Privacy Policy

Last updated: July 18, 2026

PaperSafeAI is built local-first: your documents, extracted text, and search index live in an encrypted database on your own device, not on our servers. This page explains exactly what data the desktop app and this website touch, where it goes, and what stays on your machine.

1. What stays on your device

By default, everything does. When you import a document, PaperSafeAI:

• Stores the file and its extracted text, metadata, and search index in a local, encrypted database (protected by your master password and, if enabled, biometric or PIN unlock).
• Runs OCR, metadata extraction, and semantic search entirely with on-device AI models — your document content is never sent to a cloud AI service to be processed.
• Never uploads your documents, vault contents, or search index to PaperSafeAI or any third party.

Uninstalling the app or deleting your local vault removes this data from your device. We have no copy of it to delete on our end, because we never received one.

2. Optional Google Drive import

If you choose to connect Google Drive, PaperSafeAI requests Google's narrow drive.file permission scope. This means PaperSafeAI can only see and import files you explicitly pick through the app's file picker — it cannot browse or access the rest of your Google Drive. Your Google OAuth token is stored locally on your device (not on our servers) and is used only to fetch the files you select. You can revoke this access at any time from your Google Account settings or from within PaperSafeAI.

3. Backups

Backups are created only when you initiate them, and are written to a location you choose (a local folder, or a folder you happen to sync via your own cloud storage). You can optionally encrypt a backup with a passphrase; encrypted backups use AES-256-GCM with a scrypt-derived key. We never see or store your backups or your backup passphrase.

4. Crash reports (optional, off by default)

PaperSafeAI can send crash reports to our error-monitoring provider (Sentry) so we can fix bugs. This is off by default — it's only ever turned on if you explicitly enable "Automatic Crash Reports" during setup or later in Settings → Privacy & Diagnostics, and you can turn it off again at any time. When enabled, a crash report includes the error type, a stack trace, your app version, and OS/device information. Before anything is sent, we strip your home directory path and local variable values from the report. Crash reports never include your documents, vault contents, search index, or master password. If this setting is off, no crash data ever leaves your device — it stays in a local log file only.

5. Analytics (optional, off by default)

PaperSafeAI can send anonymous product-usage analytics to our analytics provider (PostHog) so we can understand which features are used and improve the app. This is off by default — it's only ever turned on if you explicitly enable "Anonymous Analytics" during setup or later in Settings → Privacy & Diagnostics, and you can turn it off again at any time. When enabled, we record coarse product events (for example, that a document was imported, a search was run, or a backup completed) together with a randomly generated anonymous ID and basic device context (platform, OS version, app version, device architecture, locale). We never record your document content, file names, search queries, or any other identifying information about your vault. If this setting is off, no analytics data is ever sent.

6. Feedback

If you use the in-app feedback form, the message, category, and star rating you submit — along with basic device context (app version, platform) — are sent to PostHog so we can read and act on it. Submitting feedback is its own explicit action and is sent regardless of whether Anonymous Analytics is turned on. Providing a contact email in the feedback form is optional and used only to follow up with you about that submission.

7. App updates

If you installed PaperSafeAI directly (not through the Mac App Store or Microsoft Store), the app periodically checks GitHub for new release versions so it can notify you of updates. This check shares only standard technical request information (such as your app version and OS) with GitHub's infrastructure — no document or vault data is included. If you installed PaperSafeAI through the Mac App Store or Microsoft Store, updates are handled entirely by Apple or Microsoft instead.

8. Optional reminder channels

PaperSafeAI can remind you about upcoming document expirations inside the app. Email, SMS, and WhatsApp delivery channels for reminders are not enabled in the current release. If we introduce them in a future version, sending a reminder that way will require you to explicitly connect your own account with that provider, and delivery will happen directly between your device and that provider using the credentials you supply.

9. This website

This marketing website (the page you're reading now) does not use analytics or advertising trackers. If you submit your email to receive product updates, we use it only to send you release notes and will never sell or share it. Our hosting provider may log standard technical request information (such as IP address and browser type), consistent with any website on the internet.

10. Your choices

• Access & export: use the in-app backup feature at any time to export a full copy of your vault.
• Delete: delete documents from within the app, or uninstall the app and remove its local data folder to remove everything.
• Disconnect integrations: disconnect Google Drive (or any future integration) from within Settings at any time.
• Turn off crash reports or analytics: both are off by default and can be toggled independently at any time from Settings → Privacy & Diagnostics.

11. Children's privacy

PaperSafeAI is not directed at, and is not knowingly used to collect information from, children under 13.

12. Changes to this policy

If this policy changes, we'll update the "Last updated" date above. Material changes will be noted in the app's release notes.

13. Contact us

Questions about this policy or your data? Email PaperSafeAI Team at [email protected].

PaperSafeAI is operated by the PaperSafeAI Team.