#Privacy & Local Storage

Clearminutes is designed around a simple principle: all processing happens on your device. Nothing leaves your machine unless you explicitly choose a cloud model.

This guide explains exactly where your data is stored, what gets transmitted (spoiler: almost nothing), and how to control your data.

#The Privacy Guarantee

Bottom line: With local Whisper + built-in AI, nothing ever leaves your device. If you use Claude or Groq, only your transcript goes to their servers (not to Clearminutes).

#Recording Storage Locations

Your audio recordings are stored in your system's application data folder. Here's the exact path for each platform:

#macOS

~/Library/Application Support/Clearminutes/recordings/

Access it:

# In Terminal:
open ~/Library/Application\ Support/Clearminutes/recordings/

# Or use Finder:
# Cmd+Shift+G, paste the path above

Storage example:

recordings/
├── 2025-01-24_09-12-34_Q4_Planning.m4a (125 MB)
├── 2025-01-24_14-22-10_Team_Standup.m4a (45 MB)
├── 2025-01-25_10-15-00_Client_Call.m4a (280 MB)

#Windows

%APPDATA%\Clearminutes\recordings\

Access it:

1. Press Win+R
2. Type: %APPDATA%\Clearminutes\recordings\
3. Press Enter

Or in File Explorer:

C:\Users\[Your Username]\AppData\Roaming\Clearminutes\recordings\

#Whisper Model Storage

Whisper models are large files (40 MB to 3 GB) stored separately from recordings. They're cached locally so you don't re-download them.

#macOS

~/Library/Application Support/Clearminutes/models/

#Windows

%APPDATA%\Clearminutes\models\

Model files by size:

Built-in AI models are downloaded as .gguf files ranging from ~1 GB (Qwen3 1.7B) to ~7 GB (Gemma 3 12B). See Built-in AI Models for the full list.

Example: If you've downloaded large-v3-turbo (800 MB) and Gemma 4 E2B (~3 GB), the models folder uses ~3.8 GB.

#Database Storage

Your meeting list, transcripts, summaries, and metadata are stored in a local SQLite database:

#macOS

~/Library/Application Support/Clearminutes/app.db

#Windows

%APPDATA%\Clearminutes\app.db

What's in the database:

• Meeting names, dates, durations
• Transcript text (all segments)
• Summary text and sections (key points, action items, etc.)
• Speaker labels and diarization data
• Tags, stars, and notes
• Integrations data (TickTick/Outline connections)

Database size: ~5–10 MB per 50 meetings (small compared to audio files)

#Change Storage Location

By default, recordings and models are stored in your system's app data folder. To use a different location (external SSD, network drive, etc.):

1. Open Settings (⌘, on macOS, or gear icon)
2. Go to Storage section
3. Find Recording Location and Model Location paths
4. Click Change or Browse next to each
5. Select a new folder:
   • macOS: Browse to any folder (external SSD, USB drive, NAS mount, etc.)
   • Windows: Browse to any drive or network path
6. Click Confirm or Move
   • Clearminutes automatically moves existing files to the new location

[SCREENSHOT: Settings → Storage with "Change Location" button]

Use cases for moving storage:

• External SSD: Free up laptop space while keeping recordings accessible
• NAS/Network Drive: Centralized backup, shared team recordings (enterprise)
• Large fast external drive: Better performance for very large collections

#Auto-Delete Recordings

Keep your device clean by automatically deleting old recording audio. Transcripts remain in the database forever.

#Enable Auto-Delete

1. Go to Settings → Storage → Auto-Delete
2. Choose a retention period:
   • Never — Keep all recordings forever
   • After 30 days — Delete audio older than 30 days
   • After 90 days — Delete audio older than 90 days
   • After 1 year — Delete audio older than 1 year
3. Click Save

[SCREENSHOT: Auto-Delete settings with options]

How it works:

• Auto-delete runs daily at 3 AM (local machine time)
• Only the audio file is deleted, not the transcript or summary
• You can still read and search your transcript, but can't replay the original audio
• Note: Deletion is permanent — you cannot recover deleted audio files

#Important: Export Before Deleting

Always export meetings you care about before audio is deleted:

1. Open a meeting
2. Click Export (top-right)
3. Choose Markdown or Plain Text
4. Choose Save to File (or Copy to Clipboard)
5. Store the exported file somewhere safe (cloud drive, external drive, etc.)

See Export Notes for detailed export instructions.

#What Gets Transmitted to Clearminutes Servers

Clearminutes' servers are contacted minimally and only for essential features:

#Pro Subscription Verification (Pro Users Only)

When you start the app with a Pro license, Clearminutes calls api.clearminutes.app to:

• Verify your subscription is still active
• Check which Pro features you're entitled to (diarization, analytics, integrations)
• Validate deep-link activations or license keys
• Never: Checks what you recorded, meeting names, transcripts, audio, or any content

Data sent: Your license key or subscription ID (encrypted)

Frequency: Once per app launch (automatic), or when you upgrade/change plans

No internet = no problem: If you're offline, the app uses the last known subscription status (usually 30 days grace period)

#Cloud Models (Optional)

If you choose to use Claude, Groq, or OpenRouter for summaries:

• Only your transcript text is sent to the model provider (not to Clearminutes)
• You provide your own API key in Settings
• You're billed directly by the model provider, not by Clearminutes
• You must review their privacy policies

Example: If you use Claude to summarize a meeting:

1. Clearminutes sends: [full transcript text] → Claude API (Anthropic)
2. Claude returns: [summary]
3. Clearminutes never sees the transcript or summary sent to Claude

#Local vs Cloud Models: Comparison

Choose based on your privacy and quality needs:

#When to Use Local

• Privacy-critical meetings (legal, medical, confidential)
• You want zero data transmission
• You're working offline
• You like to own your data

#When to Use Cloud

• You want highest-quality summaries
• You need fast processing
• Privacy is less critical than quality
• You don't mind the small cost per meeting

#Delete All Data (Factory Reset)

To completely remove Clearminutes and all your data:

1. Go to Settings → Advanced → Delete All Data (or Settings → About → Delete All Data)
2. A confirmation dialog appears: "Delete all meetings, recordings, models, and settings? This cannot be undone."
3. Click Confirm or Yes
4. All data is immediately deleted
5. Uninstall Clearminutes from your system

[SCREENSHOT: Delete All Data confirmation dialog]

What gets deleted:

• All audio recordings
• All meetings, transcripts, and summaries
• Downloaded Whisper and built-in AI models
• Settings, preferences, and integrations
• Local database
• Subscription token (Pro users must reactivate if reinstalling)

What doesn't get deleted:

• Exported meeting files (Markdown/text files you saved separately)
• Integrations data on external services (TickTick tasks, Outline docs remain)

#Uninstall (Without Deleting Data)

To remove the Clearminutes app but keep your recordings:

#macOS

1. Option A: Drag Clearminutes from Applications to Trash
   • Your data is NOT deleted (stays in ~/Library/Application Support/Clearminutes/)
2. Option B: Use an uninstaller if Clearminutes includes one
   • Check the .dmg file for an uninstaller

To manually delete data after uninstalling:

rm -rf ~/Library/Application\ Support/Clearminutes/

#Windows

1. Open Settings → Apps → Installed Apps
2. Find Clearminutes
3. Click Uninstall
4. If prompted about "Keep my files," select:
   • Remove everything — Deletes Clearminutes and data
   • Keep files — Removes app but keeps data in %APPDATA%\Clearminutes\
5. Click Uninstall

To manually delete data after uninstalling:

Del %APPDATA%\Clearminutes\

#Data Retention & Backup

#Backup Your Meetings

Clearminutes doesn't offer built-in cloud backup, but you can:

1. Export meetings regularly to Markdown files

   • Store on Google Drive, Dropbox, OneDrive, or external drive
   • See Export Notes

2. Copy your database manually:

   • macOS: Copy ~/Library/Application Support/Clearminutes/app.db
   • Windows: Copy %APPDATA%\Clearminutes\app.db
   • Store on external drive or cloud storage

3. Copy your recordings:

   • Archive your recordings folder (see Storage Locations above)
   • Compress and upload to cloud storage or external drive

#Disaster Recovery

If your device breaks or is lost:

1. Transcripts are lost unless you exported them
2. Audio files are lost unless you backed up the recordings folder
3. Models must be re-downloaded on new device

Best practice:

• Weekly: Export important meetings as Markdown
• Monthly: Back up your recordings folder and app.db database
• Use cloud storage (Google Drive, OneDrive, Dropbox) for easy recovery

#Compliance & Regulations

#GDPR (EU)

Clearminutes is GDPR-compliant:

• No personal data is sent to Clearminutes servers
• All processing is local
• You control data deletion (auto-delete feature)
• No cookies or tracking (except anonymous analytics if enabled)

#HIPAA (Healthcare)

If you use Clearminutes to record medical meetings:

• Keep everything local (don't use cloud models)
• Store in compliant location (encrypted drive)
• Delete data per your retention policy
• Clearminutes does NOT provide HIPAA Business Associate Agreement (BAA) — suitable for non-regulated practice only

#SOC 2 & Enterprise

Clearminutes doesn't have SOC 2 certification, but:

• Can be used in enterprise with local models only (zero cloud transmission)
• Recommended for teams with Clearminutes Pro + TickTick/Outline integrations (integrations stay on your account)
• Consider self-hosting if data residency is required

For enterprise questions, contact support at https://support.clearminutes.app.

#Related

• Installation & First Launch →
• Upgrade to Pro →
• Export Notes →
• Configure Audio Setup →