Specs & privacy
What’s true, what we prove, and the technical detail behind it.
Every claim we make, every exception, and the technical detail behind it, on one page.
What is always true after setup
- Recording, transcription, note generation, and storage all happen on your Mac.
- Notes are stored encrypted on your Mac, and the key that unlocks them never leaves your Mac.
- In the app, there is no account, no cloud sync, and no analytics, tracking, or crash reporting of any kind.
- We never receive your audio or your notes — there is no server for them to reach.
What “Sealed” means
The badge in the app has three states, and it only shows the strongest one when it’s earned:
Sealed — nothing leaves your Mac
When the network seal is engaged and the note-writing AI is installed. This is the earned state, and the counter proves it.
Private — notes are written and stored on this Mac
When the app is unsealed. Your notes are still local — the app just can’t prove the stronger claim in this state.
Private — recording and storing on this Mac (setup in progress)
While the one-time download of the note-writing AI runs, the app already records, transcribes, and stores on your Mac. The download is the only thing in flight, and it carries no note content. “Sealed” appears once it finishes and the seal engages.
The named exceptions
Everything that leaves your Mac, or ever will. None of it carries your note content.
Download of the note-writing AI
Live today
The note-writing AI is a large file (several gigabytes) fetched from a third-party model host, at first setup — and again only if you choose to add, replace, or update a model. It carries no note content — it is the AI itself, coming to you.
Trial or license activation — and periodic validation on the monthly plan
Live today
Starting a free trial is something you choose — the app offers it once, and you decide. Activation sends a one-way fingerprint of your Mac and the app version; activating a purchased license also sends your license key (a trial has no key yet — its license is issued back to you). Never your name, email, or content (see the licensing spec below). Monthly licenses revalidate on a schedule (roughly once per billing period); perpetual licenses don’t need to.
Software-update checks
On by default
The app automatically checks downloads.notegenerator.com for a new version, sending only the app version — never your content. Every check is listed in the app’s own privacy proof log, and you can turn automatic checks off anytime in Settings.
Links you choose to open
Live today
Help and support links open your own browser to NoteGenerator.com. The app sends nothing when you click one.
The Seal Test, explained
One tap, and the app tries to open a network connection to itself — you watch the attempt die before it ever reaches the network. A check you run, not a badge we drew. Next to it: the session counter, reading 0 when sealed.
What if my Mac dies?
Make an encrypted backup and restore it on a new Mac with the passphrase alone. The key derives from your passphrase, so we hold no copy — lose the passphrase and the backup is gone. You hold the only key.
Tech specs
The precise version of everything the rest of the site says in plain words.
| Requirements | Apple silicon (M1 family or later). 16 GB of unified memory recommended for on-device note generation; with less, the app still records and transcribes but does not run the note-writer. Plus several gigabytes of free disk for the AI model files. |
|---|---|
| Note-writing AI (“the local writer”) | A large language model that runs fully on your Mac. Downloaded at first setup from a third-party model host over an encrypted connection — and again only if you choose to add, replace, or update a model. Once installed, note-writing works offline. |
| Transcription | On-device speech recognition. A base model ships inside the app; transcription runs offline. |
| Encryption at rest | Strong, industry-standard encryption (AES-256), with built-in tamper protection so an altered file won’t silently open with changed content. The key is generated on your Mac on first use and stored only in your macOS Keychain — it never leaves your Mac. |
| Audio path | Recorded audio is processed in your Mac’s memory during transcription and is not retained afterward. |
| Backups | An encrypted archive whose key is derived from a passphrase you choose. We hold no copy of the archive or the passphrase; without the passphrase, recovery is impossible — by anyone, including us. |
| Licensing | A cryptographically signed license file, verified offline — no server needed to use the app. Licensing sends a one-way device fingerprint plus the app version; activating a purchased license also sends your license key. It never sends your name, email, or content. The fingerprint can’t reveal anything you write, but it is a persistent device identifier, so we treat it as personal information. Monthly licenses re-check on a schedule; perpetual licenses don’t. Two activations per license, with self-service deactivation. |
| Seal Test | The app tries to open a network connection to itself, and you watch the attempt get blocked before it can reach the network. The session connection counter reads 0 when sealed. |
| App protections | Runs inside the macOS App Sandbox with Apple’s hardened-runtime protections, code-signed and notarized by Apple. macOS asks once, on first launch, whether you’re sure you want to open an app downloaded from the internet — because this app is notarized, that same dialog confirms Apple checked it and found no malicious software. One click, once. Distributed as a direct download (not through the Mac App Store); the app has no account or login. |
| This website | Uses Google Analytics (Google as our analytics provider) to measure traffic — usage and traffic data, an approximate IP-based location, and, only after you agree, cookies. Analytics is off by default (Google Consent Mode v2, denied) and a banner lets you accept or decline; declining keeps it cookieless. The waitlist and download forms send the email you type — plus which platform you asked about (waitlist) or the fact that you asked for the download — only when you press the button. The full analytics disclosure is in the Privacy Policy. (The app itself uses no analytics — see “What is always true after setup” above.) |
The fine print
The full statements of these facts live in the Privacy Policy and the Terms of Service. For how this architecture compares to cloud notetakers, see the compare page.
First version
Try it for a week. No account, no card.
Download, drag to Applications, done. The free week is a real license.
Runs on a Mac with Apple silicon (M1 or later). 16 GB of memory recommended — with less, you get the transcript but not the AI-written note.
Not sure? Apple menu → About This Mac. You’re looking for an Apple chip (M1 or later); 16 GB or more of memory gets you the AI-written notes.
The AI that writes your notes runs entirely on your Mac, and it is big. That’s why we recommend 16 GB — with less, you can still record and get transcripts, but the note-writer needs the memory. It’s the cost of nothing leaving the machine.
Older Mac, or not a Mac at all? Tell us what you’re on — it’s how we decide what to build next.
Notarized by Apple — the first-launch dialog confirms Apple checked this exact app and found no malicious software. No account needed — the app has no login.