Privacy Policy

Effective June 9, 2026

Stenobar is a native macOS menu-bar recorder, transcriber, and dictation tool published by narrowstacks (“we”, “us”). This policy explains what happens to your data when you use the app. The short version: your recordings stay on your Mac, and nothing leaves the device unless you explicitly ask it to.

What we collect

Nothing. Stenobar has no accounts, no sign-in, no analytics, and no telemetry. We do not operate a server that receives your data, and we do not track how you use the app.

Your recordings and transcripts

Audio you record, along with any transcripts, summaries, and notes Stenobar generates, are stored locally on your Mac. They are never uploaded to us. On-device transcription and Thoughts routing run entirely on your machine and do not touch the network.

Your API keys

If you configure keys for third-party cloud providers, those keys are stored in the macOS Keychain and nowhere else. They are used solely to authenticate the requests you initiate.

Opt-in cloud providers

Cloud transcription and summarization are strictly opt-in and per-recording. When you choose to process a specific recording with a cloud provider, only that recording (its audio or text) is sent directly from your Mac to the provider you configured. That data is handled under the provider’s own privacy policy and terms — we are not an intermediary and never see it. If you never opt in, no recording ever leaves your device.

Software updates

Stenobar checks for updates using the Sparkle framework, downloading release files from the public narrowstacks/stenobar-releases repository on GitHub. These requests go directly to GitHub and may be logged by GitHub under GitHub’s Privacy Statement. Stenobar does not attach any personal information to update checks. You can disable automatic update checks in the app’s settings.

Children’s privacy

Stenobar is not directed to children under 13 and does not knowingly collect any personal information from them.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy as the app evolves. Material changes will be reflected here with a new effective date.

Contact

Questions about privacy? Open an issue on GitHub.