Nib Privacy Policy

Effective date: July 10, 2026 · Last updated: July 10, 2026

This policy applies to the Nib application for Windows 11, published by Bear King Digital.

Nib is a handwritten-notes app for Windows 11. You write and draw with your pen, organize notebooks and pages, and Nib turns your handwriting into searchable text - all on your own device. This policy explains, in plain language, what happens to your data when you use Nib. The short answer is that your notes stay with you.

The short version

• Nib is local-first. Your notebooks live on your device, not on our servers.
• We do not run a server that receives your notes, and there is no account or sign-in.
• Handwriting recognition runs on your device. Your recognized text is not sent anywhere by Nib.
• The version of Nib you download has no advertising and no analytics or usage tracking.
• A few optional features can send data to services you choose and control (an AI endpoint you configure, or your own Google Drive). Those run only when you turn them on and use them, and the data goes to you, not to us.

Information we collect

Nib does not collect your personal information, and it does not operate a server that receives your notes. Specifically:

• No account, no sign-in. Nib does not ask you to create an account or log in to use it.
• No analytics, telemetry, or advertising. The released version of Nib contains no usage analytics, no tracking, and no advertising, and it includes no third-party advertising or tracking SDKs. The only diagnostic information Nib writes is a local crash log: technical error details (such as an error message and stack trace) recorded on your device to help Nib recover from and troubleshoot unexpected shutdowns. This crash log stays on your device and is never transmitted by Nib. It is not a record of your notes, though a technical error detail could, in rare cases, incidentally include a small fragment of content being processed at the moment of a crash. (Additional developer-only debug and performance logging exists in internal builds and is compiled out of the released app.)
• Your notes stay on your device. The content you create - handwriting (ink), typed text, PDFs and images you import, page and notebook names, tags, and thumbnails - is stored locally on your computer. Nib never uploads it on its own.
• Handwriting recognition is on-device. Converting your handwriting to text (for search, table of contents, and similar features) happens locally using models bundled with the app. The recognized text is stored on your device. Nib does not transmit it - the one exception is the optional AI features described below, which send the text you select to an endpoint you choose, and only when you turn them on and use them.

If you acquire Nib through the Microsoft Store, Microsoft may collect installation and usage information as part of operating the Store. That is governed by Microsoft's privacy statement, not by Nib.

How your data is stored and used

Everything Nib creates is kept on your own device:

• Notebooks are saved as local files under your Documents folder (by default, Documents\Nib). Each notebook is a folder containing a local SQLite database file and an assets folder for thumbnails and imported PDF backgrounds.
• App settings and session state (such as your open tabs, theme choice, and notebook groups) are stored locally under %LocalAppData%\Nib\.
• A local crash breadcrumb may be written to your device to help Nib recover gracefully after an unexpected shutdown. It stays on your device and is not transmitted.

Nib uses this data only to provide the app's features on your machine. It is not sold, shared, or sent to us.

Third-party services you choose to use

Nib works fully offline. Two optional features can send data off your device, but only to a destination you choose and control, and only when you actively use them. Nib is not the recipient in either case.

AI features (bring your own endpoint)

Nib's AI features (for example, the AI lasso's "Convert to Text" and "Summarize" actions) are turned off until you configure them. You supply your own OpenAI-compatible endpoint by entering a Base URL, a model name, and (optionally) an API key in Settings. These values are stored locally on your device (see the Security section for how your API key is stored).

• What is shared, and when. Only when you actively invoke an AI action on a selection, Nib sends the recognized text of the notes you selected, together with a short instruction prompt, to the endpoint URL you configured, authenticated with the API key you provided.
• Who receives it. The third-party AI provider you chose. Your use of that service is governed by that provider's own terms and privacy policy, under your own account. Nib does not receive, log, or store the content of these requests, and Nib is not the AI provider.
• If you do not configure it. Nothing is sent anywhere for AI. The feature is simply unavailable.

Google Drive export (optional, manual, one-way)

Nib can export a notebook to your own Google Drive as a PDF or a Google Doc. This is a manual action that you start. It is not background sync, and Nib does not continuously read or write your Drive.

• Authorization. You sign in to Google through Google's own consent screen. Nib requests the drive.file scope, which limits Nib's access to only the files it creates in your Drive; it cannot see or touch your other Drive files. Nib also reads your account email address so it can show you which Google account is connected in Settings.
• What is shared, and when. Only when you choose to export, the notebook you export (as a PDF or Doc) is sent from your device directly to your Google Drive, using your authorization.
• Credentials. Your Google authorization token is stored locally on your device, protected by Windows (DPAPI) and readable only by your Windows user account. Nib does not store your Google credentials on any server, because there is no Nib server.
• Governed by Google. Files you export live in your Google Drive under your Google account, subject to Google's terms and privacy policy. You can delete exported files in Drive, and you can disconnect Google Drive in Nib's Settings to revoke Nib's access at any time.

Children's privacy

Nib is a general-purpose notes app and is not directed to children under 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your jurisdiction). Nib does not knowingly collect personal information from children. Because Nib stores notes locally and does not collect personal information, it does not gather such information from any user, including children.

Security

Because Nib keeps your notes on your own device, the security of that data depends primarily on your device: your Windows account, disk encryption, and physical access controls. There is no central Nib server holding your notes that could be breached.

For the optional features you enable:

• Your Google Drive authorization token is protected by Windows (DPAPI) and tied to your Windows user account.
• Your AI API key, if you enter one, is stored in plain text (unencrypted) in Nib's local settings file at %LocalAppData%\Nib\app-settings.json. It is protected only by your Windows account and your device's security - Nib does not encrypt it - so anyone who can access your Windows user profile could read it. Treat your API key like a password: keep it safe, and clear it in Settings if you no longer want it stored. You are also responsible for the security and privacy practices of any AI endpoint you choose to configure.

Data retention and deletion

Nib does not retain your data on any server, because it has none. You are always in control of your local data:

• Delete a notebook. Delete it within Nib, or remove its folder under Documents\Nib.
• Delete all local Nib data. Remove your notebook folders under Documents\Nib and, if you wish, the app's settings folder at %LocalAppData%\Nib\.
• Uninstalling Nib removes the application. Your notebooks in your Documents folder are intentionally left in place so you do not lose your notes; delete them manually if you want them gone.
• Exported files that you sent to Google Drive remain in your Drive until you delete them there.

Changes to this policy

We may update this policy from time to time, for example if we add a feature that changes how data is handled. When we do, we will revise the "Last updated" date above, and material changes will be reflected in the app's Microsoft Store listing. Your continued use of Nib after an update means you accept the revised policy.

Contact

If you have questions about this policy or about privacy in Nib, please contact:

Bear King Digital support@bearkingdigital.com