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Privacy Policy

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Noema is local-first. Local models, conversations, documents, indexes, and many tools can remain on your device. Optional features can intentionally communicate with local-network, iCloud, Apple, Noema-operated, enterprise, or third-party services. This policy explains those boundaries without treating every Noema workflow as offline.

1. Data stored on your device

Conversations, downloaded models, imported documents, retrieval indexes, preferences, bookmarks, and other local workspace data are stored on the Apple device where you use Noema, subject to the device’s operating-system, backup, and security settings. Noema does not operate an account service for ordinary personal local use.

Local model generation and local retrieval do not require Noema to receive the prompt, response, document, or embedding. You can delete chats, datasets, and downloaded assets in the app or remove the app and its local data.

2. Your permission comes first

Before Noema first sends your content to a third-party AI service, a web search service, or a remote transcription server, it shows you what will be sent and who receives it, and asks for your permission. Nothing is sent to that recipient unless you choose Allow. If you choose Don't Allow, nothing is sent and the rest of the app keeps working.

Permission is given separately for each recipient and stays on your device. A new server address asks again. You can review and withdraw every permission in Settings › Privacy Center, or in Settings › Privacy & Permissions in Beginner mode. Withdrawing stops future sending; it cannot recall data that has already been sent.

3. Third-party AI services

Noema does not run a cloud AI model of its own. A third-party AI service is only used when you choose one, and these are the only ways your content can reach one:

  • OpenRouter and other remote models. You can connect OpenRouter (openrouter.ai) or any server you add by address, such as a commercial AI provider or your own server. Noema names the service and its address when it asks for permission. OpenRouter passes each request to the company hosting the model you pick. The service receives your messages and the chat's history, your custom instructions, images you attach, transcripts of audio or video, excerpts from documents used in the chat, tool requests and results, your API key for that service, and your IP address. It uses them to generate replies. Saved memories, earlier chats, Reminders, Contacts, and Photos are not sent. A server on your own device, local network, or private tailnet is not treated as a third party.
  • Apple Private Cloud Compute. If you choose this model, Apple receives your messages and the chat's history, images you attach, transcripts, document excerpts, saved memories, and results from tools you turn on, such as web search or Calendar, to generate replies. Apple's terms and privacy practices apply.
  • Autopilot. If you set up Autopilot with a remote router or Private Cloud Compute, the router you choose receives up to 1,600 characters of each new message, part of your previous message, conversation length, which tools are on, battery and thermal state, and your local model's speed, to decide where the answer should run. When a turn is handed to a stronger model, that model receives what is described above. Knowledge-base excerpts stay on your device unless you turn that setting on.
  • Remote transcription. If you set up a remote transcription endpoint, that server receives the whole audio or video file you choose, its file name, and its language, to create a transcript.
  • Model Context Protocol servers. If you add a remote tool server, it receives the arguments of the tool calls you approve.

Noema does not use your content to train AI models, and does not sell it. Whether a third-party AI service retains your data or uses it for training is decided by that service's own terms, so review them before you allow it.

4. Data Noema's own services receive

  • Noema Search (search.noemaai.com): search queries the model writes from your message, addresses of pages to open, text to find on them, and language, region, and safe-search settings, used to return results. Server access logs record IP address, time, request path, and status to keep the service running, and do not record the query.
  • Wallet pass signing (search.noemaai.com): the pass details you confirm and a device attestation, used to sign the pass. The scan image is not sent.
  • Noema Bridge (bridge.noemaai.com): a routing identifier, public device keys, and the size and timing of encrypted traffic, used to connect your devices. The relay cannot read the content.
  • Noema Teams (api.noemaai.com): company code, email address, device name, and platform, used to enroll a managed device. Chat content is not sent to Noema.

Noema keeps this information only as long as needed to provide and secure these services, and does not sell it or use it for advertising.

5. Other optional network features

Network activity depends on the feature and route you choose. Model and dataset downloads contact their selected source, such as Hugging Face or the Open Textbook Library, which receive your search terms and IP address. Constellation can sync chats and projects through your private iCloud database and use an awake Mac's models over Local Network, Private Link, Direct, Noema Bridge, or Cloud Relay. When it connects your devices directly, public STUN servers run by Cloudflare and Google see your IP address. On the Mac, coding tools can send code to the Git remotes you configure.

See Privacy & Network Activity for a feature-by-feature table of destinations and data that may be sent.

Web Search can send a generated query, locale, search controls, candidate URLs or snippets, source references, and open or find parameters to the selected search and source-reading services. The web tool is not designed to send the entire chat transcript, though a query can include details from your message, and returned evidence is provided to the active model so it can answer.

Noema Search passes queries to search engines including Google, Bing, DuckDuckGo, Brave, Startpage, Qwant, Mojeek, Mwmbl, Wikipedia, Wikidata, and Yahoo. Those engines' own privacy policies apply to the queries they receive. If you add your own key for Brave Search, Tavily, or Exa, or your own SearXNG server, queries go to that service with your key where one is used.

A custom SearXNG instance provides snippet-only search results. Service availability can be affected by upstream providers, rate limits, maintenance, or network conditions even when Noema imposes no in-app quota.

7. Constellation and Apple services

Constellation can send prompts, supported attachments, tool exchanges, and responses to an awake Mac. It prefers authenticated local or private paths, can use end-to-end encrypted Direct or Noema Bridge transport, and can fall back to the user's private iCloud database. Noema Bridge forwards encrypted traffic and does not run the model. Apple Speech can use Apple services when on-device recognition is unavailable or not required. Apple services are governed by Apple's terms and privacy practices.

8. Analytics and advertising

Noema does not run analytics or use advertising trackers in the app or on this website.

Noema does not use the website or app to build advertising profiles from conversations or documents.

9. Diagnostics and support

Diagnostic exports are designed to exclude chat transcripts and document contents and to redact common secrets, but users should review every export, screenshot, or log before sending it to support. Information voluntarily included in a support request is used to investigate and respond to that request.

10. Retention and protection by third parties

Noema cannot delete data from a third-party provider after the user sends it there. That provider’s retention and deletion policy applies. Local deletion removes Noema’s local copy; operating-system backups may retain data under the user’s Apple settings.

Service providers that Noema selects to run its own services, such as hosting and network providers, must protect your data at least as well as this policy describes. A third-party AI service, search provider, or server you choose operates under its own terms: Noema shows you who will receive your data before you agree, cannot verify that service's practices, and asks you to share with it only if you trust it to protect your data to the same standard.

11. Off-grid Mode

Off-grid Mode blocks external HTTP and HTTPS traffic initiated through Noema’s network stack. Local generation, retrieval, and local tools continue to work. Off-grid Mode is not a guarantee that separately launched software, managed enterprise systems, LAN behavior, or operating-system services are isolated.

12. Changes and contact

We will update this policy when product data paths or legal requirements materially change. Questions and privacy requests can be sent to clientcare@noemaai.com.