Privacy Policy

Last updated:

1. Introduction

Polynote ("we", "us", "our", or "the App") is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, disclose, and otherwise handle your information when you use our mobile application.

2. Information We Collect

Polynote collects minimal personal information. The app operates primarily locally on your device:

• Recording Data: Audio recordings (.m4a format) are stored locally on your device
• Transcription Data: Speech-to-text transcription is processed entirely on-device using OpenAI Whisper
• User Profile: Name, email, and profile photo (only if you sign in with Google)
• Google Account Data: Email and basic profile information (optional)
• Calendar Data: Google Calendar access for scheduling study sessions (optional, requires explicit consent)
• Study Materials: Auto-generated flashcards, quizzes, and key terms stored locally
• Device Permissions: Microphone and file storage access

3. Data Storage and Security

Polynote follows a privacy-first, local-storage approach:

• All recordings and transcriptions are stored locally on your device
• Audio files are saved in the app’s private documents directory
• Study materials (flashcards, key terms, quizzes) are cached locally
• No audio recordings are uploaded to external servers
• Google Sign-In and Calendar integration are completely optional
• The app can function fully offline

We recommend securing your device with a PIN, password, or biometric authentication.

4. On-Device Transcription

Speech-to-text transcription is performed entirely on your device:

• Uses the OpenAI Whisper tiny model (downloaded once during setup)
• All processing happens locally using background isolates
• Audio is never sent to cloud servers
• Segment-based transcription for improved accuracy

This ensures your recordings and transcripts never leave your device.

5. Third-Party Services

Polynote integrates with the following optional third-party services:

• Google Sign-In: Optional authentication
• Google Calendar API: Optional scheduling integration
• Whisper Flutter: On-device speech recognition

When using Google services, your data is subject to Google’s Privacy Policy. We do not share recordings or transcripts with Google.

6. Study Materials and AI Features

Polynote generates study materials from your transcripts:

• Flashcards
• Quizzes
• Key terms and definitions

AI study materials are generated using OpenAI GPT models via a secure Cloudflare Workers backend proxy. Only transcript text (not audio) is transmitted for this purpose. Generated content is cached locally and can be deleted at any time.

Users may optionally configure their own OpenAI API key or disable AI features entirely.

7. Data Transmission and Processing

Data transmission occurs only in these cases:

• Transcript text sent for AI study material generation
• Google profile or calendar data (if enabled)

Audio recordings and raw transcripts remain on your device. The backend proxy does not store or log transcript content.

8. User Rights

You have full control over your data:

• Access all data locally on your device
• Delete recordings, transcripts, and study materials
• Export audio files
• Opt out of Google services
• Disable AI features or use your own API key

9. Platform Permissions

Polynote may request the following permissions:

• Microphone (for recording)
• Storage / Files (for saving content)
• Foreground service (Android recording)
• Network access (optional AI and Google services)

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. Changes will be reflected by updating the date above.

11. Contact Us

If you have questions about this Privacy Policy or our privacy practices, contact us at:

Email: PolyNoteHQ+Support@gmail.com