Overview
Telos Note is a local-first meetings and notes app for iPhone, iPad and Mac. You can use the app without creating a Telos account. Notes and other library content are stored on your device first. If you enable iCloud Sync, supported content is synchronised through your private iCloud account.
Some features require processing outside your device. Text is sent to our server-side AI services only when you choose a feature that needs that processing. The sections below explain the important differences between Mac meeting transcription, Apple Speech Recognition and optional AI features.
Information stored on your device
Depending on the features you use, Telos Note may store:
- notes, titles, transcripts, folders, tags, stars and library organisation;
- meeting prep, calendar references, actions, reminders and generated outputs;
- voice-note audio and imported audio retained as note sources where supported;
- imported documents, PDFs, images, extracted text and attachments;
- local preferences, subscription state and operational recovery data.
Deleting the app or clearing local app data may delete content that has not been exported or synchronised through iCloud.
Meeting recording and transcription
Mac
English meeting transcription runs on your Mac using a transcription model bundled with the app. Meeting audio is not sent to a cloud transcription service. A temporary local recording is retained while transcription and the meeting record are being completed, and it is discarded only after the transcript and meeting record are safely saved. If processing fails, Telos Note may retain the local recording so that you can retry or recover it.
iPhone and iPad
Transcription on iPhone and iPad uses Apple Speech Recognition. Depending on your device, selected language, Apple settings and network or on-device support, speech recognition may use Apple services. Speech Recognition and microphone permissions are controlled in your device settings.
Your responsibility when recording
You are responsible for complying with local laws and workplace policies, including obtaining any required consent before recording a conversation or meeting.
AI features you choose to use
Features such as Improve Note, summarisation, translation, action extraction, Ask Note, Ask Telos across your library, Meeting Notes and follow-up email drafting may send relevant text to our server-side infrastructure when you invoke them.
The request may include note or transcript text, a question, selected context, extracted document text or relevant excerpts from your library. Telos Note does not send note content to third-party AI providers merely because the app is open, and Mac meeting audio is not sent to those AI providers.
We use trusted AI providers, including OpenAI and Google Gemini, to produce the output you request. AI outputs may be incomplete or inaccurate. You should review them before relying on, exporting or sharing them.
Optional iCloud Sync
If you turn on iCloud Sync, supported Telos Note content is synchronised using Apple CloudKit and your Apple ID. The data is stored in your private iCloud database and is governed by your iCloud account and Apple’s terms. Telos Note does not receive your Apple ID password and does not create a separate Telos login.
You can turn iCloud Sync off in Telos Note Settings. Turning it off stops future sync but does not automatically remove content already stored on your devices or in iCloud.
Subscriptions and cross-device allowances
Purchases are handled by Apple through StoreKit. We receive signed entitlement and App Transaction information from Apple so the app and server can verify Basic, Pro or Pro+ access.
To enforce AI allowances consistently across your Apple devices without requiring a Telos account, our server verifies Apple’s signed App Transaction and derives a one-way pseudonymous quota identifier using a keyed cryptographic hash. The raw Apple transaction identifier is not used as an analytics dimension. The derived identifier is used for entitlement, reservation, refund, deduplication and allowance enforcement—not for advertising or tracking.
You can manage or cancel a subscription through your Apple ID settings and use Restore Purchases in the app.
Analytics and operational security
Telos Note uses limited, first-party analytics to understand whether important product flows are working and to manage service cost and reliability. Analytics are aggregated and use bounded categories rather than note content, free-form questions or advertising identifiers.
We do not intentionally include note titles, note bodies, transcripts, audio, imported document text, OCR text, AI questions, AI answers, actions, reminders or personal contact information in analytics. We do not use advertising analytics or cross-app tracking.
You can turn off Share Anonymous Analytics in Telos Note Settings. This does not disable Firebase App Check or other security protections.
Operational services such as Firebase App Check help protect the backend from unauthorised clients and abuse. App Check is a security control, not advertising tracking.
Imports, exports and sharing
You can import supported audio, text, documents, PDFs and images. Telos Note may retain the original locally, extract readable text or run OCR where supported so the content can be edited, searched or used with features you choose.
When you export or share content, the selected destination app or service controls what happens next. Export formats vary by platform and by the content being exported.
Service providers and disclosure
We share information only as needed to operate the app and the features you request. Relevant providers may include:
- Apple, for App Store purchases, StoreKit, iCloud, Speech Recognition, translation and system services;
- Firebase and Google Cloud, for App Check, Cloud Functions, entitlement verification, aggregate analytics and service infrastructure;
- OpenAI and Google Gemini, for the AI actions you choose to run;
- email or support systems, when you contact us for help.
We may disclose information if required by law or to protect the security and integrity of Telos Note and its services.
Security and retention
We use reasonable technical measures, including HTTPS, Firebase App Check, Apple-signed transaction verification and server-side entitlement checks where applicable. No system can be guaranteed completely secure.
Content sent for an AI request is processed to provide the requested feature. Operational and aggregate records may be retained as needed for security, reliability, allowance enforcement, cost monitoring and legal obligations. We do not maintain a Telos account profile containing your note library.
Your choices
- Do not invoke AI features if you do not want the relevant text processed by server-side AI services.
- Manage microphone, Speech Recognition, calendar, notification and file permissions in system settings.
- Choose whether to enable iCloud Sync.
- Choose whether to share anonymous analytics.
- Export supported content where available.
- Delete notes and local app data from the app or by removing the app.
- Manage subscriptions through Apple.
Children
Telos Note is not directed to children under 13. If you believe a child has provided personal information to us, contact us so we can review and respond appropriately.
Changes and contact
We may update this policy as Telos Note changes. The current version and effective date will appear on this page.
For privacy questions or requests, email admin@narrowgatelabs.co.uk.