Last updated: March 20, 2026

Privacy Policy

Pewbeam Technologies Limited, trading as Pewbeam ("Pewbeam", "we", "us", "our"), is committed to protecting your privacy. This Privacy Policy explains how we collect, use, store, and share information when you use the Pewbeam desktop application ("the App", "the Software").

By using Pewbeam, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you do not agree, please do not use the Software.

1. Information We Collect

1.1 Information Stored Locally on Your Device

The following data is created and stored entirely on your device. We do not have access to it, and it is never transmitted to our servers:

Sermon transcripts — The full text of transcribed sermons
Transcript history — Date, duration, word count, and confidence scores for each session
Sermon notes — AI-generated notes saved to your device after generation
Custom themes — Theme designs you create, including fonts, colors, backgrounds, and layout settings
App settings — Your preferences including microphone selection, Bible translation, display mode, and theme choices
Bible search history — Recent searches performed within the app
Verse queue — Verses queued for display during a session

1.2 Information Transmitted to Third-Party Services

When you use certain features, data is transmitted to third-party services for processing:

Audio data (Deepgram — online transcription)

When using online transcription mode, audio from your selected microphone is streamed in real time to Deepgram's servers for speech-to-text processing
Deepgram processes the audio and returns transcription text
Deepgram does not store your audio data after processing
Audio is streamed only while transcription is active — when you stop transcription, streaming stops immediately

Transcript text (OpenAI — sermon notes)

When you generate sermon notes, the transcript text is sent to OpenAI's API for AI processing
OpenAI returns structured sermon notes, which are saved locally on your device
We use OpenAI's API tier that does not use your data for model training
Transcript text is only sent when you explicitly request sermon note generation — it is never sent automatically

License data (Keygen)

When you activate, deactivate, or validate a license, the following is transmitted to Keygen.sh: license key, device fingerprint, and machine name
This data is used solely for license activation and validation

1.3 Anonymous Usage Analytics (Opt-In)

If you choose to enable usage analytics in Settings, anonymous event data is sent to PostHog. Analytics are disabled by default and can be toggled on or off at any time.

What is collected when analytics are enabled:

App lifecycle events (app opened, session ended)
Feature usage events (transcription started/stopped, verse detected, verse displayed, search performed, sermon notes generated, output enabled/disabled, theme changed, setting changed, license activated)
Device metadata: randomly generated device ID (not tied to your identity), platform (macOS/Windows), app version, license tier, primary Bible translation

What is never collected:

Sermon content or transcript text
Audio recordings
Bible verses viewed or searched
Personal information (name, email, address, phone number)
IP addresses (PostHog is configured without IP collection)
Precise location data
Any content you create within the app

The device ID is a randomly generated UUID created at installation. It is not derived from hardware identifiers and cannot be used to identify you personally.

1.4 Automatic Update Checks

Pewbeam checks for software updates on startup by contacting our update server. This request includes your current app version and operating system/architecture. No personal information is transmitted during update checks.

2. How We Use Information

Purpose	Data Used
Provide transcription service	Audio stream (via Deepgram)
Generate sermon notes	Transcript text (via OpenAI)
Activate and validate licenses	License key, device fingerprint
Improve the Software (if analytics enabled)	Anonymous usage events
Deliver software updates	App version, OS info

We do not use your data for advertising, profiling, or selling to third parties.

3. How We Store Information

3.1 Local Storage

All sermon transcripts, notes, themes, and settings are stored locally on your device:

macOS: ~/Library/Application Support/Pewbeam/
Windows: %APPDATA%/Pewbeam/

This data remains on your device unless you explicitly export it. We do not have access to locally stored data.

3.2 License Data

License activation data is stored locally on your device in an encrypted format (AES-256-GCM). The license key, tier, and activation status are also stored on Keygen's servers for license management purposes.

3.3 Analytics Data

If analytics are enabled, event data is stored on PostHog's servers. You can disable analytics at any time, which stops all future data collection. To request deletion of previously collected analytics data, contact us at hi@pewbeam.com.

4. How We Share Information

We do not sell, rent, or trade your personal information to third parties.

We share data only with the following third-party service providers, solely for the purposes described in this policy:

Service Provider	Data Shared	Purpose
Deepgram	Audio stream	Real-time speech-to-text transcription
OpenAI	Transcript text	AI sermon note generation
Keygen	License key, device fingerprint	License activation and validation
PostHog	Anonymous usage events (if opted in)	Product analytics and improvement

We may also disclose information if required to do so by law, court order, or governmental request.

5. Data Retention

Data Type	Retention Period	Location
Sermon transcripts	Until you delete them	Your device
Sermon notes	Until you delete them	Your device
Custom themes	Until you delete them	Your device
App settings	Until you uninstall Pewbeam	Your device
Audio streams	Not retained after processing	Deepgram (transient)
Transcript text for sermon notes	Not retained after processing	OpenAI (transient)
License data	Duration of license + 30 days	Keygen servers
Analytics events (if opted in)	Per PostHog retention policy	PostHog servers

6. Your Rights and Choices

6.1 Analytics Opt-Out

Usage analytics are disabled by default. You can enable or disable analytics at any time in Settings > Help > Usage Analytics. Disabling analytics immediately stops all data collection.

6.2 Data Deletion

Transcripts and notes: Delete individual transcripts from the Transcript History panel, or use bulk delete.
Custom themes: Delete themes from the Theme Designer.
All local data: Uninstalling Pewbeam removes all locally stored data.
Analytics data: Contact us at hi@pewbeam.com to request deletion.
License data: Deactivate your license within the app. Contact us to request deletion from Keygen.

6.3 Data Portability

You can export your data from Pewbeam at any time:

Transcripts — Export as PDF, DOCX, or Markdown
Sermon notes — Export as PDF, DOCX, or Markdown
Custom themes — Export as JSON (individual or all themes)

6.4 Access Rights

Since we do not store your sermon content, transcripts, or personal information on our servers, there is no server-side data to access. All your content is stored locally and accessible through the app at all times.

If you have enabled analytics and wish to access the anonymous event data associated with your device ID, contact us at hi@pewbeam.com.

7. Children's Privacy

Pewbeam is not directed at children under the age of 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, please contact us at hi@pewbeam.com.

8. Security

We implement reasonable security measures to protect data processed through our services:

Local data encryption: License data stored on your device is encrypted using AES-256-GCM
Transport encryption: All data transmitted to third-party services uses HTTPS/TLS encryption
Content Security Policy: The app enforces a strict CSP to prevent unauthorized data exfiltration
No server-side storage: By design, we do not maintain servers that store your sermon content

However, no method of electronic storage or transmission is 100% secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security of your data.

9. International Data Transfers

If you use Pewbeam outside the country where our third-party service providers are located, your data may be transferred to and processed in other countries. Our service providers (Deepgram, OpenAI, Keygen, PostHog) are based in or hosted in the United States.

10. Bible Text and Copyright

Pewbeam displays Bible text from six translations, stored locally on your device. We do not track or monitor which Bible verses you view, search for, or display. See the Terms of Service for full copyright notices.

11. Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you through the Software or by other reasonable means. Your continued use of Pewbeam after changes constitutes acceptance of the revised policy.

12. Contact Us

If you have questions, concerns, or requests regarding this Privacy Policy or your data, contact us at:

Email: hi@pewbeam.com
Website: pewbeam.com
Legal Entity: Pewbeam Technologies Limited

Summary

For quick reference, here's what Pewbeam does and does not do with your data:

	Yes	No
Stores sermon transcripts on your device	✓
Sends transcripts to our servers		✕
Streams audio to Deepgram for transcription	✓
Stores audio after transcription		✕
Sends transcript text to OpenAI for sermon notes	✓
Stores sermon content on our servers		✕
Collects anonymous analytics (opt-in only)	✓
Collects personal information		✕
Sells data to third parties		✕
Tracks which Bible verses you read		✕
Uses your data for advertising		✕
Allows you to delete all your data	✓
Allows you to export your data	✓