Privacy policy
Effective date: September 30, 2026. Loofah is a free app maintained by Bart Smeets. Contact hi@barts.space about this policy or a privacy request.
What stays on your device
Section titled “What stays on your device”Loofah does not require an account and does not operate a cloud service for your vault. Notes, recordings, transcripts, summaries, attachments, and settings are stored as files in a vault on your device. The iPhone app starts with a private local vault. The Mac app lets you choose a local vault folder.
Recording and transcription run on your device. After you download a speech model, your audio and transcript are processed locally. Loofah does not send app usage analytics, advertising data, or telemetry to us. We do not receive your vault content through normal app use.
The iPhone app stores any API key you enter in the iPhone Keychain. The Mac app uses the macOS login Keychain. Keys are used to connect to the provider you configure; they are not stored in your vault.
When data leaves your device
Section titled “When data leaves your device”- Sync that you choose. If you connect the iPhone app to an iCloud Drive vault, notes, transcripts, summaries, attachments, settings, and recordings are copied through your Apple iCloud account. A local copy remains on your iPhone. On Mac, you can place your vault in a folder managed by a sync service you choose. That service handles the files under its own terms and privacy policy.
- AI providers that you choose. If you enable a hosted summary provider, Loofah sends the instructions and relevant session context, which can include notes, transcript text, titles, and participant information, to that provider. On iPhone, a summary can be sent automatically after transcription once a provider is enabled. Generating a title can send the summary to the same provider. The provider may process or retain what you send according to its own policy. If you connect LM Studio, Ollama, or another server you control, the request goes to the server address you configure; that server may be on another device.
- Speech model downloads. When you ask the iPhone app to download a transcription model, it connects to Hugging Face to obtain the model files. The download does not include your recordings or transcripts. The download host can receive ordinary connection data such as your IP address.
- Support messages. If you email us, we receive the address and information you include. Please avoid sending recordings or sensitive notes unless needed to explain your request.
Loofah does not sell your data. It has no in-app purchases, paid features, or subscriptions. A provider or sync service you choose may have its own charges.
Retention and your choices
Section titled “Retention and your choices”Loofah keeps vault files on your device until you delete them. Recordings are not automatically deleted after transcription. You can delete content in the app, remove the local vault, or disconnect optional sync. Deleting a local copy may not remove copies already synced to a cloud service or sent to an AI provider; use that service’s controls for those copies. Keep your own backup before deleting the app or its files.
We keep support correspondence only as needed to respond and handle follow-up requests, subject to applicable legal obligations. You can ask about or request deletion of information you sent us at hi@barts.space. Because we do not host your vault, we cannot retrieve or delete vault files stored on your device or with a service you chose.
Website
Section titled “Website”The documentation website is served through Cloudflare. Cloudflare may process connection information needed to deliver the site. The site does not include our own usage analytics or advertising trackers. If you follow a link to another site, that site’s privacy policy applies.
Your responsibilities
Section titled “Your responsibilities”You decide what to record, sync, and send to a provider. Check recording-consent rules, your provider’s terms and privacy practices, any provider fees, and your backup needs. Transcripts and generated summaries can contain mistakes; review them before relying on them. To the extent permitted by law, you are responsible for your use of Loofah and of services you connect. Nothing in this policy removes rights or liabilities that cannot legally be excluded.
We may update this policy when the app or its data handling changes. The effective date above identifies the current version. For a practical explanation of the vault and optional services, see Data, privacy, and retention.