Privacy policy

Short version: we don't collect your data. Abe has no accounts, no telemetry and no server that your audio or text passes through. This page explains the few places where data does move, and who handles it.

"Abe", "we" and "us" mean Quads Lab, which maintains the Abe app and this website (getabe.app).

This website

• No cookies. The site doesn't set any cookies or use local storage to track you.
• No analytics or tracking. There are no analytics scripts, pixels, session recorders or third-party embeds.
• No external requests. Fonts and images are served from getabe.app itself.
• Hosting. The site is a static site hosted on Cloudflare Pages. Like any web host, Cloudflare processes technical data such as your IP address to deliver pages and protect against abuse, under theCloudflare privacy policy. We don't receive or keep access logs.
• Downloads are served by GitHub, under theGitHub privacy statement.

The Abe app

No accounts, no telemetry

You never sign in. The app doesn't send usage statistics, crash reports, analytics or any other telemetry to us or anyone else.

Local mode

When you choose Local, transcription runs on your own computer with an open-source Whisper model. Your audio never leaves your device. The only network request is a one-time download of the model file you pick.

Cloud mode (your own API key)

When you choose a cloud provider, Abe sends your recording directly from your computer to that provider over HTTPS, authenticated with your own API key. Voice Transform sends the selected text and your spoken instruction the same way. Nothing passes through a server run by us. The provider processes your data under its own terms and policies, which you agreed to when you created your key:

• OpenAI: privacy policy and API data controls. OpenAI says API data is not used for training by default and may be retained for up to 30 days for abuse monitoring.
• Groq: privacy policy and your data in GroqCloud.
• Custom endpoints: whoever runs that server. If it's your own machine, the data stays with you.

Your API key

Keys are stored in your operating system's secure credential store: Windows Credential Manager, the macOS Keychain, or the Secret Service (for example GNOME Keyring or KWallet) on Linux. The key is only ever sent to the provider it belongs to.

Data stored on your computer

Your settings, word dictionary and transcription history are stored locally by the app. You can clear your history at any time in the app, and uninstalling Abe removes it. We have no copy.

Update checks

Abe checks for new versions by requesting a small release file from GitHub. GitHub sees your IP address and the request, as it does for any download. No identifier or personal data is included.

Donations

Donations are handled by Stripe through a Stripe Payment Link. Stripe collects the payment details needed to process your gift under the Stripe privacy policy. We receive the information Stripe shares with merchants, such as your name, email and the amount, and use it only for bookkeeping and to contact you about that payment. We never see your full card number.

The previous hosted service

Earlier versions of Abe were a paid, hosted service with user accounts, subscriptions and server-side transcription. That service has been discontinued. Its servers are being shut down, and the account data it held (account details, usage records, feedback and email logs), including backups, is being permanently deleted as part of that shutdown. The current app does not contact those servers.

If you had an account and have a question about your data, email [email protected].

Children

Abe is a general-purpose tool and doesn't knowingly collect any data from anyone, including children.

Verify it yourself

Abe is open source. You can read exactly what the app sends and where in the source code.

Changes and contact

If this policy changes, we'll update the date at the top of this page and note the change in thechangelog. Questions: [email protected].