Privacy

Fully local when your setup stays local.

ExtraBrain can keep transcription and AI prompts on your computer when you use local Parakeet transcription plus local Gemma 4. External model or transcription providers receive only the content required for requests you choose to send.

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Privacy

ExtraBrain Mobile privacy policy

Updated October 26, 2026. This section applies to ExtraBrain Mobile for iPhone and Android, including its sample session and encrypted Mac controller. ExtraBrain operates the app; contact info@extrabrain.app with privacy questions or requests. No separate ExtraBrain account is required.

Try a sample session

Tap "Try a sample session" to explore the controller without a Mac, QR code, camera permission, subscription, or VPN. The sample uses synthetic state on your phone. Its controls and chat composer do not send commands or questions to a Mac or relay, record audio, capture a screen, or generate AI responses.

Camera and QR pairing

Camera access is optional and used only when you open the QR scanner. The pairing code is processed on your phone to obtain the Mac identity, connection addresses, and temporary pairing information. Camera images and video are not uploaded to ExtraBrain or stored by the mobile app. Live control requires scanning the Mac's pairing code and approving the phone on that Mac; manually entered host addresses are not supported.

Information stored on your phone

The app stores its private device identity, remembered Mac identity and connection information, connected device name, and controller-card order in platform-protected local storage. These settings remain on your phone until replaced or removed. Android backup excludes the app's protected storage; clear the app's storage in Android Settings or uninstall the app to remove it. On iPhone, protected data uses iOS Keychain and may remain after uninstalling and reinstalling the app. Revoke the phone in ExtraBrain on your computer to remove its access. Contact info@extrabrain.app for help removing local or relay metadata; do not send private keys or live pairing codes.

Commands and questions sent to your Mac

Controller commands, questions, and Mac controller state use end-to-end encryption between your phone and the approved Mac. When both devices have a reachable Tailscale connection, the app tries that direct route first; otherwise, it can use the configured AWS relay across different networks. The relay cannot read the command, question, or controller-state content. No subscription or VPN is required for the relay path. Tailscale is optional and operates under its own privacy policy.

Relay device and connection metadata

When you choose a relay connection, the service and AWS process device public keys and identifiers, pairing and approval state, connection identifiers, expiration times, and connection activity needed to authenticate devices and route encrypted traffic. The service retains enrollment and routing records as needed for pairing, reconnection, revocation, and expiry. It does not store command or chat bodies. This metadata is separate from the encrypted session content and is used for app functionality and connection security, not advertising. The sample session does not connect to this service.

Desktop processing and external providers

Recording, screen capture, transcription, and AI responses take place through the Mac app. Your Mac may retain session content or send your questions and selected context to the AI or transcription providers configured there. Those providers have their own retention and privacy terms. If data sharing is enabled in the Mac app, remote-control actions can also produce usage events under its analytics settings. Review the desktop data paths described on this page before submitting sensitive content from your phone.

Advertising, analytics, and accounts

The mobile app has no advertising, analytics, attribution, payment, or crash-reporting SDK and does not create an ExtraBrain account. ExtraBrain does not receive the pairing camera feed or sell mobile data. Relay service providers process the connection metadata described above on ExtraBrain's behalf. Website analytics and separately installed services are outside this mobile controller's data path.

Support and your choices

If you email info@extrabrain.app, we receive your email address and the information you choose to include so we can respond. Avoid sending session content, QR codes, credentials, or private host addresses unless needed for support. You may ask us to delete information you have sent to support. You can revoke camera permission in iOS or Android Settings, disconnect or revoke the phone on your computer, and manage desktop session data and provider access there. Follow the platform-specific local-storage guidance above when removing app data.

Audience and policy changes

ExtraBrain Mobile is intended for adults and is not directed to children under 18. We will update this policy if the mobile app's data handling changes.

Privacy

What stays local by default

Desktop app state

The app runs on your computer rather than a hosted browser dashboard.

Fully local mode

With local Gemma 4 and local Parakeet transcription, transcripts, prompts, screenshots, notes, and saved facts can stay on your computer.

Hardware requirement

Local Gemma 4 requires installation and compatible hardware and may not be available on every Mac or customer environment.

Credentials

Provider credentials should stay in the app-controlled storage path and should be rotated if a device or account is compromised.

Privacy

What can leave your device

External model requests

Prompt text, transcript excerpts, screenshots, and context can be sent to OpenAI, Anthropic, Claude, Codex, or a custom endpoint when you ask ExtraBrain to use that provider.

Transcription

Local Parakeet can keep transcription on-device. Optional Deepgram can receive audio or transcription data depending on setup.

Analytics

The public website tracks page and download interactions. The app privacy posture should be reviewed separately from website analytics.

Pricing boundary

Use the pricing page to separate ExtraBrain app features from external provider billing and retention settings.

Privacy

User control

Use only providers you trust, send the minimum context required, rehearse with non-sensitive material, and avoid using ExtraBrain where interview, employer, school, or platform policies prohibit assistance.

Privacy

Local-first comparison questions

Meeting bot or desktop app

Ask whether the assistant joins calls as a participant, records through a cloud bot, or runs as a desktop app that you control locally.

Audio and transcript routing

Check whether raw audio, transcript text, screenshots, and summaries stay on the device, go to a vendor backend, or go directly to external providers you configured.

Provider retention

When external AI or transcription is enabled, review each provider account for retention, training, logging, billing, and deletion settings.

Privacy

Privacy checklist before a sensitive session

Pick the data path

Decide whether the session should use local Gemma 4, local Parakeet transcription, external model providers, optional Deepgram, or a mixed setup.

Limit context

Send only the transcript excerpts, screenshots, notes, or prompts that the task requires.

Review provider policies

External model and transcription providers control their own retention, billing, and account settings.

Rehearse safely

Test privacy-sensitive workflows with realistic but non-confidential material before a real interview or meeting.

Summary

Key takeaways

ExtraBrain Privacy and Data Flow is part of ExtraBrain's local-first desktop workflow for live interviews, meetings, transcription, provider control, and responsible AI use.

Page focus

Platform fact

ExtraBrain has 2 current desktop platforms, macOS and Windows; on Mac it supports both Apple Silicon and Intel.

Data-flow fact

ExtraBrain has 3 configurable data paths to review before sensitive work: local Parakeet transcription, local Gemma 4, and external providers you choose.

FAQ

Common questions.

Short answers for people and crawlers comparing ExtraBrain with other live AI assistants.

Is ExtraBrain local-first?

Yes. ExtraBrain is a local-first desktop app. With local Gemma 4 and local Parakeet transcription, transcription and AI prompts can stay on your computer; external providers receive content only when you choose features that use them.

Can screenshots leave my device?

Yes, if you include screenshots in a provider request. Only send screenshots when the provider and situation are appropriate.

Is local Gemma 4 available to everyone?

Not always. Local Gemma 4 requires installation and compatible hardware and may not be available on every Mac or customer environment.

Can I use local transcription?

Yes. ExtraBrain supports local NVIDIA Parakeet transcription, with optional Deepgram available when configured.

Can API keys leave my control?

Provider credentials should stay in app-controlled storage. Rotate or revoke keys if a device, account, or provider credential may have been exposed.

What is the safest ExtraBrain setup?

The strictest posture is local Parakeet transcription plus local Gemma 4, with no external provider requests for sensitive content.

How is ExtraBrain different from cloud meeting agents?

ExtraBrain runs as a desktop app and can keep transcription and model requests local when your setup is fully local. Cloud meeting agents may join meetings, store transcripts in a vendor workspace, or process content through vendor infrastructure.