Everything is worked out on your device
Rebuilding papers for Reading Mode, the search index, similar passages, and reading your handwriting or scanned pages into text all happen on your device. Translation, organizing your notes with AI and paper cards run on a model on your device too. Your papers, notes and handwriting are not sent to Rectoly. They go to an AI service only if you choose your own API key yourself.
- Some features download a model the first time you use them (for example the translation model, the language model for similar passages, or a handwriting recognition model). The model then runs on the device.
- While a computer of yours that you paired translates for this device, paragraphs go to that computer inside the same network, encrypted with a key only the two share. They do not leave your network. See Translation.
What goes to Mendeley or Zotero
Rectoly talks to your Mendeley or Zotero account to do what you ask:
- It reads your library and downloads PDFs.
- It sends your highlights, underlines and sticky notes back as annotations, and notes you choose to send.
- It sends handwriting as a "Rectoly handwriting" attachment when handwriting sharing is on. See Sharing handwriting.
- It uploads the PDFs you choose when you add a PDF. See Adding a PDF.
- When translations are saved to your library, it saves them as a file attached to the paper, so your other devices use the same translation. See Saving translations to your library.
- While handwriting sharing is on, the paper card of a paper in your personal library travels in the same attachment as its handwriting.
What goes through rectoly.com
Signing in to Mendeley or Zotero and checking your purchase go through Rectoly's server at rectoly.com, so that no secret keys have to be stored inside the app. Your papers, annotations and handwriting do not go through it.
- If you turn on asking your own computer to translate while you are away, only the signals "translate this paper" and "done" go through this server. The paper and its translation do not: they travel inside your own library. See Translation.
Anonymous usage statistics
If you allow it, Rectoly sends anonymous usage statistics, such as which screens are opened how often or whether Reading Mode is used. Paper titles, text and anything you write never leave your device.
- Turn it on or off in Settings › General › Privacy. You can also choose on the first screens when you start Rectoly.
- Nothing is sent before you agree to the Terms of Use and the Privacy Policy.
- On Windows, crash reports are sent the same anonymous way while this is on.
- On Android, crash reports are sent the same anonymous way while this is on.
When you use your own API key
If you choose Your own API key in Settings › AI, translation, Organize with AI and paper cards are run by the AI provider you pick (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google and others). It is not chosen to begin with, and choosing it shows what is sent and asks for your agreement first.
- What is sent: the paragraphs and figure text you translate, a paper's title, headings and opening so that its terms stay consistent, the notes you organize with AI, and the paragraphs a paper card is written from.
- It goes from this device straight to the provider, not through Rectoly's server. The provider handles it under your account, and its terms and data practices apply.
- The API key is stored on this device only. It is not sent to your other devices or to Mendeley or Zotero.
- Papers you have not opened are never sent. The one exception is making cards for newly added papers, and only after you turn it on yourself and confirm.
See AI settings and your own API key.
Things only you send
Some files leave your device only when you send them yourself:
- Diagnostic data, which you send to us yourself from Settings › Troubleshooting. It is kept on Rectoly's server for 30 days, then deleted. See Troubleshooting.
- Report a layout problem in Reading Mode, which sends positions and structure with the text masked. See Reading Mode.
- Exports and archives, which you save or share where you choose. See Export and Archives.
- iCloud backup, which goes to your own iCloud. See iCloud backup.
Privacy Policy
For the full details, read the Privacy Policy.