Privacy Policy

1. Overview

Undertone is a voice journaling application for iOS that transcribes your spoken recordings entirely on-device using bundled machine learning models. This privacy policy describes what data the app handles and where it lives.

We built Undertone on a simple premise: a private journal should actually be private. This document reflects that commitment.

2. Data we do not collect

Undertone does not collect, transmit, log, or have any access to:

• Your voice recordings — audio never leaves your device
• Your transcripts or journal text — text is generated and stored locally
• Your name, email, or any personal identifiers — no account is required
• Usage analytics or behavioural data — no analytics SDKs are included
• Crash reports — we do not use any third-party crash reporting that sends data off-device
• Your location — the app does not request or use location data
• Device identifiers or advertising IDs — we do not participate in any advertising network

There is no back-end server for Undertone. We have no database of user data, because no user data is ever transmitted to us.

3. Data stored on your device

All data created by Undertone lives exclusively in your app's private sandbox on your iPhone. This includes:

• Audio recordings — .m4a files saved to your app's Documents directory
• Transcripts and journal entry text — stored in a local JSON data store
• Tags and metadata — entry titles, dates, durations, and custom tags
• App preferences and model selection — stored in UserDefaults, on-device only
• Whisper ML model cache — compiled CoreML models cached locally for performance

This data is protected by iOS's standard app sandbox and your device's encryption. It is accessible only to Undertone and to you via the iOS Files app if you choose to export. Deleting the app removes all locally stored data.

If you use the backup/restore feature, an export archive is generated on your device and saved wherever you direct it (e.g. local Files, iCloud Drive). Undertone does not initiate or control where your backup goes — that choice is entirely yours.

4. Permissions

Undertone requests the following device permissions:

• Microphone — required to record voice journal entries. Access is only active while you are actively recording. The app does not record in the background.

No other system permissions (location, contacts, camera, photos, notifications, Bluetooth, etc.) are requested or used.

5. Third-party services

Undertone does not integrate with any third-party services, SDKs, or APIs that transmit data off your device. Specifically:

• No analytics platforms (Firebase, Mixpanel, Amplitude, etc.)
• No advertising networks
• No cloud transcription APIs — transcription runs entirely via bundled WhisperKit models
• No social logins or identity providers
• No customer support chat or feedback SDKs

The machine learning models powering transcription are bundled within the app at install time. No model data is fetched from the network after installation. Transcription has no network dependency whatsoever.

6. Purchases

Undertone is sold as a one-time purchase through the Apple App Store, using Apple's standard in-app purchase infrastructure (StoreKit). We do not process payments directly — Apple handles all payment and purchase verification.

We receive only a confirmation that a valid purchase exists for your Apple ID. We do not receive your name, payment details, or any personal information associated with your Apple account. Apple's privacy policy governs how they handle your payment and account data.

7. Children's privacy

Undertone does not knowingly collect any personal information from anyone, including children under 13. Because no data is collected at all, the app is compliant with the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA) by design. Parents can allow children to use the app with confidence that no data leaves the device.

8. Changes to this policy

If we update this privacy policy, we will revise the "Last updated" date at the top of this page and, for material changes, may include a notice in the next app update. Because we collect no user contact information, we cannot notify you directly — please check this page periodically if you'd like to stay informed.

Our commitment — that Undertone will not collect or transmit your personal data — is a core product principle, not just a legal formality. Any future changes will be made in the same spirit.

9. Contact

Questions about this privacy policy or Undertone's data practices? We're a small, independent team and we're happy to talk.

Email us

Jessing Labs  ·  Seattle, WA