Privacy Policy
Effective date: 6 July 2026
ilmKosh is a private library for your documents. We designed it so your files stay with you and we collect as little as possible. This policy explains, in plain language, what happens to your documents and data when you use the ilmKosh mobile apps and web app (together, “ilmKosh” or “the app”).
The short version. Your documents, your library, and the text recovered from them stay on your device (or in your browser, for the web app). We never store your documents on our servers. Some features — recovering text from scanned pages (OCR), voice search, and AI answers — need to send data to trusted cloud services to work, and those run only when you choose to use them and agree. We don’t sell your data, and we don’t use third-party advertising or analytics.
Who we are
ilmKosh is operated by the makers of ilmKosh. For any privacy question or request, contact us at dev@ilmkosh.com.
What stays on your device
- The document files you import (PDFs and images).
- Your library — titles, page counts, and organization.
- The text recovered from your pages and the search index built from it.
- Your settings and preferences.
This information is stored locally on your device by the mobile apps, and within your browser’s local storage by the web app. We cannot see it, and it is not backed up to our servers. If you delete the app or clear its data, this information is removed from that device.
What is sent to the cloud, and when
Three features need an internet connection because they rely on cloud services. Each runs only when you actively use it, and the app asks for your consent before sending your content off the device.
1. Text recovery (OCR)
When a document’s text can’t be read directly, ilmKosh renders its pages as images and sends those page images to Google Cloud Vision to recover the text. Vision returns the recognized text and word positions, which are then stored on your device. You are shown a clear consent and progress step before this happens.
2. AI answers and summaries
When you use AI search or an AI summary, ilmKosh sends your query text and only the matched passages from your own documents to an AI provider — Google Gemini and/or Anthropic Claude — to interpret the question and write an answer grounded in those passages. We do not send your whole library; only the excerpts relevant to your query are sent.
3. Voice search
When you use voice search, ilmKosh records a short audio clip and sends it to Google Gemini for transcription with automatic language detection. The returned transcript is placed into the search field, exactly as if you had typed it. Microphone access is used only while you are actively recording a voice search.
All of these requests pass through our own lightweight proxy server. The proxy exists to hold the API keys for these services securely (so they are never embedded in the app) and to enforce usage limits. The proxy does not store your documents, page images, passages, queries, or voice clips — content passes through only to reach the service that fulfills the request.
Our third-party processors
We use these providers solely to deliver the features above. Your content is processed by them only to return a result to you, and is subject to their terms and privacy practices:
- Google Cloud (Vision API) — OCR text recovery from page images.
- Google (Gemini API) — AI answers/summaries and voice-search transcription.
- Anthropic (Claude API) — AI answers/summaries.
We do not authorize these providers to use your content to train their models beyond what is necessary to serve your request, and we send them the minimum content required for the feature you invoked.
Accounts
In this version, ilmKosh has no user accounts. You do not create a login, and we do not collect your name, email, or contact details except when you choose to email us for support.
Subscriptions and payments
When paid subscriptions become available, billing is handled entirely by Apple’s App Store or Google Play. We do not receive or store your card or payment details. The store shares only the information we need to confirm that a subscription is active. Purchases are governed by the store’s own terms and privacy policy.
Analytics and advertising
This version of ilmKosh contains no third-party analytics and no advertising. We do not track you across other apps or websites, and we do not build advertising profiles.
Data we do not sell or share
We do not sell your personal information or your document content, and we do not share it for advertising or marketing. The only sharing that occurs is the operational processing described above, needed to deliver features you actively use.
Data retention
Your documents and library remain on your device until you delete them or remove the app. Content sent to the cloud is retained only transiently to fulfill your request; our proxy does not persist it. Any operational logs are limited to what is needed to run the service securely and to enforce usage limits, and do not include your document content.
Children’s privacy
ilmKosh is not directed at children under 13 (or the equivalent minimum age in your country), and we do not knowingly collect personal information from them.
Your rights
Because your library lives on your device, you are in direct control of it: you can view, edit, or delete your documents and data within the app at any time. Depending on where you live, you may have additional rights over any personal data we process. To make a request or ask a question, contact dev@ilmkosh.com.
International processing
The cloud services above may process your request on servers located outside your country. By using a feature that requires the cloud, you understand that the relevant content is transmitted to those services to return your result.
Changes to this policy
We may update this policy as ilmKosh evolves — for example, when subscriptions or the web app launch. We will change the effective date above and, for significant changes, provide notice in the app. Continued use after an update means you accept the revised policy.
Contact
Questions about this policy or your privacy? Email dev@ilmkosh.com.