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Privacy Policy

Sync Bar

Overview

Sync Bar is a macOS menu bar app that transcribes your reMarkable handwritten notes and syncs them to destinations you choose, such as Notion, Linear, Google Docs, Apple Notes, or a folder of Markdown files. This policy explains what data the app handles, where it lives, and what leaves your Mac.

How Sync Bar works

Sync Bar connects to your reMarkable account and to the destinations you set up. For each notebook page it:

  • Downloads the page from your reMarkable cloud library
  • Transcribes the handwriting into text
  • Writes the text to the destinations you chose
  • Records the result in a local sync log

Strategic Nerds runs no server for your notes. Pages move directly between your reMarkable account and the destinations you pick.

On-device transcription and optional cloud OCR

By default, Sync Bar transcribes handwriting with Apple Vision, which runs entirely on your Mac. No page images leave your computer.

If you choose to use OpenAI or Anthropic instead, you supply your own API key and Sync Bar sends each page image to that provider for transcription. That is your choice and is governed by that provider's privacy policy. Apple Vision remains the default and requires no key.

Where your notes go

You decide every destination. Sync Bar writes pages only to the Notion workspaces, Linear teams, Google accounts, Apple Notes folders, and Markdown folders you connect. It does not send your notes anywhere else.

Credentials and authentication

  • Notion, Linear, and Google connect with OAuth. You sign in directly with each provider, and Sync Bar never sees your password.
  • reMarkable pairs with a one-time device code that you generate on my.remarkable.com.
  • All tokens are stored in your Mac's Keychain, which is encrypted by macOS.

If you are signed in to iCloud, these tokens may sync across your Macs through Apple's encrypted iCloud Keychain. That sync uses Apple's infrastructure and is governed by Apple's privacy policy. Strategic Nerds cannot read your tokens.

Data storage

Sync Bar stores your rules, account names, and a local sync log on your Mac using the system preferences store. Transcribed text is written to your chosen destinations and is not retained on a Strategic Nerds server, because there is no such server for your content.

Analytics

Sync Bar does not collect analytics. There is no tracking, no per-install identifier, and no usage reporting.

Third-party services

Sync Bar connects to the services you enable:

Apple Notes and Markdown destinations are local to your Mac and involve no third-party service.

Network activity from the app

Sync Bar makes outbound requests to:

  • Your reMarkable account to download notebook pages.
  • The destinations you connect to write transcribed pages.
  • Your chosen OCR provider only if you enable OpenAI or Anthropic.
  • The Sparkle update feed once a day and when you choose "Check for Updates". That request includes your current app version and macOS version so we can offer the right update.

Your control

  • Disconnect any destination from within Sync Bar at any time.
  • Revoke Sync Bar's access through each provider's account security settings.
  • Unpair your reMarkable and remove its device from your reMarkable account.
  • Uninstall Sync Bar to remove its local data, and clear its tokens from your Mac's Keychain.

Changes to this policy

We may update this privacy policy from time to time. We will note any significant changes in the application or on our website.

Contact

If you have questions about this privacy policy, please contact us at help@strategicnerds.com.