, after all — but your data will be safe and sound.
We’re sorry to see you go. To delete your account:
Once your subscription period ends, your account will become inaccessible and will be scheduled for deletion.
If you change your mind before the deletion date, feel free to reach out to our support team.
We store two types of data for which we have separate retention periods:
We keep your personal data (not your uploaded media) only as long as necessary. Typically, this means up to 1 year after you stop using our services.
We retain your uploaded media for up to 30 days after you delete your installation. This gives us time to resolve any issues or recover data if needed. After that, it’s permanently deleted.
To update your subscription, click your account icon in the top-right corner, then select Billing from the dropdown menu.
Alternatively, you can go directly to the billing page using this link:
Manage your subscription
You can reach out to our support team via the Contact Us page.
We aim to respond to all support tickets within 24 hours. Our team monitors requests throughout the day to ensure you get timely assistance. If your issue is urgent, please mention it in your message so we can prioritize your request.
We are based in Alkmaar, The Netherlands, and comply with Dutch and EU data protection laws.
Yes, we fully comply with GDPR regulations to protect your personal data.
Yes, we fully support the Immich API and you can generate your own API keys.
If you have a lot of photos to upload, the easiest and fastest way is to use the Immich CLI (Command-Line Interface). The CLI allows you to upload entire folders of photos directly from your computer, making it perfect for bulk uploads.
To get started, you’ll need to install the Immich CLI and log in using your API key. We’ve written a detailed guide on how to do this in our blog post: Using the Immich API and CLI.
Here’s a quick overview of the steps:
Install the Immich CLI:
Use Node.js and NPM to install the CLI on your computer.
Get Your API Key:
Log in to your Immich account, go to Account Settings, and create an API key.
Log In to the CLI:
Use the API key and your server URL to log in via the CLI.
Upload Your Photos:
Use the immich-cli upload command to upload your photos. You can even upload entire folders and subfolders with the --recursive option.
For more detailed instructions, check out our blog post: Using the Immich API and CLI.
The Immich CLI is a powerful tool that saves you time and effort when managing large photo collections. Give it a try!
The Immich development moves super fast and is always introducing new and great features. We try to stay as close to the latest release as we can, but because they move so fast, sometimes the latest minor release can be a little buggy. That is why we usually wait for the patch releases to calm down before upgrading our platform.
Want to know when we will be upgrading more precisely because a great feature was released? Don’t hesitate to contact us.
Immich, like many software projects, uses semantic versioning, which follows the format MAJOR.MINOR.PATCH (for example, 1.12.3).
2.0.0): Introduce significant changes, new features, or potentially breaking changes that may not be backward compatible.1.13.0): Add new features and improvements in a backward-compatible manner. Existing functionality should continue to work.1.13.1): Contain bug fixes and small improvements that do not affect compatibility or add new features.This versioning helps users and developers understand the impact of an update. For Immich, we usually wait for patch releases to ensure stability before upgrading our platform.
The images in your timeline are actually thumbnails. Sometimes when someone uploads photos, the thumbnails aren’t generated properly. This results in grey boxes or errors like “Cannot load image”.
In many cases, the system needs a moment to generate the missing thumbnails, so try waiting a few minutes.
Still not working after a while?
Follow these steps to manually trigger thumbnail generation:
This will regenerate the missing thumbnails, and your images should now appear correctly in the timeline.
To save resources and keep things efficient, we may temporarily “turn off” your application when you’re not using it. As soon as you visit or start using the app again, we immediately turn it back on for you. This process can take a few seconds, which is why you might see a loading screen for a short while. Once everything is up and running, your experience will be just as smooth as always!
Almost always, the answer is no. PixelUnion is your first point of contact for support. If necessary, we will either contact the Immich community on your behalf or refer you to the appropriate place. But we are always ready to help you—just reach out to us!
We aim to be as privacy-friendly as possible, and that’s why we only ask for your email address and phone number when you sign up. We believe this minimal data collection helps protect your privacy while still allowing us to offer our services effectively.
A service like PixelUnion, especially with a free tier, can unfortunately attract abuse. While not foolproof, requiring a phone number acts as a small but important barrier to deter misuse and spam. It’s a way for us to add a layer of verification without asking for extensive personal details. We genuinely believe that using a phone number is a relatively privacy-friendly option for us to gather essential user information and help maintain a secure environment for everyone.
Furthermore, we plan to use this phone number for future cases where verification might be required, ensuring the security and integrity of your account and our services.
PixelUnion is led by a team with extensive experience in the hosting sector, IT, and storage solutions. We are a company based in the Netherlands. For more information, visit the About PixelUnion page.