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Last updated · May 8, 202612 min read

Privacy Policy

In one breath
This Privacy Policy describes how Pewpad collects, uses, stores, discloses, and otherwise processes personal information in connection with the Pewpad application and the website at getpewpad.com. Pewpad is engineered for on-device processing: sermon notes, delivery records, voice profile data, and AI-assisted suggestions are processed and stored on the device you control, with optional synchronisation through your private Apple iCloud account. Please read this Policy carefully to understand your rights and our practices.

1. Introduction and Scope

This Privacy Policy (the “Policy”) describes how Pewpad (“Pewpad”, “we”, “us”, or “our”) collects, uses, stores, discloses, and otherwise processes personal information in connection with: (i) the Pewpad mobile and desktop application for iPhone, iPad, Mac, and other Apple devices, distributed through the Apple App Store and Apple TestFlight (the “Application”); and (ii) the website located at getpewpad.comand any related properties (collectively with the Application, the “Service”).

This Policy applies to individuals who download, install, access, or use the Service. It does not apply to third-party services, websites, or applications that may be linked to or otherwise referenced from the Service, which are governed by their own privacy notices.

Capitalised terms not defined in this Policy have the meanings set forth in our Terms of Use.

2. Data Controller and Contact

For the purposes of the European Union and United Kingdom General Data Protection Regulations and similar legislation, the data controller responsible for personal information collected through the Service is:

Pewpad
Attn: Privacy
Email: hello@getpewpad.com

You may contact us at the address above to exercise your rights under this Policy or to ask any privacy-related question.

3. Privacy by Design

Pewpad is engineered to keep your sermon archive on the device that creates it.

Pewpad is designed and built so that the Application processes, indexes, and stores your sermon notes, outlines, illustrations, delivery records, voice profile data, and related Content on the Apple device on which the Application is installed. Pewpad does not operate a server-side database of user sermon content, does not transmit Content to Pewpad-controlled infrastructure for processing, and does not require the creation of an account with Pewpad in order to use the core features of the Application.

Optional synchronisation across your own devices is available through Apple iCloud using a private CloudKit container associated with your Apple ID. Pewpad does not have visibility into the contents of your private CloudKit container.

4. Categories of Information We Collect

What is collected, broken down by source.

We collect or process the following categories of information:

(a) Information stored locally by the Application. Sermon notes, outlines, manuscripts, scripture references, tags, series, churches, delivery records, transcripts, voice profile artefacts (including pronunciation hints and reference-matching calibration data), application settings, and downloaded Bible, commentary, dictionary, and machine-learning model resources. This information is stored on your device and, at your option, synchronised through your private iCloud account.

(b) Information you provide voluntarily. Information you provide when contacting us, submitting feedback through the “Feedback” channel, signing up for the TestFlight programme, or otherwise communicating with us, such as your name, email address, device type, and the substance of your message.

(c) Microphone and speech input.Audio captured by your device when you have granted microphone and speech-recognition permissions and are using a voice-assisted feature. Speech is processed on the device using the operating system’s speech-recognition technologies. Pewpad does not retain raw audio and does not transmit audio to Pewpad-controlled servers.

(d) Diagnostic and aggregated data.Aggregated crash reports and performance metrics that you have voluntarily chosen to share with developers through Apple’s system-level settings (e.g., “Share With App Developers”). This information is provided to us by Apple in aggregated, non- identifying form.

(e) Website information. Limited technical information automatically collected when you visit the website, including your IP address, user-agent string, referrer, and general request metadata, used solely to deliver and secure the website. The website does not deploy advertising trackers, cross- site identifiers, or behavioural-profiling cookies.

5. How We Obtain Information

We obtain information directly from you when you create or input Content into the Application, when you grant permissions to the Application (such as microphone or iCloud access), and when you communicate with us. We may also receive limited, aggregated information from Apple in connection with App Store and TestFlight distribution, in accordance with Apple’s applicable terms.

6. Purposes of Processing

We process information for the following purposes:

  • to provide, operate, and maintain the Service and its features;
  • to enable on-device functionality such as indexing, similarity matching, suggestion generation, voice-assisted reference detection, and transcript capture;
  • to communicate with you in response to inquiries, feedback, or support requests;
  • to detect, prevent, and address technical issues, fraud, and misuse;
  • to improve the Service through aggregated, non-identifying usage and performance information;
  • to comply with legal obligations and enforce our Terms of Use.

7. Legal Bases for Processing (EEA / UK)

Where the General Data Protection Regulation or UK GDPR applies, we rely on the following legal bases for processing personal information:

  • Performance of a contract— to provide the Service that you have requested through the Application or website;
  • Legitimate interests— to operate, secure, and improve the Service, where such interests are not overridden by your fundamental rights and freedoms;
  • Consent— for processing that requires your explicit consent, such as the use of microphone and speech-recognition features. You may withdraw consent at any time by revoking the relevant operating-system permission or by ceasing use of the relevant feature;
  • Compliance with legal obligations— where we are required by law to process information.

8. On-Device Processing and Artificial Intelligence

Indexing, embedding, and generative output happen on your device.

The Application performs entity extraction, sentence embedding, similarity calculation, summarisation, and other artificial- intelligence operations using on-device frameworks made available by the Apple operating system, including Apple Foundation Models, Core ML, the Natural Language framework, and locally distributed machine-learning models. The inputs and outputs of these operations are processed on your device and are not transmitted to servers controlled by Pewpad.

Locally distributed model artefacts may be downloaded from third-party providers (such as the Hugging Face Hub) when you choose to install them. The download itself is a network request to the provider and is governed by the provider’s privacy notice. Once installed, models execute locally and do not transmit your Content.

9. Microphone and Speech Recognition

The Application requests microphone and speech-recognition permissions only for voice-assisted features such as scripture reference detection, delivery transcription, and voice-profile calibration. Speech is processed using on-device speech-recognition technologies provided by the Apple operating system. Pewpad does not save raw microphone audio, does not create a biometric voiceprint, and does not transmit audio recordings to Pewpad- controlled infrastructure.

Voice profile artefacts produced through calibration consist of local pronunciation hints and reference-matching state. These artefacts are stored on your device and may be synchronised through your private iCloud container, at your option.

10. iCloud Synchronisation

If iCloud is configured and enabled on your device for the Application, Apple may synchronise supported Application data across your devices through your private iCloud account using CloudKit. Pewpad does not have access to the contents of your private CloudKit container; iCloud synchronisation is administered by Apple in accordance with Apple’s privacy practices and your iCloud settings.

You may disable iCloud synchronisation for the Application at any time through your device’s system settings.

11. Third-Party Services

Optional features may interact with third parties that follow their own policies.

The Service may interact with the following categories of third- party services:

  • Apple App Store and Apple TestFlight.Used to distribute the Application. Subject to Apple’s privacy practices.
  • Apple iCloud and Apple speech services. Used, where you have enabled them, to synchronise data and to provide on-device speech recognition.
  • Bible, commentary, and lexicon providers. Used to deliver translations, commentaries, and reference resources you choose to download.
  • Machine-learning model providers. Used to deliver on-device models you choose to install.
  • Email transport. When you contact us by email, the message is delivered through standard email infrastructure and the providers we and you use to send and receive mail.

These providers may receive standard technical information — such as your IP address, request details, and device information — necessary to fulfil the relevant request. Each provider is subject to its own privacy notice, which we encourage you to review.

12. We Do Not Sell or Share Personal Information

Pewpad does not sell your personal information for monetary or other valuable consideration, and Pewpad does not share your personal information with third parties for cross-context behavioural advertising. This statement is made for purposes of, among others, the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended by the California Privacy Rights Act, and analogous legislation in other U.S. states.

13. When We Disclose Information

We disclose personal information only in the limited circumstances described below:

  • Service providers. To vendors that support our operation of the Service, such as website hosting, email transport, and customer-support infrastructure, bound by contractual confidentiality and data-protection obligations and permitted to process information solely on our instructions.
  • Legal compliance. Where required by applicable law, regulation, legal process, or governmental request, where necessary to enforce our Terms of Use, or where necessary to protect the rights, property, or safety of Pewpad, our users, or others.
  • Business transfers. In connection with a merger, acquisition, financing, reorganisation, sale of assets, or similar transaction, subject to confidentiality protections and applicable law.
  • With your consent. In any other case where you have provided your consent to the disclosure.

14. Data Retention

Information stored locally by the Application is retained on your device for as long as you continue to use the Application. You may delete sermons, voice profile data, downloaded resources, and other Content from within the Application. You may also remove the Application from your device, which will delete locally stored Application data, and you may manage iCloud-synchronised data through your Apple ID and iCloud settings.

Information you submit to us through the feedback channel or email correspondence is retained for as long as reasonably necessary to respond to your communication, to comply with our legal obligations, to resolve disputes, and to enforce our agreements.

15. International Data Transfers

Because Content is processed on your device, processing primarily occurs in the jurisdiction in which you use the Application. Where information is transferred internationally in connection with the limited categories described in Sections 11 and 13, such transfers are made in reliance upon appropriate safeguards as required by applicable data-protection law, including standard contractual clauses where applicable.

16. Security

Pewpad implements technical and organisational measures designed to protect personal information against unauthorised access, accidental loss, alteration, or destruction. These measures include relying on the security architecture of the Apple operating system, system-level encryption at rest and in transit, secure-enclave-backed keys where applicable, and minimisation of off-device processing.

Notwithstanding the foregoing, no system or method of transmission can be guaranteed to be one-hundred-percent secure. You are responsible for maintaining the confidentiality of your device, Apple ID credentials, and authentication factors used to access the Application.

17. Your Rights

Access, correction, deletion, portability, restriction, objection, and withdrawal of consent.

Subject to applicable law, you have the right to:

  • Access the personal information we hold about you and obtain a copy of it;
  • Correct personal information that is inaccurate or incomplete;
  • Delete personal information held about you, subject to certain legal exceptions;
  • Restrict or object to certain processing of your personal information;
  • Receive your personal information in a structured, commonly used, machine-readable format and to transmit it to another controller (data portability);
  • Withdraw consent for any processing based on consent, without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before withdrawal;
  • Lodge a complaint with a supervisory authority in the European Economic Area, the United Kingdom, or your place of residence.

Because most Content is stored locally on your device or within your private iCloud account, many of these rights can be exercised directly by you using the in-app deletion controls, your device’s settings, or your Apple ID. For requests that require Pewpad’s assistance, please contact us at hello@getpewpad.com. We will respond within the period required by applicable law.

18. California Privacy Rights

California residents are entitled to certain rights under the California Consumer Privacy Act, as amended (“CCPA”). Specifically, you have the right to know what personal information we have collected about you, to access that information, to request its deletion, to correct inaccurate information, to limit the use and disclosure of any sensitive personal information, and to be free from unlawful discrimination for exercising your privacy rights.

As described in Section 12, Pewpad does not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioural advertising as those terms are defined under the CCPA. To exercise any CCPA right, contact us at hello@getpewpad.com. We will verify your request consistent with our obligations under the CCPA and respond within the time required by law.

19. Children’s Privacy

The Service is intended for use by adults engaged in sermon preparation and ministry. The Service is not directed to children under the age of thirteen (13), and Pewpad does not knowingly collect personal information from children under this age. If we become aware that we have collected personal information from a child under the age of thirteen, we will take steps to delete such information. If you believe a child has provided personal information to us, please contact us at hello@getpewpad.com.

20. Do Not Track and Cookies

The Application does not use cookies. The website at getpewpad.com uses only those cookies and similar storage technologies that are strictly necessary to deliver the website (for example, to remember preferences within a single session). The website does not use advertising or behavioural-profiling trackers. Pewpad does not respond to browser-based “Do Not Track” signals because no consistent industry standard for such signals has been established; however, our practices are consistent with such signals because we do not engage in cross- site tracking.

21. Automated Decision-Making

Pewpad does not engage in solely automated decision-making, including profiling, that produces legal effects concerning you or similarly significantly affects you. The Application’s AI-assisted features generate suggestions, summaries, and extractions intended to be reviewed and accepted, edited, or rejected by you.

22. Links to Third-Party Sites

The Service may contain links to websites, services, or resources operated by third parties. Pewpad does not control these third parties and is not responsible for their privacy practices. We encourage you to review the privacy notices of any third-party properties that you visit.

23. Changes to This Policy

Pewpad may update this Policy from time to time. The most current version will always be posted on this page with a revised “Last updated” date. Material changes will be communicated through the Service or by other reasonable means where required by law. Your continued use of the Service following the effective date of any revised Policy constitutes acceptance of the changes.

24. Contact and Complaints

If you have any questions about this Policy, wish to exercise any of your rights, or wish to lodge a complaint about the manner in which Pewpad has processed your personal information, please contact us at hello@getpewpad.com. You also have the right to lodge a complaint with the data-protection authority in your country of residence.