Last updated: March 2026
Vidgest is designed with privacy at its core. Your transcripts, AI results, and preferences are stored locally on your Mac. When you use AI features, Vidgest sends transcript text to AI providers for processing — either through our servers (free and Pro tiers) or directly to your chosen provider (Max). An anonymous device identifier is used solely for rate limiting on the free tier. We do not collect analytics or track your usage.
Vidgest generates an anonymous device identifier (a random UUID stored in your Mac's Keychain) used solely for rate limiting on the free AI tier. This identifier cannot be linked to your identity, Apple ID, or any personal information. If you choose to submit feedback through the app, your message text, selected category, app version, and macOS version are sent to our servers. Feedback is anonymous — no personal data is attached. No other data is collected, stored, or transmitted to our servers.
Vidgest accesses publicly available caption and metadata information from YouTube — the same data your browser receives when visiting a video page. No YouTube account or API key is required. Vidgest is not affiliated with, endorsed by, or sponsored by YouTube or Google. Video URLs you process are stored locally on your device only.
Vidgest offers AI analysis through two paths: (1) Free and Pro tiers: Transcript text is sent to Vidgest servers (api.vidgest.com), which forward it to Google Gemini for processing. We do not store transcript content — it is forwarded in real time and discarded. (2) Max: Transcript text is sent directly from your Mac to your chosen AI provider (Google Gemini, Anthropic Claude, or OpenAI). Vidgest servers are not involved. In both cases, refer to Google's, Anthropic's, and OpenAI's respective privacy policies for their data handling practices.
If you use your own API keys (Max), they are stored securely in the macOS Keychain, encrypted by the operating system and accessible only to Vidgest. Keys are never transmitted anywhere except directly to the respective AI provider's API endpoint. Free and Pro tier users do not need API keys.
When you import audio or video files for transcription, all speech recognition (Whisper) happens entirely on your device using Apple's Neural Engine. Your audio and video files are never uploaded to our servers or any third party. However, if you use AI analysis features on the resulting transcript, the transcript text (not the audio) may be sent to AI providers as described in the AI Analysis section above. You are responsible for ensuring you have the right to process any files you import.
Vidgest contains zero analytics, telemetry, crash reporting, or tracking code. We do not use any third-party SDKs that collect data. We do not track which videos you transcribe, how often you use the app, or any other usage metrics.
In-app purchases are processed entirely by Apple through StoreKit. Vidgest never sees, handles, or stores your payment information.
All app data — transcripts, AI analysis results, and preferences — is stored locally in your Mac's Application Support directory. You can delete all data at any time from Settings. No data is synced to external services.
Vidgest communicates only with:
(1) YouTube (youtube.com) to fetch publicly available captions and metadata
(2) Vidgest servers (api.vidgest.com) for free-tier and Pro AI analysis, forwarding to Google Gemini
(3) Google's Gemini API when you initiate AI analysis with a Gemini key (Max)
(4) Anthropic's Claude API when you initiate AI analysis with a Claude key (Max)
(5) OpenAI's API when you initiate AI analysis with an OpenAI key (Max)
No other external services are contacted.
Vidgest does not collect, store, or process any personal data. The anonymous device identifier used for rate limiting cannot be linked to your identity. Because no personal information is gathered, there is no data to access, export, correct, or delete. If you are located in the European Economic Area, United Kingdom, or California, your rights under the GDPR and CCPA are fully satisfied by this data-minimization approach. The only data that leaves your device is transcript text sent to AI providers at your explicit request.
Vidgest does not knowingly collect any information from children under 13. The app does not require or collect personal information from any user.
If we update this privacy policy, the changes will be included in the next app update and posted on this page. The "Last updated" date at the top will reflect the most recent revision.
Questions about this privacy policy can be directed to: support@vidgest.com