Overview
Quill ("Quill", "the app") is a native macOS application developed by PointBlue Technology. Your privacy is important to us. This policy explains what data Quill does and does not collect.
The short version: Quill does not collect, transmit, or store your personal data or document contents. Your writing stays on your Mac. The one exception to Quill's offline behaviour is the Kickstart Exchange cross-promotion feature described below, which sends app-level information only — never your documents, and nothing that identifies you.
Data Collection
Quill does not collect any personal data. Specifically:
- No personal information is collected, requested, or stored.
- No document contents are transmitted off your device. Every Markdown file you open, edit, and render is processed entirely on your Mac.
- No usage analytics or telemetry are collected by PointBlue Technology. Quill contains no analytics frameworks and no crash-reporting services, and we receive no data about how you use the app.
- No account is required, and there are no social or sharing features that send your data to us.
- No cookies or advertising identifiers are used, and Quill does not track you across apps or websites.
Quill does include the Kickstart Exchange SDK, which shares a small amount of app-level information in order to show app recommendations. See Kickstart Exchange below for exactly what is sent.
Local Data Storage
Quill stores data only as part of normal macOS document handling:
- Markdown files are read from and saved to locations you choose on your file system, through the standard macOS document system and sandboxed file access.
- The capture folder and preferences — such as your chosen folder, filename template, themes, and window state — are stored locally using standard macOS UserDefaults and security-scoped bookmarks. These never leave your device.
- Spotlight indexing is performed by macOS on your own Mac so your notes are searchable in Spotlight. The index stays on your device and is managed by the system.
On-Device Intelligence
Quill's optional Intelligence features — Suggest Title, Summarize Document, and Rewrite Selection — use Apple's Foundation Models, which run entirely on-device on Apple Intelligence-capable Macs. The text you act on is processed locally and is not sent to PointBlue Technology or any third-party server. If your Mac does not support Apple Intelligence, these features are unavailable and no processing occurs.
Network Access
Quill is designed to work offline, and your documents are never transmitted anywhere. Most network activity is initiated by you or handled by macOS — for example, opening a hyperlink you click in your default browser, or rendering features that load resources bundled inside the app. The only network request Quill makes on its own is to Kickstart Exchange to fetch app recommendations, which sends the app-level, non-identifying information described below. Quill sends no data to PointBlue Technology.
Share Extension & Shortcuts
Quill's Share extension and Shortcuts actions write content you explicitly send into the capture folder you choose. This data is written to your local file system only; it is not transmitted to us.
Kickstart Exchange
Quill uses Kickstart Exchange, a free cross-promotion service that lets independent Apple-platform developers recommend each other's apps. It is how Quill can show you other indie apps you might like without conventional ad networks or user tracking.
When Quill requests recommendations, the Kickstart Exchange SDK sends app-level details only:
- Our Kickstart Exchange API key and Quill's bundle identifier
- The platform, and the app, build, and SDK versions
- The App Store country of the storefront
- Whether the app is running in development mode
- Where applicable, an Apple-signed App Transaction used once to verify that the install is genuine
No user or device identity is involved. Kickstart Exchange does not track individual users or devices, does not link this information to your identity, and does not use it for cross-app tracking. The signed App Transaction is used only for that one transient check and is not persisted by the SDK. Your documents, file names, folders, and anything you type are never sent.
For full details, see the Kickstart Exchange privacy notice.
Third-Party Services
Apart from Kickstart Exchange, described above, Quill does not integrate with, connect to, or share data with any third-party analytics, advertising, or data-collection services. Rendering libraries such as KaTeX and Mermaid are bundled in the app and run locally; they do not transmit your content.
Children's Privacy
Quill does not collect personal information from anyone, including children under 13. The app contains no account creation and no social features, and the only information it transmits is the app-level, non-identifying data described under Kickstart Exchange above.
App Store
Quill is distributed through the Apple App Store. Apple may collect data related to your purchase and download — as well as crash and usage diagnostics you choose to share — as described in Apple's Privacy Policy. PointBlue Technology does not have access to any purchase or download data that identifies individual users.
Changes to This Policy
If this privacy policy is updated, the revised version will be posted on this page with an updated effective date. Because Quill collects no personal data, changes are expected to be infrequent and minor.
Contact
If you have questions about this privacy policy or about Quill, you can reach us at:
PointBlue Technology
Email: [email protected]