Ruminote Privacy Policy

Last updated: 22 August 2026

Türkçe · English

1. Data we process

Data is processed only when you create an account and/or share a note:

• Account information: email address, username, password (stored only as a cryptographic hash — never in plain text), and an optional profile photo.
• Sign in with Google (optional): If you use "Continue with Google", we receive your Google account's verified email address (and name) to create or match your account. We never see your Google password; authentication is handled by Google.
• Shared notes: Only when you share a note with others, that note (text, images, video, audio, drawings, maps) is synced to our servers. This content is end-to-end encrypted: the server cannot read the content, title or tag; it stores only the encrypted data and wrapped encryption keys for authorized members. Depending on your sync media quality setting, photos and videos may be downscaled on your device before upload (to reduce data); the original files on your device are never modified.
• Search queries: When you use the "AI Info" / web search feature, the query you type is sent to our server and on to search engines to fetch results. We do not associate queries with your account or store them.
• Code execution: When you run a code snippet, for languages that cannot run on the device the code text is sent to our server (and on to the execution engine) to return the result. The result may be briefly cached to speed up re-running the same code; we do not associate the code with your account or store it permanently. Python, Ruby and the Compose preview run entirely on-device and are not sent to a server.
• Purchase validation: When you buy Collab, the Google Play purchase token is sent to our server for verification. We never see payment details (cards, etc.) — payment is handled by Google Play.
• Notification token: So we can notify you of shared-note updates, a Firebase Cloud Messaging (FCM) token is assigned to your device and stored on our server, linked to your account (deleted on sign-out).
• Google Drive API — only if you turn backup on; access is limited to the backup file the app itself created ("appdata"), and we reach no other file in your Drive.
• Drive backup (optional): If you turn backup on, your notes are encrypted on your device and uploaded to the app-data area of your own Google Drive. We never see the backup contents — the file is not stored with us. Only the encryption key is kept on our server, bound to your Google account's stable identifier. This is a split-trust design: Google holds the data but not the key; we hold the key but never the data. It means you can restore even if both your Google password and your Ruminote password change, without having to memorise an extra passphrase.
• Linking a Google account (optional): You link a Google account to use backup. That authorisation only reaches the backup file the app itself created (Drive "appdata" area); we cannot see or list any other file in your Drive.
• Version history: In a shared note, earlier states of the note are also kept on the server so you can go back (at most 25 entries per note; older ones drop off). These entries are encrypted the same way as the note itself — the server cannot read them.

2. Data that stays on your device / we never send

• All notes, media and drawings you do not share stay only on your device and are never sent to the server.
• Artificial-intelligence processing runs on-device; your note content, photos or audio recordings are not sent to a server for these features. This includes:
  • text summaries, "ask your note" Q&A and title/tag suggestions (Gemma models);
  • OCR / text recognition, handwriting recognition and QR reading;
  • speech-to-text (dictation / transcription) and speaker diarization; audio noise removal, classification and music/vocal separation;
  • photo-editing models: object and sky selection, object removal, background removal/replacement, super-resolution, low-light enhancement, noise/blur/haze removal and artistic style;
  • running code and the Compose preview on-device (except the cloud languages noted above);
  • turning text into meaning vectors (embeddings) for semantic search, related-note suggestions and "ask your notes";
  • recognising PDF pages and the handwriting in drawings so they become searchable.
• AI model files are downloaded on demand: the first time you use a feature, its model file may be downloaded from the internet. This download only fetches the model file; your note content or personal data is not sent.
• The search index and meaning vectors stay on your device: to make your notes searchable, text fragments and their meaning vectors are stored in the database on your device. This index is never sent to the server and is not synchronised along with shared notes.
• Read aloud: when you listen to a note, the text to be spoken is handed to the text-to-speech engine installed on your device. That engine is not part of Ruminote; you can see and change which one is used in your device settings. The text is not sent to our server.
• Exporting is under your control: when you export all your notes to a single file, that file is written to the location you choose and is not sent to us. Where you keep it and who you share it with is your responsibility.

3. Permissions and their purposes

• Camera: photo/video notes, OCR scanning, QR code reading.
• Microphone: audio notes and speech-to-text.
• Notifications / Alarms: note reminders.
• Bluetooth / Wi-Fi (Nearby): local note sharing with a nearby device (not used to determine location).
• Location (Android 12 and below only): when adding a location to a map card. Not requested on newer versions.
• Internet: account, synchronization, search and purchase validation.
• Biometrics / screen lock: used only if you turned on the app lock. Your fingerprint or face data is never read or stored by Ruminote — Android performs the check and returns only success or failure to the app.

4. Third-party services

• Google Play Billing — purchases (payment handled by Google).
• Sign in with Google (Credential Manager) — optional authentication; we receive only your Google account's verified email address and name (never your password).
• Google Play Services (Nearby) — local sharing with a nearby device.
• OpenStreetMap — map tiles (only when a map card is opened, the viewed area is requested from OSM servers).
• Firebase Cloud Messaging (Google) — push notifications; an FCM token is assigned to your device (used only for notifications; no analytics/tracking).
• Google Fonts (Downloadable Fonts) — only when you choose to download a font, the requested font family name is sent to the Google Play Services fonts provider to fetch the font file. No note content or account data is involved.

Other than these, we do not share your data with any third party; we use no ad networks or data brokers.

5. Security

• All server communication is encrypted with HTTPS.
• Passwords are stored hashed, never in plain text.
• Shared notes are end-to-end encrypted — the server cannot decrypt the content.

6. Data retention and deletion

You can permanently delete your account and all your server-side data from within the app via Profile → Delete account. Local data on your device is removed when you uninstall the app. Deleting your account also removes your shared notes, version-history entries and the encryption key for your Drive backup; once the key is gone the backup file in Drive can no longer be opened. The backup file itself lives in your own Drive and you can delete it there whenever you like.

7. Children

Ruminote is not directed to children under 13 and does not knowingly collect personal data from them.

8. Changes

We may update this policy from time to time. We will notify you of material changes in the app or on this page.

9. Contact