Privacy Policy

1. Introduction

PolyNote ("we", "us", "our", or "the App") is a privacy-first study and lecture note-taking application. We are committed to protecting your privacy and being transparent about how data is handled.

This Privacy Policy explains how PolyNote collects, uses, stores, and protects information when you use our mobile application.

2. Information We Collect

PolyNote is designed to operate primarily on-device and collect the minimum amount of data required to provide its features.

2.1 Information Stored Locally on Your Device

• Audio recordings of lectures (stored locally in the app’s private storage)
• On-device speech-to-text transcriptions
• Generated study materials (summaries, flashcards, quizzes, key terms)
• App preferences and usage state

2.2 Optional Account Information

• Name and email address (only if you choose to sign in)
• Profile photo (Google Sign-In only)
• Anonymous user ID for account management

2.3 Google User Data (Optional)

If you choose to enable Google features, PolyNote may access:

• Email address
• Basic profile information (name and profile photo)
• Google Calendar event data (only if calendar integration is enabled)

3. On-Device Transcription

PolyNote performs speech-to-text transcription entirely on your device using an offline OpenAI Whisper model.

• Audio recordings are never uploaded for transcription
• All processing occurs locally using background processing
• No raw audio is transmitted to any external server

4. AI Study Material Generation

PolyNote can optionally generate AI-powered study materials such as summaries, flashcards, quizzes, and key terms.

• Only transcript text is sent for AI processing
• No audio files are transmitted
• Requests are routed through a secure Cloudflare Workers backend
• Transcript content is not stored or logged by the backend
• Generated content is cached locally on your device

Users may disable AI features or configure their own OpenAI API key at any time.

5. Google User Data Access and Usage

PolyNote’s use of Google user data complies with the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.

How Google user data is used

• Authentication and optional account sign-in
• Displaying basic profile information within the app
• Scheduling or associating study sessions with calendar events (if enabled)

Data storage and retention

• Google profile data is stored only for account identification
• Calendar data is accessed in real time and not permanently stored
• Users may revoke Google access at any time via Google Account settings

Data sharing restrictions

• Google user data is never sold or shared with third parties
• Google user data is not used for advertising or marketing
• Google user data is not transferred to OpenAI or AI processing services

6. Third-Party Services

PolyNote integrates with the following optional third-party services:

• Google Sign-In (authentication)
• Google Calendar API (optional scheduling features)
• OpenAI API (text-only AI study material generation)
• Cloudflare Workers (secure API proxy)

Use of Google APIs is strictly limited to user-initiated functionality and complies with Google API Services User Data Policy.

7. Data Security

We take reasonable measures to protect your data:

• Local-first storage architecture
• Encrypted network communication (HTTPS)
• No storage of raw audio or transcripts on servers
• Secure handling of API keys via backend proxy

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

8. User Control and Rights

You retain full control over your data:

• Delete recordings, transcripts, and study materials at any time
• Export locally stored audio files
• Disable AI features
• Opt out of Google services
• Revoke Google account access via Google settings

9. Permissions

PolyNote may request the following permissions:

• Microphone (lecture recording)
• Local storage / files (saving content)
• Foreground service (Android recording)
• Network access (optional AI and Google features)

10. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Updates will be reflected by revising the “Last updated” date above.

11. Contact Us

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

Email: PolyNoteHQ+Support@gmail.com