Zero Data Retention
TalkWriter follows a strict zero-retention policy for your voice and dictated content. Your audio is never saved, and your dictated text is not stored on our servers.
What IS Stored vs. What Is NOT Stored
| Data Type | Stored? | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Audio recordings | ❌ Never | Deleted immediately after real-time transcription |
| Dictated text content | ❌ Never | Text is sent to your app and discarded from our servers |
| AI-polished text | ❌ Never | TalkTone output is delivered and not retained |
| Account email and name | ✅ | Required for login and account management |
| Subscription status | ✅ | Required for billing and feature access |
| Custom dictionary words | ✅ | Synced across your devices for accuracy |
| App preferences | ✅ | Your settings (hotkey, TalkTone, language) |
| Aggregate usage stats | ✅ | Word count totals (not the actual words) |
How It Works Step by Step
- You hold Fn and speak into your microphone
- Audio streams to our servers in real-time over an encrypted connection
- Our speech engine converts your audio to text
- The text is sent back to TalkWriter on your Mac
- TalkWriter pastes the text into your active application
- Audio is discarded — it is never written to disk on our servers
- Text is discarded — only your Mac has a copy
At no point does your dictated content touch a database, log file, or backup system on our servers.
Privacy Mode (Extra Protection)
For users who want an additional layer of assurance, Privacy Mode disables even temporary server-side text processing:
- AI polishing (TalkTone) is disabled
- Text is transcribed and returned without any server-side processing
- Ideal for dictating sensitive legal, medical, or financial content
Learn more: Privacy Mode
How This Compares
| TalkWriter | Typical Voice Apps | |
|---|---|---|
| Audio stored after processing | ❌ No | ✅ Often yes |
| Text logged on servers | ❌ No | ✅ Often yes |
| Data used for AI training | ❌ Never | ✅ Sometimes |
| Privacy Mode available | ✅ Yes | ❌ Rare |
FAQ
If text is not stored, how does my word count work? We increment a counter when text is processed. The counter stores only the number, not the words themselves.
Can I verify that my data is not retained? Enterprise customers can request a third-party audit report. Our SOC 2 Type II audit covers data handling practices.
Does zero retention apply to all plans? Yes. Zero audio and text retention applies to Free, Pro, and Enterprise plans equally.