Question 1

Does Private Notes work offline?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Private Notes works 100% offline. All recording, transcription, and AI processing happens directly on your device using Apple Intelligence. No internet connection is required for core functionality. The only time the app connects to the internet is for initial subscription verification.

Question 2

Do my recordings ever leave my device?

Accepted Answer

Never. Your voice recordings, transcripts, and AI-generated summaries are stored exclusively on your device. There are no servers, no cloud sync, and no way for anyone (including us) to access your data. When you delete a recording, it's gone permanently.

Question 3

Is Private Notes HIPAA compliant?

Accepted Answer

Private Notes takes a unique approach: because all data stays on your device and is never transmitted to any server, there's no third-party 'covered entity' handling your data. You maintain complete control over any Protected Health Information (PHI). This architecture eliminates the data handling risks that HIPAA regulations address.

Question 4

How is Private Notes different from Otter.ai?

Accepted Answer

Otter.ai and similar services send your audio to cloud servers for processing, where it may be stored, analyzed, or used to train AI models. Private Notes processes everything on your iPhone using Apple Intelligence. Your data never leaves your device, cannot be subpoenaed from servers, and cannot be exposed in a data breach.

Question 5

Can my notes be subpoenaed?

Accepted Answer

If data exists on a company's servers, it can potentially be subpoenaed. Since Private Notes stores nothing on any server, there's nothing to subpoena from us. Your notes exist only on your physical device, protected by iOS encryption and your authentication.

Question 6

What devices support Private Notes?

Accepted Answer

Private Notes requires an iPhone with Apple Intelligence support. This includes iPhone 15 Pro, iPhone 15 Pro Max, and all iPhone 16 models. The device must be running iOS 26 or later with Apple Intelligence enabled.

Question 7

What languages does transcription support?

Accepted Answer

Private Notes supports transcription in 11 languages: English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese, Chinese (Mandarin), Japanese, Korean, Dutch, and Turkish. Language support depends on Apple's on-device speech recognition capabilities.

Question 8

How accurate is the transcription?

Accepted Answer

Transcription accuracy typically exceeds 95% for clear speech using Apple's on-device speech recognition. Accuracy may vary based on audio quality, background noise, accents, and speaking pace. The real-time transcription allows you to catch and note any errors as they occur.

Question 9

What AI features are available?

Accepted Answer

Private Notes uses Apple Intelligence to generate meeting summaries, extract key points, identify action items, and create condensed notes. All AI processing happens on-device. Note that AI features require an Apple Intelligence-capable device; without it, the app works in transcription-only mode.

Question 10

Can I export my notes?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you can export transcripts and AI summaries in Markdown or plain text format. This allows you to transfer notes to your preferred note-taking app, EHR system, or document management tool while maintaining your privacy.

Question 11

Is there a recording time limit?

Accepted Answer

There is no artificial time limit on recordings. Recording duration is limited only by your device's available storage. A typical hour of recording uses approximately 50-100MB of storage depending on audio quality settings.

Question 12

Is Private Notes suitable for therapy sessions?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Private Notes was designed with mental health professionals in mind. The 100% offline architecture ensures client confidentiality is maintained. Session recordings never leave your device, eliminating risks of data breaches, unauthorized access, or subpoenas of cloud-stored data.

Question 13

Can lawyers use Private Notes for client meetings?

Accepted Answer

Absolutely. Attorney-client privilege is better protected when recordings aren't stored on third-party servers. Private Notes' offline architecture means sensitive client communications stay on your device, under your control.

Question 14

Is Private Notes good for medical professionals?

Accepted Answer

Yes. For healthcare providers who need to document patient encounters, Private Notes offers a way to capture information without sending it to cloud servers. This can simplify compliance considerations since you maintain sole custody of the data.

Question 15

Can I use Private Notes for business meetings?

Accepted Answer

Yes, Private Notes is excellent for any professional meeting where confidentiality matters. Whether it's board meetings, HR conversations, contract negotiations, or strategy sessions, your recordings stay completely private.

Question 16

How much does Private Notes cost?

Accepted Answer

Private Notes offers weekly ($4.99/week) and yearly ($24.99/year) subscription options. All plans include the same features - real-time transcription, AI summaries, and unlimited recordings.

Question 17

Is there a free trial?

Accepted Answer

Yes, we offer a 3-day free trial for new users. You can try all features with no commitment. Cancel anytime during the trial period and you won't be charged.

Question 18

What if I lose my phone or get a new device?

Accepted Answer

Since data is stored only on your device and excluded from iCloud backup by design, recordings won't automatically transfer to a new device. We recommend regularly exporting important notes to a secure location. Your subscription status will restore on your new device through your Apple ID.

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