Privacy Policy

Blurt is a local macOS menu-bar dictation app. You hold a push-to-talk key (Right Option by default), speak, and Blurt transcribes your voice, lightly formats the text, and types it into your active app. This policy explains exactly what happens to your data.

1. What we capture

Microphone audio only while you hold the push-to-talk key — there is no always-on listening and no wake word — plus the resulting text. We do not collect your name, email, contacts, location, or usage analytics. There is no account and no telemetry.

2. OpenAI as a sub-processor

When you dictate, your audio is sent over an encrypted HTTPS/TLS connection directly from your Mac to OpenAI at api.openai.com/v1/audio/transcriptions (model gpt-4o-mini-transcribe) to convert speech to text. The resulting transcript is then sent to api.openai.com/v1/chat/completions (model gpt-4o-mini) to clean up punctuation and formatting.

Per OpenAI's API data-usage policy, data submitted through the API is not used to train OpenAI's models. Transcription audio is not retained for abuse monitoring, and formatting text may be retained for a limited period (up to 30 days) for abuse monitoring before deletion, unless OpenAI is legally required to keep it. Your use of OpenAI is governed by openai.com/policies. Please review OpenAI's current terms, as they may change.

3. Storage and data minimization

Audio is written to a temporary file on your Mac for a single dictation and deleted immediately after the request completes. We never store your audio or text beyond the in-flight request, and we operate no servers that receive your audio or text. The transcript history shown in the in-app Diagnostics window is kept only in memory (the last 50 dictations) and is cleared when you quit Blurt or press Clear.

4. Bring your own key

You supply your own OpenAI API key. It is stored only in your macOS Keychain on your device and is sent only to OpenAI. We never receive your key, your audio, or your text.

5. Permissions and why

• Microphone — to record your voice while you hold the key.
• Input Monitoring — to detect the push-to-talk key being held. Blurt uses a listen-only tap and does not capture or log your other keystrokes.
• Accessibility — to insert the transcribed text into other apps.

Blurt does not read your screen contents, does not log keystrokes, and does not monitor your typing.

6. Sharing

We do not share your data with anyone except OpenAI, as needed to provide transcription and formatting, and where legally required. No ads, no trackers.

7. Your rights (GDPR / CCPA)

Because Blurt runs locally and we hold no servers and no account data, we do not store personal data about you to access, correct, or delete. For audio and text processed by OpenAI, see OpenAI's policies. The legal basis for microphone access is your consent and the performance of the service you initiate. We do not sell or share personal information. For any privacy question, contact us below.

8. Children

Blurt is not directed to children under 13.

9. Security

All transmission to OpenAI uses TLS. Temporary audio is deleted after each request. Your OpenAI key is stored in the macOS Keychain.

10. A note on sensitive content

Because Blurt inserts whatever you dictate, transcribed text may briefly pass through the macOS clipboard (in paste mode) and is sent to OpenAI for processing. Avoid dictating passwords or other secrets you do not want transmitted to a third-party API.

11. Changes

The current version of this policy is always available at blurt.me/privacy.html.

12. Contact

Questions about privacy? Email hello@blurt.me.