Privacy Policy
Your voice, your choice. We're transparent about what happens with your data.
Last updated: August 2026
This policy explains how Twin Pines Enterprises, LLC, the provider of Finch, handles information connected with the software, website, licensing, and support.
TL;DR
- Finch processes dictation audio in memory and does not save it to disk
- Cloud mode sends audio or text to the provider you choose; that provider's account settings and privacy terms control retention
- Local transcription processes dictation audio and text on your device
- Privacy Mode blocks automatic cloud transcription, AI, license-revalidation, and update traffic; explicit network actions still require your choice
- We do not sell personal data or use behavioral advertising trackers
What Stays on Your Device
| Data | Storage | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Audio recordings | Memory only | Never saved to disk, cleared after processing |
| Whisper models | %APPDATA%\Finch\models\ | Downloaded from HuggingFace |
| Dictionary entries | SQLCipher database | Encrypted with 256-bit AES |
| Snippets | SQLCipher database | Encrypted with 256-bit AES |
| Recording history | SQLCipher database | Optional and encrypted; new writes can be disabled |
| Settings | JSON file | Preferences (no sensitive data) |
| API keys | OS Credential Manager | Windows Credential Manager; macOS Keychain in the pending signed/notarized macOS release |
What Goes to the Cloud
Cloud transcription and AI features send provider data when selected; update checks request the signed release manifest:
| Action | Destination | Data Sent |
|---|---|---|
| Cloud transcription | Groq or Deepgram | WAV for batch transcription; raw PCM for Deepgram streaming |
| AI text cleanup | Groq | Transcribed text |
| AI voice commands | Groq | Command + clipboard content |
| Update checks | releases.finch.talk | Standard HTTPS request metadata; manifest/version comparison is handled by the updater |
Network requests use HTTPS or WSS over TLS. Finch sends Groq and Deepgram requests directly from the app using the API key you configure. Provider retention, usage metadata, rate limits, and charges depend on your provider account, settings, and current provider policy; do not assume zero retention. Finch servers do not receive or store your dictation audio or transcripts.
Purchase, Licensing & Support Data
Finch does not require an app login. When you purchase, activate, recover, or request support for a license, the following services process limited data needed to complete that request:
| Service | Purpose | Data |
|---|---|---|
| Stripe | Checkout and payment | Payment details, email, name, payment status, and checkout session ID. Finch does not receive your full card number. |
| Keygen | License creation, validation, and device activation | Email, name if supplied, checkout session ID, license record, hashed device fingerprint, and operating-system device name |
| Resend | License delivery and recovery email | Email address, name if supplied, and license email content |
| Cloudflare | Website/API delivery, checkout verification, duplicate-email prevention, and checkout/recovery rate limiting | Request metadata, checkout session ID marker, and a hashed IP address for checkout and recovery rate limiting |
| Discord, if sales notifications are enabled | Internal sale notification | Product, amount, currency, timestamp, and sanitized campaign labels when supplied; no buyer email address |
Cloudflare stores the checkout email-delivery marker for 90 days and hashed-IP checkout and recovery rate-limit counters for 1 hour. Transaction and license records may be retained as needed to deliver a perpetual license, provide support, prevent fraud, and meet accounting or legal obligations. Each processor controls its own additional retention under its privacy policy.
Privacy Mode
Enable Privacy Mode for maximum data protection:
- Forces local-only transcription
- Skips new history writes; existing history remains
- Disables text cleanup and voice-command dispatch
- Automatic cloud features and checks disabled
With Privacy Mode + Local Whisper, normal dictation works offline. Actions you explicitly initiate, such as license management or a model download, can still require a connection; an operating-system firewall or physical disconnection is the enforcement boundary for an air-gapped machine.
API Key Security
Your API keys (Groq, Deepgram) are protected with multiple layers of security:
- OS Credential Storage: The current Windows release uses Credential Manager with a DPAPI-encrypted fallback. The macOS release remains unavailable until Developer ID signing, notarization, and Keychain-only storage/migration are verified.
- DPAPI Protection (Windows): Encryption keys bound to your Windows user account using Data Protection API
- Auto-Migration: Legacy credential files are removed after successful migration into supported secure storage
- Never included in backup exports
- Only transmitted to their respective APIs (never to Finch servers)
Local Database Security
Your personal data (dictionary, snippets, recording history, custom commands) is stored locally with encryption:
- SQLCipher Encryption: Database encrypted with 256-bit AES at rest
- User-Bound Keys: Encryption key protected by DPAPI on Windows, bound to your user account
- Automatic Migration: Existing unencrypted databases are automatically migrated to encrypted format
- Data Location:
%APPDATA%\Finch\finch.db
Input Protection
Finch protects against malicious input patterns:
- Character Limits: Text input capped at 10,000 characters to prevent abuse
- Input Sanitization: Finch filters some code blocks, instruction-like patterns, and special tokens before LLM processing. This reduces risk but cannot eliminate prompt injection.
- Audio Size Limits: Maximum 100 MB to prevent memory exhaustion
Update Security
Finch uses Tauri's built-in updater with cryptographic verification:
- 1Update manifest fetched from releases.finch.talk over HTTPS
- 2Download verified against Ed25519 digital signature
- 3Signature checked against public key embedded in the app
- 4Only installs if verification passes
Third-Party Services
Finch currently uses the following providers:
Groq
Used for cloud transcription and optional AI text processing. Retention depends on your Groq Data Controls and Groq's current policy; some request data and usage metadata may be retained.
View Groq Data Practices →Deepgram
Used for real-time cloud transcription. Retention depends on your Deepgram account, program settings, and Deepgram's current policy; Finch does not promise zero retention.
View Deepgram Data Practices →Commerce, licensing, and delivery
Stripe processes checkout;Keygen manages licenses and device activations;Resend delivers license email;Cloudflare hosts the public website and API; andDiscord receives the limited sale notification described above when that integration is enabled.
Questions?
If you have any questions about our privacy practices, please contact us.
[email protected]