Last Updated: February 8, 2026
ARK Studio LLC ("we," "our," or "us") respects your privacy and is committed to protecting the personal information you share with us. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, and safeguard your information when you use our mobile application, Gist: AI Meeting Note Taker (the "App").
We built Gist with a "Local-First" philosophy.
No Accounts Required: You do not need to create an account or provide your name/email to use the App.
Data Minimization: We do not store your recordings or transcripts on our servers permanently.
Your Data is Yours: All processed notes, summaries, and chat history are stored locally on your device (or your personal iCloud/Cloud backup). We do not have access to your private meeting notes.
Since we do not require user registration, we collect very limited data. We categorize data collection as follows:
To provide the transcription and summarization service, you upload audio files or record audio through the App.
What we do: We transmit this audio to our third-party AI processors (secure cloud providers) solely for the purpose of converting speech to text.
Retention: Audio files are automatically and permanently deleted from the processing servers immediately after processing is complete, or within a maximum of 24 hours.
Storage: The resulting text (transcripts, summaries) is sent back to your device and stored locally. We do not keep a copy.
We use Google Analytics for Firebase to understand how the App is used and to improve stability.
Data collected: Device model, operating system version, crash reports, session duration, and feature usage counts (e.g., "User clicked Record").
Identifiability: This data is pseudonymous and aggregated. It does not contain your meeting contents or audio.
If you grant permission via the iOS App Tracking Transparency (ATT) prompt:
Identifier for Advertisers (IDFA): We may access your device's IDFA to measure the effectiveness of our marketing campaigns (e.g., to know if an ad led to an app install).
Opt-out: You can decline this permission in the iOS popup or manage it later in your iPhone Settings > Privacy > Tracking. The App works fully without this permission.
Provider: Apple App Store (In-App Purchases).
Data: We receive a receipt token to verify your "Pro" status. We do not have access to your credit card information, billing address, or real name. All financial transactions are handled exclusively by Apple.
We do not sell your personal data. However, we share data with trusted third-party service providers necessary to operate the App ("Data Processors").
Processor Category
Service Providers
Purpose
AI Transcription
Google Vertex AI
Processing audio into text. (Data deleted within 24h).
LLM / Summarization/ Chatbot
Google Gemini
Generating summaries and action items from text.
Analytics
Google Analytics (Firebase)
App stability and usage metrics.
Infrastructure
Google Cloud Platform
Secure transmission of data.
Subscriptions
RevenueCat, Apple
Validating subscription status.
These providers are bound by strict confidentiality agreements and data processing terms ensuring they only process data according to our instructions.
Audio Recordings: Deleted from cloud servers within 24 hours of upload.
Transcripts/Notes: Stored locally on your device indefinitely until you delete the App or the specific file. If you use iCloud Backup, your data follows Apple’s iCloud retention policies.
Analytics Data: Retained for a limited period (typically 14 months) in an aggregated format for statistical analysis.
ARK Studio LLC operates globally. Your audio data may be transferred to and processed on servers located in the United States (where our AI providers are hosted). We ensure that these transfers comply with applicable laws and that our providers utilize adequate safeguards (such as Standard Contractual Clauses) to protect your data.
Depending on your location (e.g., EEA, UK, California), you have rights regarding your data. However, because we do not have user accounts, we often cannot identify which data belongs to a specific individual request (as we don't have your name or email).
Access & Portability: You already possess your data; it resides on your device.
Deletion: You can delete your data by deleting the specific notes within the App or uninstalling the App. This removes the local database.
Correction: You can edit any transcript or summary directly within the App.
If you have specific privacy questions, you may contact us, but please note we may not be able to retrieve specific usage logs without a registered account ID.
We do not "sell" your personal information as defined by the CCPA. We do not share your private meeting content with data brokers. You have the right to request that we disclose the categories of personal information we collect (outlined in Section 2) and to request deletion (accomplished by uninstalling the App).
The App is not intended for use by children under the age of 13 (or 16 in certain jurisdictions). We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child without verification of parental consent, we will take steps to remove that information.
We use industry-standard security measures to protect your data:
Encryption in Transit: All data sent between your device and our AI processors is encrypted using TLS/SSL (HTTPS).
Ephemeral Processing: The "delete-after-processing" architecture minimizes the risk of data breaches on our end.
However, please remember that no method of transmission over the internet or method of electronic storage is 100% secure.
We may update our Privacy Policy from time to time. We will notify you of any changes by posting the new Privacy Policy on this page and updating the "Last Updated" date. You are advised to review this Privacy Policy periodically for any changes.
If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us at:
ARK Studio LLC
Email: techtiq.app@gmail.com