Privacy Policy

Last updated: February 2025

KiKu is designed with privacy as a core principle. Your audio, transcriptions, and notes never pass through our servers. We have no accounts, no cloud storage, and no analytics tracking.

What we collect

Nothing. KiKu does not collect, transmit, or store any user data on external servers. We do not have user accounts, databases, or analytics infrastructure. The App runs entirely on your Mac.

What stays on your device

All of the following data is created and stored locally on your Mac:

  • Audio recordings — Temporary audio files created during meeting recording, stored in your chosen directory
  • Transcriptions and summaries — Generated text saved as Markdown files in your local storage folder
  • App preferences — Settings like your chosen AI model, writing style, and feature toggles stored in macOS UserDefaults
  • Your OpenAI API key — Stored securely in macOS UserDefaults on your device
  • Meeting statistics — Word counts and meeting tallies stored locally for your personal overview

Third-party services

KiKu connects to exactly one external service:

OpenAI API

When you record a meeting or use voice features, audio is sent directly from your Mac to OpenAI's API using your personal API key. This includes:

  • Audio data sent to OpenAI Whisper for transcription
  • Transcription text sent to GPT for summarization
  • Text-to-speech requests when using voice readback
  • Voice command processing for dictation and AI commands

This communication happens directly between your Mac and OpenAI. KiKu has no intermediary server. OpenAI's handling of your data is governed by OpenAI's Privacy Policy and your API agreement with them.

By default, data sent through the OpenAI API is not used to train their models. Refer to OpenAI's data usage policies for current details.

Calendar access

If you enable calendar integration, KiKu reads your calendar events through the macOS Calendar framework to pre-fill meeting details. This data is read locally and never transmitted anywhere beyond the OpenAI API call for meeting context.

Apple Notes

If you enable the Apple Notes export option, KiKu creates notes in your Apple Notes app using macOS automation (AppleScript). This is a local operation between apps on your Mac.

Permissions

KiKu requests the following macOS permissions, each for a specific purpose:

  • Microphone — To capture your voice during meetings and dictation
  • Screen recording — To capture system audio (other participants' voices in calls)
  • Accessibility — To enable system-wide voice dictation, text commands, and Apple Notes integration
  • Calendar — To read upcoming meetings for auto-fill (optional)

Children's privacy

KiKu is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect any information from children.

Changes to this policy

If we update this Privacy Policy, the revised version will be posted on this page with an updated date. Since KiKu does not collect email addresses or user accounts, we cannot notify you directly — please check this page periodically.

Contact

Questions about this Privacy Policy can be directed to us through kiku-notes.com.