The Application
By default, HelixNotes runs entirely on your device. Your notes, attachments, and settings are stored locally. Your notes are never sent to us, and they do not leave your device unless you enable an optional network feature such as WebDAV sync or an AI provider.
The app makes two kinds of connection on its own. The desktop app checks for a new version
when it starts by downloading a small file from helixnotes.com; no information
about you or your notes is included, though the request is subject to the server access logs
described under The Website below. Installs that are updated by a package manager, and the
mobile apps, do not make this check. And if a note contains an image that lives on the web,
the app loads that image from the site hosting it, as a browser would.
We do not operate any server that receives your notes. We have no account system, no HelixNotes cloud, no telemetry, no crash reporting, and no analytics inside the app.
Optional Sync
Built-in WebDAV sync is disabled by default. If you enable it, your notes and attachments are transmitted directly between your device and the WebDAV endpoint you configure. We do not proxy, receive, log, or store that data. The endpoint is governed by its operator's privacy and security terms.
You can also sync the notes folder with an independent tool such as Syncthing, Dropbox, rsync, or Git. Those tools operate separately from HelixNotes and under their own terms.
Optional AI Providers
HelixNotes includes optional integrations with AI providers (Ollama, Anthropic, OpenAI, and any OpenAI-compatible server). These integrations are disabled by default. If you choose to enable them:
- Ollama runs locally on your machine by default, so no data leaves your device. If you set its server address to another machine, the text you send goes to that machine.
- An OpenAI-compatible server is one you choose and point the app at. The text you send goes directly to that server.
- Anthropic and OpenAI require you to provide your own API key. When enabled and used, the text you send is transmitted directly from your device to that provider under their terms. We never see, log, or store this data. Your API key is stored locally on your device.
You can disable AI features at any time in the application settings. When disabled, no AI menus or features are present.
The Website
The project website (helixnotes.com) uses Umami, a privacy-friendly
self-hosted analytics tool. Umami collects:
- Page views and referrers
- Browser, OS, and device type (general)
- Country (derived from IP, the IP itself is not stored)
Umami does not use cookies, does not track users across sites, and does not collect personal data. Aggregated statistics are used solely to understand site usage.
The website is hosted on infrastructure operated by ArkHost. Standard server access logs (IP, timestamp, requested URL) may be retained for up to 30 days for security and operational purposes.
Source Code
HelixNotes is open source under AGPL-3.0. The full source is available at:
https://gitlab.com/ArkHost/HelixNotes
You can verify all of the above by reading the code.
Contact
For privacy questions: support@helixnotes.com
Changes
If this policy changes, the updated version will be published at this URL with a new "Last updated" date.