PolyWrite — Privacy Policy
PolyWrite is a native plain-text, rich-text, and Markdown editor for macOS. This policy explains what PolyWrite accesses, what leaves your device, and what is stored locally.
Summary
PolyWrite does not collect personal data. Your documents are saved locally
as honest, standard files — .txt, .rtf, or .md — never
a proprietary container. Document content is never sent to DataIsland. AI writing assistance
is opt-in — either on-device via Apple Intelligence (nothing leaves your Mac) or via
OpenRouter (with your own API key and your explicit consent). Translation runs entirely
on-device via Apple's Translation framework — no text is sent anywhere for translation.
PolyWrite 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.
Your Documents
PolyWrite stores documents as plain .txt, .rtf, or
.md files on your Mac, in locations you choose — never a proprietary format.
Your content is always readable by any other app, with or without PolyWrite. Documents are
never transmitted to DataIsland.
What Leaves Your Device
OpenRouter (Optional — Opt-In Only)
PolyWrite can optionally use the OpenRouter API to provide AI writing assistance. This feature:
- Is disabled by default
- Requires you to supply your own OpenRouter API key in Settings → AI
- Sends the active document or selected text to OpenRouter's servers when you invoke an AI action (generate, refine, summarise, etc.)
- Is governed by OpenRouter's privacy policy
DataIsland does not receive or store any document content sent through OpenRouter. Your API key is stored only in your macOS Keychain.
Apple Intelligence (Optional — Opt-In Only)
On supported hardware (Apple Silicon Mac, macOS 26, Apple Intelligence enabled), PolyWrite can use Apple Intelligence for AI writing assistance. Apple Intelligence processes everything on-device. No document content leaves your Mac via this path. Apple Intelligence is governed by Apple's privacy policy.
Translation (On-Device Only)
PolyWrite's translation feature uses Apple's built-in Translation framework exclusively. Translation happens entirely on your Mac — no document content or selected text is sent to DataIsland, Apple, or any other server to produce a translation. If a language pack isn't already installed, macOS may download it directly from Apple under Apple's own privacy policy; PolyWrite itself has no part in that transfer.
No Other Outbound Network Activity
Outside of the AI features above, PolyWrite makes no outbound network connections. Every other feature — plain text, rich text, and Markdown editing, translation, spell check, and all export formats — works fully offline.
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
- Default format preference — whether new documents start as Plain Text, Rich Text, or Markdown, 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 by PolyWrite or transmitted to DataIsland. (If you store documents in an iCloud-backed folder, iCloud's own sync applies under Apple's privacy policy.)
What PolyWrite Does Not Do
- Does not send document content to DataIsland or any server (except OpenRouter if enabled)
- Does not require an account or login
- Does not collect analytics or send crash reports to DataIsland
- Does not share any data with third parties for advertising
- Does not sync documents to any DataIsland cloud service
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