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Privacy and Data Flow

Last updated: 2026-06-21

Verbatim is local-first speech-to-text software. Audio transcription is designed to run on your device, but the app is not a zero-network application. Network activity can occur for update checks, model downloads, and optional post-processing providers that you configure.

Summary

  • Audio transcription runs locally with the selected on-device model.
  • Update checks are enabled by default and contact GitHub Releases.
  • Model downloads contact GitHub, Hugging Face, or Verbatim asset hosting, depending on the selected model.
  • AI post-processing is off by default. If you enable a remote provider, transcript text or selected text is sent to that provider.
  • Transcription history and recordings are stored locally unless deleted by the retention settings or by the user.
  • API keys are redacted from debug output, but they are currently stored in the normal app settings store rather than an operating-system credential manager.

Local Storage

Verbatim stores application data in the platform app-data directory. Portable builds store the same data under the portable Data/ directory.

Typical installed locations:

Platform App data location
Windows %APPDATA%\com.galaxyruler.verbatim\
macOS ~/Library/Application Support/com.galaxyruler.verbatim/
Linux ~/.config/com.galaxyruler.verbatim/
Data class Location Contents Default retention
Settings settings_store.json Preferences, shortcuts, model selection, provider configuration, custom words, snippets, API-key map Kept until changed or app data is deleted
History database history.db Transcript text, formatted/post-processed text, transform metadata, prompts used for post-processing, and redacted adaptive metadata Unsaved recording-backed entries are pruned by the history limit
Recordings recordings/ WAV files associated with history entries Auto-Delete Recordings defaults to keeping the latest history limit, which defaults to 5
Models models/ and local model folders Downloaded transcription and local post-processing model files Kept until deleted
Logs logs/ Diagnostic logs, errors, model/device state, and troubleshooting detail Rotated by the logging plugin

Logs should not intentionally contain transcript text, learned phrases, or API keys. Still review logs before sharing them because they can include device names, paths, operating-system details, provider names, model names, and error messages.

Network Activity

Feature Default Destination Data sent
Update checks On GitHub Releases latest.json endpoint App version and normal HTTPS request metadata
Installer/download links User initiated GitHub Releases Normal HTTPS request metadata
Model downloads User initiated Hugging Face and verbatim-assets.galaxyruler.space Requested model URL and normal HTTPS request metadata
Managed local model downloads User initiated Verbatim asset hosting, if a local model is downloaded Requested model URL and normal HTTPS request metadata
Remote post-processing Off The selected provider, such as OpenAI-compatible endpoints, Anthropic, Groq, Cerebras, OpenRouter, Bedrock Mantle, or a custom base URL Transcript text or selected text, prompt/template text, model/provider identifiers, and the provider API key in the request
Local post-processing endpoints Off unless configured Localhost endpoints such as LM Studio, Ollama, or vLLM Transcript text or selected text sent to the local endpoint

Verbatim does not currently include telemetry or analytics. If analytics are added later, they must be opt-in and documented separately.

Clipboard and Text Insertion

When clipboard insertion is selected, Verbatim writes the transcript to the clipboard, sends the paste shortcut, and then attempts to restore the previous clipboard when configured to do so. If automatic insertion fails, Verbatim may leave or copy the transcript to the clipboard so the user can paste it manually.

Clipboard contents are owned by the operating system and other applications can observe or change them according to the platform's normal clipboard behavior.

Per-Application Exclusions

Verbatim checks the foreground application against configured private-app patterns before starting recording. If the target matches a private-app exclusion, Verbatim blocks recording before microphone capture and clears the captured target context for that shortcut. The default exclusions cover common password managers such as 1Password, Bitwarden, and KeePass.

This guard is separate from private session. Private session suppresses history and recording retention for the active session; per-application exclusions stop recording before audio capture for matching foreground targets.

History and Recordings

The History view can contain the raw transcript, corrected text, transformed selected text, and a linked audio recording. Deleting a history entry deletes the matching recording file when one exists. Saved entries are protected from automatic cleanup.

For the lowest-retention workflow available today:

  1. Open Settings > Advanced > History.
  2. Set History Limit to 0.
  3. Set Auto-Delete Recordings to Keep latest 0.
  4. Delete existing entries from Settings > History.
  5. Avoid remote post-processing providers when dictating sensitive text.

This is not a dedicated private-session mode. A true no-history/no-recording mode is still a separate product requirement.

API Keys

Remote-provider API keys are stored in the settings store and redacted from debug formatting. They are not currently stored in Windows Credential Manager, macOS Keychain, Secret Service, or KWallet. Treat app-data backups and exported diagnostics as sensitive until you have reviewed them.

Uninstall Behavior

Uninstallers generally remove application binaries, not every app-data file. If you want to remove local transcripts, recordings, models, settings, logs, or API keys, delete the app-data directory after uninstalling.

Sharing Diagnostics

Before sharing logs, screenshots, recordings, or a database file:

  • Do not attach private audio or transcripts unless you intentionally want them reviewed.
  • Remove API keys, bearer tokens, private endpoints, and usernames from logs.
  • Prefer a short reproduction, OS version, app version, model name, paste method, and relevant error message over a full data-directory archive.