Privacy Policy
DoctoPod is built around documents you may not be free to share. This page explains exactly what happens to them.
1. Who we are
DoctoPod ("we", "us") is a mobile application that turns documents into audio briefings. DoctoPod is the data controller responsible for the personal data described in this policy.
Because we process personal data of users in the European Economic Area, this policy is written to meet the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR).
2. What we collect
| Category | What it includes | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Account | Your user ID, email address, display name and profile photo if you set one, and which sign-in method you used (Apple, Google, email or guest). | You, at sign-up |
| Document content | The files, photos, links and pasted text you import, plus the text extracted from them and the briefings, transcripts, audio and answers generated from them. | You, when you import |
| Usage counters | How many briefings, documents, audio minutes and questions you have used in the current period, so we can apply your plan limits. | Generated by the service |
| Device | Device model, operating system, app version and build, push notification token, sign-in type, and whether you granted push and tracking permission. | Your device |
| Subscription | Whether you hold an active subscription and its status. Your card details are handled by Apple or Google and are never visible to us. | App Store / Google Play, via Adapty |
| Website analytics | On doctopod.app only: aggregate page views, scroll depth and which buttons are clicked. | Google Analytics |
3. Your documents
This is the part that matters most, so we will be specific about it.
What stays on your phone
Text files, Markdown, PDFs that already contain a text layer, and photos are read on your device. Scanned pages are recognised on-device using Apple's built-in text recognition. In these cases the file itself is never uploaded to us.
What is uploaded
Two kinds of document are sent to our servers because they cannot be read on the phone: Word (.docx) files, and PDFs with no text layer. Web links you paste are fetched by our server rather than your phone. Uploaded files are stored in private, per-user storage that only your account can read.
What is generated
Briefings, transcripts, audio files, meeting prep and answers are stored against your account so they appear in your library across your devices. Every insight keeps a reference back to the passage it came from, which means quoted fragments of your document are stored alongside it.
We do not sell your documents or share them with advertisers.
4. Why we process it, and on what legal basis
| Purpose | Legal basis (GDPR Art. 6) |
|---|---|
| Creating your account and signing you in | Performance of a contract |
| Reading your documents and producing briefings and audio | Performance of a contract |
| Enforcing plan limits and verifying your subscription | Performance of a contract |
| Sending you notifications you asked for | Consent, which you can withdraw in your device settings |
| Keeping the service secure and preventing abuse | Legitimate interests |
| Website analytics on doctopod.app | Consent — see section 6 |
5. AI processing
To produce a briefing, the text of your document is sent to Anthropic (the Claude API) for analysis, and the resulting script is sent to a text-to-speech provider to generate audio. Premium voices are produced by ElevenLabs or by Fish Audio (we use one of the two at a time); on the free tier, audio is generated on your own device and no text is sent to a speech provider at all. Only the briefing's script is sent for audio, never the document itself.
These providers process your text to return a result to us. Anthropic and ElevenLabs are located in the United States; Fish Audio's policy is at fish.audio/privacy. See section 7 on transfers.
AI output can be wrong. Briefings are a reading aid, not advice — see the Terms of Service.
6. Who else processes your data
| Processor | What they do | Where |
|---|---|---|
| Google Firebase | Authentication, database, file storage, push notifications and the servers that run our API | EU (europe-west1) |
| Anthropic | Analyses document text to produce briefings and answers | USA |
| ElevenLabs | Generates premium voice audio | USA |
| Fish Audio | Generates premium voice audio (alternative provider) | See fish.audio/privacy |
| Adapty | Verifies subscription status with the app stores | USA / EU |
| Apple / Google | Process your payment and manage your subscription | Global |
| Google Analytics | Aggregate website statistics on doctopod.app only — not in the app | Global |
7. Where your data lives
Our backend, database and file storage run in Google's europe-west1 region in Belgium. Your account data, documents and generated audio are stored in the EU.
Some processors named above operate from the United States. Where personal data is transferred outside the EEA, that transfer relies on the European Commission's Standard Contractual Clauses or an adequacy decision. You may request a copy of the relevant safeguards using the contact details in section 13.
8. How long we keep it
- Your documents, briefings and audio are kept until you delete them, or until you delete your account.
- Your account record is kept for as long as your account exists.
- Usage counters reset monthly and are not retained as history beyond what is needed to apply your limits.
- Deletion feedback, if you choose to give a reason when deleting your account, is kept separately so we can improve the product.
When you delete something in the app, it is removed from our database and storage. Backups are cycled out on a rolling basis, so a short delay before a copy disappears from backup media is normal.
9. Your rights
If you are in the EEA or the UK, you have the right to:
- Access the personal data we hold about you
- Correct it if it is wrong — your name and photo are editable in the app
- Delete it, which you can do yourself at any time (section 10)
- Restrict or object to how we process it
- Portability — receive your data in a machine-readable format
- Withdraw consent where processing is based on it, such as notifications
- Complain to the data protection authority in the country where you live or work
You can exercise the most important of these yourself, directly in the app: your name and photo are editable in your profile, and Profile → Delete account erases everything we hold about you (section 10).
10. Deleting your account
You can delete your account from inside the app — Profile → Delete account. No email to us is required.
Deletion removes your account record, documents, extracted text, uploaded files, briefings, generated audio, meeting prep, saved answers and device records. It also removes your sign-in identity, so the account cannot be recovered. Local data on the phone is cleared at the same time. This cannot be undone.
Deleting the app alone does not delete your data — use Delete account first.
11. Children
DoctoPod is not directed at children and is not intended for anyone under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has given us personal data, contact us and we will delete it.
12. Changes to this policy
If we change how we handle your data, we will update this page and the "last updated" date above. For material changes we will also notify you in the app or by email before the change takes effect.
13. Questions about your data
Your data is under your own control from inside the app. You can edit your profile at any time, and Profile → Delete account permanently removes your account and everything in it, without needing to ask us.
Our Support page answers the questions we are asked most often about how documents are handled, what leaves your device and what does not.