Privacy Policy

Last updated 26 October 2026

LocalScribe is made by Plainwren. This policy explains what happens to your information when you use LocalScribe on iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch.

The short version

We don’t collect any data. LocalScribe has no account, no analytics, no ads, no tracking and no servers of ours. Recording, transcription, summaries, speaker labels, translation and search run on your device, and what you record stays on your device. The App Store privacy label for LocalScribe is “Data Not Collected”.

What stays on your device

LocalScribe stores these in its own storage on your iPhone or iPad:

• Recordings, and the audio of files you import (video is converted to audio)
• Transcripts and your edits, titles, summaries, key points and action items
• Speaker names and, if you tap Remember [name]’s Voice, voice profiles for recognizing people in later recordings
• Custom words, folders, tags, bookmarks and settings
• A copy of your latest transcript titles and short previews, kept in storage on the device that only LocalScribe’s own widgets can read

None of this is uploaded by LocalScribe. You can delete any transcript or its audio in the app, and delete voice profiles under Settings > Known Voices. Deleting the app deletes everything it stored on the device.

How the work is done on your device

LocalScribe uses Apple’s frameworks that run on the device:

• Speech recognition uses Apple’s on-device speech models. LocalScribe never turns on server recognition. If on-device recognition isn’t available, the transcription fails instead of being sent anywhere.
• Summaries and Ask use Apple’s on-device language model (Apple Intelligence), when it’s turned on.
• Translation uses Apple’s Translation framework on the device.
• Speaker labels are worked out on the device.

The first time you use a language, iOS may download Apple’s speech model or translation language for it from Apple. That download is the model, not your audio or text. Once it’s installed, LocalScribe works offline.

Permissions

LocalScribe asks only for what a feature needs, when you first use it:

• Microphone: to record when you tap Record, on iPhone or Apple Watch.
• Speech Recognition: only for a fallback used on some devices, which is also set to on-device only.
• Calendar (optional): if you turn on Name Recordings from Calendar, LocalScribe reads the event happening when you start recording to name it, and uses attendee names to spell people correctly. It never changes your calendar.
• Reminders (optional): when you send action items to Reminders, LocalScribe adds them to your default list. So it doesn’t add the same item twice, it looks at the titles and links of your existing reminders on the device. It never changes or deletes them.

Importing from Photos or Files uses the system pickers, so LocalScribe only sees the items you pick. It doesn’t ask for access to your whole photo library.

Apple features LocalScribe works with

• Apple Watch: a recording made on the Watch is sent straight to your iPhone using Apple’s Watch connection, then transcribed on the iPhone.
• Spotlight: transcripts are indexed on your device so you can find them from Search.
• Widgets, Live Activities and Control Center: they show your latest transcripts and the recording timer on your device. Transcript text in widgets is hidden while your iPhone is locked.
• Siri and Shortcuts: LocalScribe’s actions run on your device. If you speak to Siri, Apple handles that request under Apple’s privacy policy.
• Sharing and export: when you share a transcript or audio, or export it as a file, it goes only where you choose to send it.

Purchases

LocalScribe Unlimited is sold through the App Store. Apple handles the payment, and we never see your payment details or your Apple Account. LocalScribe checks what you’ve bought on the device using Apple’s StoreKit.

Backups

LocalScribe doesn’t sync to iCloud. Your iPhone’s own backup (iCloud Backup, or a backup to your computer) can include LocalScribe’s data, depending on your iOS backup settings. Those backups are made and stored by Apple or on your computer, not by us.

Crash reports

If you’ve turned on Share With App Developers in iOS Settings (Privacy & Security > Analytics & Improvements), Apple may share crash reports and basic usage statistics with us. Apple doesn’t identify you in them. We use them only to fix problems. You can turn this off in the same place at any time.

Children

LocalScribe doesn’t collect information from anyone, including children.

Your rights

Because we don’t collect or hold any of your data, there’s nothing for us to access, correct, export or delete. Your data is on your device and in your control. If you have a question, email us.

Changes to this policy

If LocalScribe changes how it handles information, for example by adding iCloud sync, we’ll update this page and the date at the top before that version is released.

Contact

Email support@plainwren.com.