OpenAvatar — Privacy Policy

Effective date: 15 July 2026

OpenAvatar ("the app") is a local‑first macOS application that listens to your calls, transcribes them on your Mac, and helps you act on decisions and action items across the tools you connect. This policy explains what the app does and does not do with your information.

The short version: OpenAvatar runs entirely on your Mac. The developer operates no servers, receives no personal data, and uses no analytics or tracking.

Who we are

OpenAvatar is developed by the OpenAvatar project ("we", "us"). For any privacy question, contact .

What the app processes, and where

Everything below happens locally on your device unless you explicitly configure a cloud service (see "Services you connect").

  • Audio. When — and only when — you turn listening on, the app captures microphone audio and, on supported systems, the audio of the call you are on. Audio is processed in memory to produce a transcript and is not saved as an audio file. The menu‑bar icon always reflects whether capture is active.
  • Transcripts, decisions and actions. Transcripts, detected decisions, actions the app prepares or takes, per‑voice "speaker" fingerprints, and app settings are stored locally in the app's Application Support folder and, for secrets, in the macOS Keychain. They never leave your Mac except through services you connect.
  • No developer collection. We do not receive, store, or have any access to your audio, transcripts, calendar, messages, or any other content. There is no OpenAvatar account and no OpenAvatar server.
  • No analytics or tracking. The app contains no telemetry, advertising, or third‑party trackers.

Services you connect (optional, under your control)

OpenAvatar only contacts an external service when you configure it and, for actions, when you approve them:

  • AI model providers (e.g. Anthropic, OpenAI, Google, or a local model such as Ollama) — used to detect decisions and draft actions. If you choose a cloud provider, the relevant transcript text is sent to that provider using your own API key. If you use a local model, nothing leaves your Mac.
  • Transcription — local (whisper.cpp) by default, so audio never leaves your Mac. If you switch to a cloud transcription service, audio is sent to that service using your own key.
  • Integrations you enable (e.g. GitHub, Slack, Linear, email, Google Calendar) — contacted with your own credentials to read context or carry out actions you approve.

Data sent to these services is handled under their privacy policies. You can disconnect any of them at any time.

Google Calendar (read‑only)

If you connect Google Calendar, the app requests read‑only access (calendar.readonly) solely to look up the event around the current time and its attendees, so it can suggest names for the voices on your call. Calendar data is used transiently on your Mac for that purpose and is not stored on any server or sent to the developer. Your Google authorization (refresh token) is stored only in your macOS Keychain, and you can revoke it any time from your Google Account permissions or by clicking Disconnect in the app.

OpenAvatar's use of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. We do not transfer or use Google user data for serving ads, and we do not allow humans to read it except as needed for security or to comply with the law.

Permissions the app asks for

  • Microphone and system audio capture — to transcribe calls while listening is on. macOS shows these permission prompts and lets you revoke them in System Settings → Privacy & Security at any time.

Your control over your data

Because your data lives on your Mac, you are in control:

  • Export everything the app has stored, or erase all of it, from Settings → Data.
  • Disconnect any integration or the calendar at any time.
  • Deleting the app and its Application Support folder removes local data; Keychain items can be removed via Keychain Access.

Children

OpenAvatar is not directed to children and is not intended for use by anyone under the age required to consent to call recording where they live.

Changes to this policy

If this policy changes, we will update the effective date above and post the new version at this URL. Material changes will be reflected in the app's release notes.

Contact

Questions about privacy: