Privacy Policy

Last updated: November 1, 2026 · Applies to Pro Note Taker 1.0.4 for macOS, iOS and iPadOS

Pro Note Taker is a Mac app for live transcription, system-audio capture, media import, translation, subtitles, and AI summaries. This policy explains what Pro Note Taker processes, what stays on your Mac, exactly when content leaves your device, and the choices you have.

iPhone and iPad

The mobile app records microphone audio and imports files you select. Its large captions appear only inside the app. System-audio capture, cross-app floating subtitles and the optional AI Search/MCP server described below are Mac-only features.

On iPhone and iPad, records, transcripts, translations, notes, import/recovery files and preferences stay in this app’s local container. API keys stay in the device Keychain. Selected cloud services receive the same audio or text and authentication data described below, after service-specific consent. Apple Speech may use Apple servers. Apple Translation uses downloaded language packs; Apple Intelligence notes run on-device when available, otherwise the app clearly labels its extractive key-point preview. We operate no processing server, app account system, advertising or analytics service.

Ollama on mobile connects over HTTPS to a computer or server you operate. Processing takes place on that server, not on the iPhone or iPad. Local-network access is used only if you choose a local-network server address. No Mac recordings or API keys are automatically copied to the mobile app.

Imported media is copied into app-owned storage so interrupted jobs can be retried. Local import/recovery data has no automatic expiry; deleting the app removes its local container. You can delete saved records in Library, remove keys and revoke cloud permissions in Settings. Your original files outside the app are not deleted. Exports are shared only through the destination you choose. Cloud providers’ retention terms apply to data sent to them.

The detailed provider disclosures, cloud processing information and contact details below also apply to mobile; references to “your Mac” mean your selected device except for the explicitly Mac-only features above. Mac workflow details are retained for Mac users.

1. The short version

• Pro Note Taker has no account system, no server of its own, no advertising SDK, no analytics SDK, and no tracking.
• Bailian, Deepgram, DeepL, OpenAI, Anthropic, and compatible AI services features work in BYOK mode: you bring your own API keys, which are stored only in your Mac's Keychain.
• New installations start with Apple Speech transcription and local notes. Existing provider choices are preserved. Local notes use Apple Foundation Models when available, otherwise a clearly labeled extractive preview. Ollama is an optional connection to models you install yourself.
• Before a cloud service processes audio or text, Pro Note Taker shows consent for that specific service. You can revoke all cloud-processing consent in Settings.
• Apple Translation and available on-device Apple summaries process content locally. Apple Speech may use Apple servers and is therefore treated as a cloud-capable service.
• Transcripts and history are stored locally on your Mac using SwiftData. Nothing is uploaded to us, because there is no "us" server.

2. What Pro Note Taker can access

Depending on the features you use, Pro Note Taker may access:

• Microphone audio (live transcription)
• System audio from other apps, if you enable System Audio and grant the macOS permission
• Audio or video files you explicitly import
• Transcript, translation, and summary text generated from your content
• API keys you choose to enter for cloud providers

3. What stays on your Mac

• Apple Translation
• Available on-device summaries via Apple Foundation Models
• All transcripts, history, and settings (local SwiftData storage)
• Your API keys (macOS Keychain)
• Recovery copies: PCM audio journals for supported live workflows, transcript drafts saved about every two seconds, and an import queue with partial results and read-only file-access bookmarks

Apple Speech is not listed as local-only because the Speech framework may send audio to Apple servers. Pro Note Taker asks for Apple Speech cloud-processing consent before use.

4. Cloud providers and exact data flows

Pro Note Taker sends content off your Mac only to the service selected for that feature and only after showing consent for that specific service. BYOK providers use your own API key.

Each provider's own privacy policy governs what they do with the requests you send them:

• Apple Privacy Policy
• Alibaba Cloud Model Studio (Bailian / DashScope)
• OpenAI
• Anthropic
• Deepgram
• DeepL

5. Bring Your Own Key (BYOK)

Bailian, Deepgram, DeepL, OpenAI, Anthropic, and compatible AI services use API keys that you create yourself with each provider. Keys are stored exclusively in the macOS Keychain on your device. Apple Speech does not use an API key. Pro Note Taker never proxies cloud-processing requests through any server of ours — requests go directly from your Mac to the selected provider.

6. Cloud-processing consent

Pro Note Taker records consent separately for Apple Speech, Bailian transcription, Deepgram transcription, DeepL translation, Bailian/Qwen summaries, OpenAI, Anthropic, and configured AI servers. The consent sheet identifies the service and the type of content that will leave your Mac. You can revoke all cloud-processing consent at any time in Settings; Pro Note Taker will ask again before the next cloud request. The privacy policy is also available from Settings → General.

7. AI search for other apps

Settings → AI Search can let another app on this Mac read saved meetings through a local MCP port. It is off until you turn it on. The other app must present a token that stays in your Mac’s Keychain. By default the port accepts connections only from this Mac.

If you also turn on access for other computers on the same network, a program on another computer can read those meetings when it has the token. Pro Note Taker does not upload meetings to its own server. You can turn the feature off or rotate the token at any time.

8. No account, no tracking

Pro Note Taker does not include a login system, advertising SDKs, in-app behavioral tracking, third-party analytics SDKs, or third-party crash-reporting SDKs. We do not sell personal information.

9. Diagnostic logging

App Store Release builds do not create debug.log, do not emit Pro Note Taker diagnostic logs, and do not retain transcript fragments for debugging.

Development Debug builds may keep local diagnostic logs, including short transcript or translation fragments. They are reset on launch and are not automatically uploaded. Logs leave your Mac only if you choose to share them. Recovery audio and transcript drafts are separate local data used to recover your work; they are not diagnostic uploads.

10. Permissions

• Microphone — live speech transcription
• Speech Recognition — Apple Speech transcription
• Screen & System Audio Recording — capturing audio from other apps when you enable System Audio
• User-selected file access — importing audio/video files you choose

Each permission is used only for the feature you run.

11. Data retention and deletion

Transcripts, recording metadata, and settings stay on your Mac until you delete them. To recover interrupted work, supported live workflows also keep a local PCM audio journal and periodic transcript drafts in the app's Application Support directory. Live drafts are saved about every two seconds and again when recording stops; the newest words may therefore not yet be in the last draft after a crash.

After a complete transcript is successfully saved to the local database, its temporary recovery audio and draft are removed. If recognition, translation, or saving is incomplete, recovery data is kept. Partial or recovered records retain their associated audio for review; deleting the record also attempts to remove that app-owned recovery audio, and reports a cleanup failure if it cannot. The app does not delete your original imported files.

The import queue stores the chosen file's location, a read-only security-scoped bookmark, provider and language choices, status, partial text, and completed audio-chunk progress. Reopening the app restores this queue without automatically uploading or restarting paid work; you must choose Retry. A completed job clears its saved text and bookmark after the record is saved; Clear Finished removes its remaining queue entry. Failed jobs retain recovery information. Recovery data has no automatic expiry.

You can delete records inside the app, remove saved API keys in Settings, or remove the app's container and local support files when uninstalling. For content sent to cloud providers, their retention policies apply.

12. Cloud processing

Cloud features send content only to the provider you select, and only after you give consent.

13. Children

Pro Note Taker is not directed at children under 13.

14. Changes

We may update this policy; material changes will update the "Last updated" date above.

15. Contact

Privacy and support questions: ftchftch@gmail.com