Privacy Policy
What this covers
This policy covers Novis on the web, the Novis desktop app, Novis on iPhone and iPad, and Novis Penmode, the iPad handwriting companion. The two apps share one account, one AI credit balance, and one cloud backup, so the same policy applies to both.
Information you provide
When you create an account or sign in, we process your email address and the basic account information supplied by your sign-in method. You can sign in with an email and password, a one-time code sent to your email, Google, or Apple. If you use Sign in with Apple and choose to hide your address, we receive only the relay address Apple gives us. Novis also processes the study content you create or import, including decks, cards, notes, source documents, images, and review history, along with anything you submit to an AI feature.
Handwriting, documents, and images
Novis Penmode stores your handwriting as editable ink on your iPad. When you send a page, a notebook, or a card to your Novis account, that content is flattened into an image or text and uploaded. Photos you paste, pictures you take with the camera, and PDFs you import become part of the page they sit on and travel with it. Typed text boxes and image-occlusion masks are stored with your account so they are backed up rather than living only on one device.
Local and cloud study data
Novis is local-first. Study content stays on your device unless you sign in and enable cloud sync, request an AI feature, or export or otherwise share it. Content selected for cloud sync is stored through Supabase so it can be backed up and used across your devices. Local-only content is not included in that backup.
Product events and technical data
Novis records limited product events, such as whether a visit is a return visit or whether a feature was used, together with limited event properties, app version, and client type. The web app may send error messages, stack traces, browser and device information, app version, and the requested page path to our server logs. In-app performance diagnostics record screen names, task durations, query labels, sync or generation stages, and failure reasons on your device; they are not sent unless you choose to share them. We design these diagnostics not to include deck names, card text, or document contents, but an error message may contain information produced by the failing operation.
IP addresses and local storage
Our hosting and API infrastructure may process IP addresses and request metadata to deliver the service, prevent abuse, apply rate limits, and maintain security. Novis does not use advertising cookies. The apps use local storage and similar device storage for sessions, settings, study data, and a once-per-day return-visit marker.
How we use information
We use this information to operate Novis and Novis Penmode, provide sign-in, optional cloud sync and backup, process subscriptions, deliver AI-assisted features, maintain security, diagnose failures, understand whether core product workflows are useful, provide support, and comply with legal obligations. We do not sell personal information and we do not use it for third-party advertising or tracking.
AI processing
Several features send material to third-party AI providers to produce a response. These include generating decks and cards, writing briefs, the tutor and assistant, fact-checking a deck, suggesting image occlusions, explanations and Feynman-style feedback, web search, reading documents and images, restructuring a handwritten page, and generating study questions and feedback in Novis Penmode. Read aloud sends the text to be spoken, and voice input sends the audio you record so it can be transcribed. The material needed for each request is sent to the provider handling it: Google (Gemini), OpenAI, Anthropic, or ElevenLabs. Which provider handles a given request depends on the feature and can change as we improve quality and cost. AI output can be incomplete or incorrect. Do not submit material you do not want processed by a third-party AI service. Novis is a study tool and is not intended for protected health information or other highly sensitive personal data.
Payments
On the web, Stripe processes your payment details and provides us with customer, subscription, and billing-status information. On iPhone and iPad, purchases are made through Apple In-App Purchase; Apple processes the payment and we receive purchase and subscription status through RevenueCat, linked to your Novis account so your plan applies on every device. Novis never receives or stores your full payment card number.
Service providers
We use Supabase for authentication and optional cloud storage, Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, and ElevenLabs for AI requests, Stripe for web billing, Apple and RevenueCat for purchases made on iPhone and iPad, Vercel for website and API hosting and operational logs, and GitHub for desktop app downloads and updates. These providers process information on our behalf or under their own applicable terms and privacy notices.
Retention and deletion
Local data remains on your device until you remove it or clear the app data. Cloud-synced study data and account information are kept while your account is active. Deleting your account from the Account screen cancels your Stripe subscription, removes your Stripe customer record, and deletes your account along with the profile, subscription record, cloud study snapshot, and AI usage records attached to it, subject to limited backups, security records, billing records, and legal retention requirements. Deleting your Novis account does not cancel a subscription you bought through Apple. Apple subscriptions must be cancelled in the Settings app on your iPhone or iPad. Operational events and error logs are retained only as reasonably needed for reliability, security, and troubleshooting. We may disclose information to service providers, when required by law, or when necessary to protect Novis, our users, or the public.
Your choices
You can keep categories local-only, choose whether to sign in and sync, export your study data, sign out, manage or cancel web billing through Stripe, manage an Apple subscription in the Settings app, or delete your account from the Account screen. Deleting your account removes cloud-synced data. Local copies and any backups you exported remain under your control and must be deleted separately.
Contact
Questions or deletion requests can be sent to support@novis.study.