ReelScribe for macOS
Effective: June 21, 2026
This Privacy Policy describes how ReelScribe (“we”, “our”, or “the App”) collects, uses, and protects information when you use our macOS application and this support website. We are committed to being transparent about our data practices and respecting your privacy.
ReelScribe has no user accounts and no sign-in. Your library (videos, subtitles, notes, highlights, and chapters) stays on your Mac and, if you enable sync, in your own private Apple iCloud. Our servers are only involved when you use cloud transcription, AI features, or make a purchase. We do not embed analytics, behavioral tracking, advertising identifiers, or third-party crash-reporting SDKs in the app or support website.
When you first install ReelScribe, the app generates a random identifier called the App Installation Identifier. This is:
a1b2c3d4-e5f6-7890-abcd-ef1234567890We use this identifier to:
The App Installation Identifier is sent with API requests via the X-Installation-ID HTTP header. It never identifies your physical device and is never tied to your Apple Account.
ReelScribe does not have user accounts and does not ask you to sign in. We do not use Sign in with Apple, and we do not collect your name, email address, Apple ID, or any other account credentials. Your eligibility for cloud features is determined entirely by your App Store subscription, which is processed by Apple (see Section 2.8). Cross-device sync, when you enable it, is handled by Apple iCloud under your own Apple Account and is not visible to us (see Section 2.9).
When you request a cloud transcription, the following occurs:
Audio data staged for transcription is transient: it is deleted from our infrastructure shortly after processing completes or fails (within 24 hours). Transcription results (text and timestamps) are returned to your app and stored in your local library — and, if you enable iCloud sync, in your own private iCloud. We do not retain a copy of your transcription results on our servers beyond the transient processing window.
ReelScribe lets you create notes and attach files (photos, audio recordings, sketches) to your notes. Notes and attachments are stored locally on your Mac in ~/Library/BayanLibrary/. If you enable iCloud sync, they are synced through Apple iCloud (see Section 2.9) so you can access them across your devices. They are not sent to or stored on our servers.
When you use the AI Chat feature and choose to include your notes, the plain text of your notes may be sent as context to the AI model for that request only. See Section 2.5 below.
When you use the AI Chat feature, the following data may be sent to the AI model (Google Vertex AI) for the purpose of generating a response:
This data is sent to our backend and to Google Vertex AI only to generate the response. Chat conversations are stored locally on your Mac so you can continue or delete them in the app, and are synced through Apple iCloud if you enable iCloud sync. We do not retain your chat history on our servers. You can delete individual conversations or all chat history at any time from Settings → AI.
When you use the Highlight or Chapter analysis feature, the following is sent to the AI model:
Analysis results are returned to your app and stored in your local library, and synced through Apple iCloud if you enable iCloud sync. They are not retained on our servers beyond the transient processing window.
If you enable “Video Direct” mode in AI Chat, the app may upload the actual video file so it can be analyzed by the AI. This feature is opt-in and can be disabled in settings. The video is uploaded to our backend and staged in a temporary Google Cloud Storage bucket so that Google Vertex AI can read it (Vertex AI reads media from Google Cloud Storage). Video files staged for AI analysis are transient and deleted within 24 hours after upload or processing.
Subscriptions are sold through Apple’s App Store using StoreKit. Apple processes your payment; we never receive your payment-card details. To unlock and meter your cloud entitlements, our backend receives and verifies the App Store signed transaction associated with your purchase and stores the resulting entitlement and usage records (such as remaining transcription minutes and AI credits) keyed to your App Installation Identifier. We also process App Store Server Notifications from Apple to keep subscription status (renewals, refunds, expirations) accurate.
Cross-device sync is an opt-in feature powered by Apple iCloud, not by our servers. When you enable it, ReelScribe stores your library in your own private iCloud using Apple’s CloudKit private database and iCloud Drive, under your personal Apple Account:
| Data Type | What Is Synced |
|---|---|
| Folders | Name, parent folder, sort order |
| Video metadata | Name, duration, playback position, subtitle settings |
| Subtitles | Track info, cue text and timestamps |
| Notes | Note content (plain text and rich text), timestamps |
| Note attachments | File name, type, size; the actual file (photo, audio, etc.) |
| Highlights | Highlight topics, segments, and themes |
| Chapters | Chapter titles and time ranges |
| Annotations | Inline highlights and annotations |
| Playback state | Last playback position per video |
| Video files | Optional — synced via iCloud Drive only if you choose to sync them |
This data lives in your own iCloud account and is governed by Apple’s iCloud data security and privacy documentation and iCloud terms. We do not have access to your iCloud private database, and this synced library data is never sent to or stored on our servers.
For clarity, here is what ReelScribe does not collect, transmit, or share:
ReelScribe uses the following third-party services. The links below point to the most relevant data-processing, privacy, or data-retention documentation for the data involved in each feature:
Our backend server runs on a DigitalOcean virtual server located in London, United Kingdom, with a PostgreSQL database for entitlement, usage, and transcription-job records. DigitalOcean processes this data as our infrastructure provider.
Audio data you submit for cloud transcription is staged in a temporary Google Cloud Storage bucket and processed by Google Cloud Speech-to-Text. Google processes this data as a data processor under the Google Cloud Data Processing Addendum, and Google’s data usage documentation explains how audio and transcripts are used, shared, logged, and retained.
When you use AI Chat, Highlight Analysis, Chapter Analysis, or Video Direct, your messages and context (transcripts, notes, and optional video context) are staged as needed in Google Cloud Storage and sent to Google Vertex AI / Gemini services to generate responses. Google’s generative AI documentation explains training restrictions, customer data retention, and temporary caching behavior.
If you enable sync, your library is stored in your own Apple iCloud (CloudKit private database and iCloud Drive), managed by Apple under your Apple Account. Subscriptions are sold and processed through the Apple App Store. Apple’s documentation explains how iCloud and App Store data are handled.
~/Library/BayanLibrary/ and uninstalling the app. iCloud data can be managed and removed from Apple’s iCloud settings.Because ReelScribe has no user account, the only data we hold is tied to your App Installation Identifier: your entitlement and usage records, plus any transient files still inside the processing window. You can request deletion of these records at any time:
Note that App Store purchase records held by Apple, and any data synced to your own iCloud, are controlled through Apple and your Apple Account.
Depending on your jurisdiction, you may have the following rights:
To exercise any of these rights, contact us at support@bayanlistening.top.
ReelScribe is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child under 13 has provided us with personal information, please contact us and we will take steps to delete that information.
Our backend server is located in London (United Kingdom), and audio/video processed for transcription and AI is handled by Google Cloud services in the Europe (europe-west1) region. If you use ReelScribe from outside the United Kingdom or European Economic Area, your data may be transferred to and processed in those regions and by the third-party services described above. Our providers maintain data-transfer safeguards, including Standard Contractual Clauses where applicable, through their respective data processing agreements.
We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any material changes by posting the updated policy on this page with a new effective date. We encourage you to review this policy periodically.
If you have any questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy, please contact us: