Privacy Policy
This page explains, in plain language, where your dictation is transcribed, what leaves your computer, and how to keep transcription audio local.
The short version. By default, braindumpi streams your microphone audio to a specialist speech-to-text provider during recording. We do not receive or store your audio; the provider handles it under its own terms. Turn off Cloud transcription in the Hub after the offline speech model has downloaded to keep transcription audio on your machine. Account sync, updates, and model downloads still use the network. Cleanup, the optional writing AI, your dictionary, snippets, and history are local. We never sell your data, and your dictated text is not sent to our servers.
Who we are
braindumpi ("braindumpi", "we", "us") is a desktop voice-dictation app for macOS and Windows distributed at braindumpi.com. This policy covers the braindumpi desktop apps and this website.
Where your speech is transcribed
There are two engines, and you choose which one runs.
- Cloud transcription (on by default). During recording, your microphone audio is streamed over an encrypted connection to Soniox, our speech-to-text provider, and the text comes back as you speak. The stream goes directly from your computer to them; it never passes through our servers, we never receive it, and we never store it. Their own handling of that audio is governed by their terms, which we link to below. Cloud transcription can be used without waiting for the separate offline speech model to download.
- On-device transcription. A separate speech model downloads for offline use. Once that download is complete, turn cloud transcription off in the Hub to transcribe on your machine without sending audio over the network. The downloaded model also provides a fallback when cloud transcription is unavailable.
What always happens on your computer
- Cleanup and Command. Text processing runs locally on Mac and Windows. The optional Qwen3 4B writing model is a separate download of about 2.50 GB, enabled by your choice. Cleanup processes the transcript; Command processes selected text and your spoken edit. Those texts are not sent to us or to a remote writing AI. Downloading the model requires a network connection to its host. Basic rule-based cleanup does not require this model.
- Your dictionary, snippets, and history. Stored locally on your computer, under your control.
On Mac and Windows, keyboard access supports your shortcuts and the optional typing reminder. The reminder keeps only key-press counts and timing metadata in memory; it does not capture typed characters, text, or a key history. Only the last reminder time is saved to disk. You can turn it off in Settings, and it appears at most once a day.
What we do send to our servers
A minimal amount of account data is sent so that billing and quotas can work:
- Account email. Used to identify your account, deliver license and account emails, and let you sign in across devices.
- Aggregate word counts. A running total of how many words you've dictated, so the free tier's weekly quota (1,000-word weekly allowance and 2,000-word cap, plus a one-time gift) and Pro's unlimited usage can be enforced. This is a number — not the words themselves, and not their content.
- Subscription status. Whether your plan is Free, Monthly, Annual, or Lifetime, so the app unlocks the right features.
We also collect usage events linked to your account: app launch and version, platform, feature use, dictation counts and durations, the identifier of the app in which you dictate, and limited labels for cleanup outcomes and reasons an insertion was blocked. These events do not contain dictated text, screenshots, typed characters, or keystroke histories.
Speech provider
When cloud transcription is on, speech-to-text is performed by Soniox. Your computer opens an encrypted connection directly to them during recording, sends the audio, and receives the text; the stream does not pass through braindumpi's servers. Our server issues a short-lived credential for your session and can record session reservations and aggregate usage; it does not receive the audio stream or transcript. How Soniox handles the audio it receives is covered by their own terms. If you would rather no audio left your computer under any circumstances, finish downloading the offline speech model and turn cloud transcription off in the Hub; speech recognition then runs on your machine.
Payments
Purchases and subscriptions are handled by Polar, our payment processor. When you buy Monthly, Annual, or Lifetime, your payment details (card number and similar) go directly to Polar and are processed under their systems — we never see or store your full card details. Polar shares back only what we need to activate your plan, such as your email and subscription status. See Polar's own privacy terms for how they handle payment data.
We send transactional email — license confirmations, receipts, account and billing notices — to the address on your account. We also send onboarding tips and plan reminders related to your use of braindumpi.
What we never do
- We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal data to anyone.
- We never receive your audio or your transcribed text. With cloud transcription on, audio goes from your computer straight to the speech provider and the text comes straight back; none of it passes through us. With it off, none of it leaves your computer at all.
- We do not take screenshots or record your screen.
- We do not build advertising profiles.
Data retention and your rights
We keep your account email, subscription status, and aggregate usage counts for as long as your account is active. You can ask us to delete your account and the data associated with it at any time. Because your transcripts and audio never reach us, there is nothing on our side to export or delete for those — they live only on your computer, and removing the application does not necessarily remove its local Application Support data. Contact us for help deleting the local files.
Children
braindumpi is not directed to children under 13, and we do not knowingly collect data from them.
Changes to this policy
If we update this policy we'll change the "last updated" date above and, for material changes, notify account holders by email.
Contact
Questions about privacy? Email privacy@braindumpi.com and we'll get back to you.