PolyWrite — Privacy Policy
PolyWrite is a native Mac writing app for plain text, rich text, and Markdown documents. This policy explains exactly what data PolyWrite accesses, what — if anything — leaves your device, and what is stored locally.
Summary
PolyWrite does not collect personal data and makes no network requests during normal use. All editing, formatting, and spell checking run entirely on your Mac. The only optional network activity is the AI assistant, which requires explicit setup and is disabled by default. The app has no server, no account, and no analytics.
What PolyWrite Accesses
PolyWrite accesses only data you provide directly:
- Document text and formatting you type or paste
- Files you explicitly open via the Open dialog or drag-and-drop
- Locations you choose when saving a file
PolyWrite does not access your photos, contacts, location, calendar, microphone, camera, or any system data beyond the files you open.
What Leaves Your Device
Normal Use — Nothing
Writing, editing, spell checking, theme switching, word counting, and file open/save all run entirely on your Mac. No data of any kind is transmitted during normal use.
Apple Translation (Optional — macOS 15+)
On macOS 15 Sequoia or later, the toolbar translate button opens Apple's Translation panel, which uses Apple's on-device Translation framework.
- Translation runs entirely on-device using language packs downloaded once by macOS
- Document text does not leave your Mac via Apple Translation
- Governed by Apple's privacy policy, not DataIsland's
Apple Intelligence (Optional — Opt-In Only)
PolyWrite can use Apple Intelligence for its AI writing assistant. Apple Intelligence runs entirely on-device.
- Requires Apple Silicon Mac, macOS 26 or later, and Apple Intelligence enabled in System Settings
- Disabled by default — must be configured in Settings → AI
- Document text never leaves your Mac via this path
- No data is sent to DataIsland or any third party
OpenRouter (Optional — Opt-In Only)
On Macs without Apple Intelligence, PolyWrite can optionally use the OpenRouter API for its AI assistant. This feature:
- Is disabled by default
- Requires you to supply your own OpenRouter API key
- Sends the selected text or document content to OpenRouter's servers for processing
- Is governed by OpenRouter's privacy policy
DataIsland does not receive or store any content sent through OpenRouter. Your API key is stored only in your macOS Keychain.
What Is Stored Locally
- Document files — saved to locations you choose on your Mac
- Theme preference — your selected app theme, stored in UserDefaults
- Font size preference — plain text editor font size, stored in UserDefaults
- Recent documents list — file paths of recently opened documents, managed by macOS
- OpenRouter API key (if provided) — stored in macOS Keychain, never transmitted to DataIsland
None of this data is synced to iCloud or transmitted to DataIsland.
What PolyWrite Does Not Do
- Does not transmit any data to DataIsland's servers — ever
- Does not require an account or login
- Does not collect analytics, usage statistics, or crash reports
- Does not access your files without your explicit action
- Does not share data with third parties for advertising
- Does not sync any data to the cloud
Children's Privacy
PolyWrite is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect information from children.
Changes to This Policy
If we make material changes to this policy, we will update the "Last updated" date above. Continued use of PolyWrite after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated policy.
Contact
Questions about this policy:
support@dataisland.com
DataIsland Software LLC