Privacy Policy

The short version

• ZenNotes for iPhone and iPad is a local-first notes app. Your notes are Markdown files kept on your device.
• We do not collect, transmit, or store your notes or any personal information. There is no ZenNotes account and no ZenNotes server behind the app.
• If you enable iCloud, your notes sync through your own iCloud account, which only you and Apple can access — never us.
• There are no analytics, no advertising, and no third-party tracking SDKs in the app.

Who this policy covers

This Privacy Policy applies to the ZenNotes mobile application for iOS and iPadOS (“ZenNotes,” “the app,” “we,” or “our”). ZenNotes is open-source software built around the idea that you own your files. The ZenNotes website, desktop apps, and self-hosted server follow the same principle, but this page is written for the mobile app you may have installed from the App Store.

Information we collect

None. To be specific:

• No account or personal details. ZenNotes has no sign-up, login, or user profile. We never ask for your name, email address, or phone number.
• No usage analytics or telemetry. The app contains no analytics SDKs. We do not measure which features you use, how often you open the app, or anything else about your activity.
• No advertising or tracking. There are no ads, no advertising identifiers, and no third-party trackers. ZenNotes does not use Apple’s App Tracking Transparency framework because it has nothing to track.
• No crash or diagnostic collection by us. We do not operate a crash-reporting service. If you have opted in to share diagnostics with Apple at the system level, Apple may share anonymized crash data with developers — see “Apple and the App Store” below.

Your notes and content

Everything you create in ZenNotes — notes, folders, tags, tasks, attachments, and app settings — is stored locally on your device as plain files. Because there is no ZenNotes server involved in the mobile app, your content is never transmitted to us and never leaves your control. We have no way to read it.

iCloud sync

If you enable iCloud for ZenNotes, your notes sync between your own Apple devices through your personal iCloud account.

• This sync is handled entirely by Apple. Your notes live in your iCloud, under your Apple ID, and are subject to Apple’s iCloud security and Apple’s Privacy Policy.
• ZenNotes never receives, reads, or keeps a copy of your iCloud data. The app simply asks iOS to keep your local files in its iCloud container; Apple does the rest.
• You can turn iCloud sync off at any time in iOS Settings, and manage or delete your iCloud data directly from your Apple device.

Device permissions

ZenNotes only asks for a permission when a feature you use needs it, and anything you grant is used solely on your device. For example, if the app requests access to your photos, files, or camera to attach an image to a note, whatever you select or capture is stored inside your notes on your device (and your iCloud, if sync is enabled). It is never uploaded to us.

Third-party services

ZenNotes does not embed advertising networks, analytics providers, or third-party tracking libraries. The only external service involved is Apple’s iCloud, and only if you choose to enable sync. Your use of iCloud and the App Store is governed by Apple’s Privacy Policy.

Apple and the App Store

When you download or use ZenNotes from the App Store, Apple may collect certain information as part of operating the App Store and its developer tools — for example, aggregate download counts and, if you have opted in, anonymized crash and usage data shared with developers through App Store Connect. This information is collected by Apple, not by us, and is governed by Apple’s Privacy Policy. Any crash data Apple shares with us is aggregated and not linked to your identity.

Data security

Because your notes never leave your device or your personal iCloud, their security rests on protections you already trust: your device’s passcode, Face ID or Touch ID, and on-device encryption, plus Apple’s iCloud security if you enable sync. We recommend keeping a device passcode enabled. Since we hold none of your data, there is no ZenNotes account or server for an attacker to compromise.

Your control over your data

• Delete a note and it is removed from your device (and your iCloud, if sync is on).
• Delete the app to remove its local data from that device; iCloud copies can be managed or removed from iOS Settings under iCloud.
• Turn iCloud sync on or off at any time in iOS Settings.

Because we collect no personal data, there is nothing held by us to request, export, or delete.

Children’s privacy

ZenNotes is a general-purpose notes app and is not directed at children under 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your jurisdiction). We do not knowingly collect personal information from anyone — children included — because we collect no personal information at all.

Your rights (GDPR, CCPA, and similar)

Privacy laws such as the GDPR and the CCPA give you rights to access, correct, or delete the personal data a company holds about you, and to know whether it is sold. ZenNotes does not collect, store, sell, or share any personal data, so there is no such data on our side to access or delete. You retain full, direct control of your notes on your own device and iCloud at all times.

Changes to this policy

If we change how ZenNotes handles data, we will update this page and revise the “Last updated” date above. Because the app is open source, any change is also visible in the project’s public history. Material changes will be noted here.

Contact

Questions about privacy in ZenNotes? Reach us through the project’s public channels:

• GitHub — open an issue at github.com/ZenNotes/zennotes.
• Discord — join the community.