Privacy Policy

Last updated: May 2026

Serious Notebook is a private, offline-first handwriting notebook. This policy explains what happens to your data when you use it. The short version: your notebooks stay on your device, and we do not collect or share them.

If anything below changes, the "Last updated" date at the top of this page will change with it.

Who we are

Serious Notebook is made by Tiny Serious. You can reach us at support@tinyserious.com or visit tinyserious.com.

What we don't do

• We do not run analytics or telemetry of any kind.
• We do not show advertising and we do not work with ad networks.
• We do not use your handwriting, drawings, typed text, imported PDFs, or images to train AI systems — ours or anyone else's.
• We do not require an account or a login.
• We do not send your notebook content to any server we operate.
• We do not sell or rent your data.

This is mirrored in the app's bundled PrivacyInfo.xcprivacy manifest, which Apple makes available to you in the App Store privacy report.

What stays on your device

Everything you create or import lives in the app's sandboxed storage on your device:

• Handwritten strokes (PencilKit data)
• Typed text and sticky-note content
• Images and PDFs you import or insert
• Notebook covers, titles, and per-page settings
• Your in-app preferences (theme, language, paper defaults, drawing options)

This data is stored using Apple's SwiftData framework. We apply FileProtectionType.completeUntilFirstUserAuthentication to the store file, so the bytes are encrypted on disk between device boot and your first device unlock each session.

iCloud Backup

By default, Apple includes your app's documents in iCloud Backup if you have iCloud Backup enabled on your device. Your Serious Notebook data follows this default.

In Settings → iCloud Backup, you can switch on "Exclude from iCloud Backup." When this is on, your notebook store is marked so iOS will skip it during iCloud Backups. The toggle does not delete anything already in past backups — for that, you can manage backup contents in your device's Settings → Apple ID → iCloud.

Either way, manual PDF exports (made through the Export button) are your reliable recovery path.

iCloud Sync (CloudKit)

Serious Notebook does not sync your notebooks across your devices via iCloud or any other cloud service. Notebooks live on the device you created them on.

Photo library access

If you choose to add an image to a page or to a notebook cover, iOS will ask for permission to access your photo library. We only read the image you pick. Nothing is uploaded.

The reason for this access is documented in the app's Info.plist (NSPhotoLibraryUsageDescription): "Serious Notebook uses your photo library only when you choose to add an image to a page or set a notebook cover. Nothing is uploaded."

PDFs and files you import

When you import a PDF, scanned notebook, or image, the file is validated against safety limits (size, page count, dimensions) and then stored inside the app sandbox. The original file you pointed to is not modified. No copy is sent anywhere.

Email correspondence

If you tap Report a Bug, Contact Support, or write to us at support@tinyserious.com, the email opens in your device's Mail app. The message goes directly to us. We use your email only to reply, troubleshoot the issue you raised, and (if you give explicit consent) follow up on related fixes. We do not add you to any marketing list.

App Store rating prompt

The Rate Serious Notebook button uses Apple's standard RequestReviewAction. Apple — not us — handles the prompt and any rating you submit. We do not see who rated the app.

Children

Serious Notebook does not knowingly collect personal information from anyone, including children. There is no account system and no data leaves the device automatically. The app is suitable for use by minors with parental discretion appropriate to writing-and-drawing apps in general.

Third-party services

Serious Notebook does not embed third-party SDKs that collect personal data. The only Apple services it touches are:

• PencilKit (drawing engine) — runs on-device.
• SwiftData / Core Data (local storage) — on-device.
• StoreKit (App Store rating prompt) — Apple-managed; subject to Apple's Privacy Policy.
• MailComposer / mailto (opening your Mail app) — handled by iOS; subject to your email provider's terms.
• iCloud Backup (if you have it on) — handled by iOS; subject to Apple's iCloud terms.

Your rights

Because we don't collect or store any personal data on servers we operate, there is no data on our end to access, correct, port, or delete. Everything is under your control on your device:

• Access / portability: export any notebook to PDF from inside the app.
• Deletion: delete a notebook in the app, or delete the entire app to remove everything at once.
• Backup control: see the iCloud Backup section above.

If you have written to support@tinyserious.com and want us to delete the email thread on our end, reply asking us to, and we will.

Changes to this policy

If we change this policy, we will update the date at the top of this page and, when the change is material (for example, if we ever added an optional cloud-sync feature), describe the change in the app's release notes for that version.

Contact

Questions about privacy:

Email: support@tinyserious.com

Web: tinyserious.com