Privacy should be visible in the architecture.

What “local by default” means

Elokin uses machine-learning models stored on your Apple silicon Mac. When you use a built-in dictation profile, microphone audio is processed by the selected local speech model. The resulting transcript does not need to be uploaded to Elokin or to a transcription API.

Built-in text profiles can also use a downloaded local language model. This means Raw, Polished, Concise, and Translate workflows can operate without sending the transcript to a third-party AI provider.

The data flow for a local dictation

1. You hold your shortcut and Elokin temporarily records that dictation.
2. The selected speech model converts the recording into text on your Mac.
3. The result is processed locally, copied, and made ready for you to paste.

Elokin is not designed as an always-listening assistant. Recording starts only after your configured hold gesture triggers it. The overlay makes the listening and processing state visible.

What is stored on your Mac

Elokin stores the preferences needed to run the app: selected shortcuts and profiles, language and model choices, downloaded model files, and your vocabulary lists. Custom provider credentials are placed in the macOS Keychain.

Transcription history is optional and disabled by default. When enabled, it is local app data. You can clear history and remove downloaded models from the app. Removing the app and its associated local data removes the rest of that local state.

The clipboard is part of the output workflow: Elokin copies the result so you can paste it yourself. Clipboard contents may be visible to macOS and other software with appropriate access, so sensitive text should still be handled carefully.

When optional cloud providers are involved

A custom profile can connect to OpenAI, Anthropic, or an OpenAI-compatible endpoint. This is useful when a transformation needs a more capable external model, but it changes the privacy boundary.

When you select such a profile, the transcript and the custom instruction required for that transformation can be sent to the provider you configured. Elokin does not control that provider’s retention or training policies. Review its documentation and avoid cloud profiles for content that should remain exclusively on your device.

The important point is that cloud processing is not silently added to the built-in local path. You create the provider, supply its credentials, create or select a profile that uses it, and decide when to invoke it.

A practical privacy checklist

• Use built-in profiles for sensitive or confidential dictation.
• Leave history disabled if you do not need a local record.
• Review the provider policy before creating a custom cloud profile.
• Clear the clipboard after pasting especially sensitive content.
• Remove local models and history from Settings when they are no longer needed.
• Remember that the destination app receives the text you paste and has its own privacy model.

For the formal description of data handling, permissions, providers, and retention, read the Elokin Privacy Policy.

Frequently asked questions