Why we refuse to upload your files

Does FORMATTO upload my files to a server?

No. Every conversion runs inside your browser using WebAssembly, Canvas, and the codecs your own device already ships. Your file is read into memory, converted there, and handed back to you as a download. At no point does it travel over the network, you can watch the Network tab stay empty while a conversion runs, or unplug your internet after the page loads and it still works.

Why is that faster than server converters?

Server-based tools spend most of their time moving bytes, not converting them: upload over your connection, queue on their machine, download back. On-device conversion skips all three steps. A photo that would take 10–30 seconds on a typical upload-limited connection converts in well under a second locally, and there is no queue, no daily file cap, and no bandwidth cost for us, which is exactly why the service can stay free.

What does "private by architecture" actually mean?

Most sites claim privacy in a policy document; FORMATTO has it in its structure. There is no upload endpoint to breach, no storage bucket to subpoena, no analytics event that names your files. When you close the tab, the only copies that ever existed are gone with the page's memory. A promise you can verify by looking at the traffic, not by trusting a legal team.

Are the performance numbers real?

Yes, measured on low-end Android hardware, not a developer laptop. On an entry-level phone (Infinix, 4 GB RAM) the home page reaches Google's Largest Contentful Paint in about 0.6 seconds with zero layout shift, and scrolling holds 60 fps with under 1% janky frames. The blog and converter pages are profiled with Chrome tracing on the device itself. We publish the method, so the numbers can be re-checked.

What are the trade-offs of running in the browser?

• Very large videos can hit your device's memory limit; a server with more RAM could still finish them.
• Codecs your browser lacks cannot be used; we lean on WebAssembly builds to cover the most common gaps.
• Older devices are slower than newer ones; conversion speed is your hardware, not our datacenter.

We accept those limits because the alternative, routing your passport scan, tax document, or private photos through someone else's machine, is the trade-off we never wanted to make.