Notability

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Notability

Basic Information
Release Year	2010
Product Type	Software
In Production	Yes
Official Website	https://notability.com/

Notability forces new privacy policy on users who already bought the app to train its AI on the users own writing and recordings. Users are locked out of the application unless they agree to the new privacy policy after an update in August.

Consumer-impact summary

Business model

Up until 2021 Notability was a one time payment app (lifetime license), purchasable on the App Store.

After November 1st, 2021 it became with optional annual subscription. The free version contains severe limits on note edits, making it almost a demo of the application. That's why users who already bought the app before November 2021 were given lifetime access to all existing features and any content previously purchased in the app.

Over the years different tiers of subscription appeared, justified by new AI-related functionalities.

For instance the app was purchasable for $9.99 before November 2021, the annual subscription initially costed 11.99$. The base annual subscription as of 2025 is $20, while the Notability pro plan 99$.

Incidents

Users Privacy Violations (2025)

Users report being unable to access notes unless the new Privacy Policy is accepted (October 2025). Photo taken on an iPhone.

Notability updated its Privacy Policy in 2025. Following this change, users reported being unable to access their previously created notes until they accepted the new terms. This included users who purchased the app before it moved to a subscription model in late 2021. Public reports and discussion appear in the following Reddit threads: 1, 2, 3.

Concerns raised about the updated policy language include:

• Processing of notes and recordings – The policy states that notes, handwritten content, images, documents, and audio synced with “the Services” may be processed using AI features such as transcription and summarisation. It does not clearly restrict this to Notability Cloud.
• Storage of transcripts – While original audio may be deleted after processing, transcripts created during processing may remain stored on Notability servers unless a user requests removal.
• No obvious local-only option – The app does not provide a clear way to use transcription or AI features entirely on-device without content being uploaded to external processors.
• Broad data-transfer terms – The policy allows transferring user data if the company is sold or merges with another business, affecting users who store personal or educational material.
• Unnamed third-party processors – The policy refers to “AI providers” and other external processors without identifying them, limiting transparency about how data is handled.
• Under-16 uncertainty – The policy states features are not intended for users under 16, but protections rely on self-reported age, which may not prevent minors’ data from being processed.

These concerns have led users to question whether continued access to local notes should depend on accepting terms that permit external processing and storage of private content. Requests for clearer boundaries and data segregation remain ongoing across public forums and support channels.

Policy change timeline

• Before July 2025: Notability’s privacy policy did not list handwritten notes or personal documents as data the company may collect.
• July 2025 update: Policy changed to state collection of user-generated content including *“notes, texts, handwritten contents, pictures, documents, and audio recordings synced by you with the Services.
• August 11 2025: Notability Cloud launched, introducing syncing and cloud-based storage.

Company responses

File:Notability reponding publically.png

Public replies from Notability state the new policy applies only to Notability Cloud and does not change access to note content. However, the policy wording does not reflect this distinction.

Public replies from Notability state the new policy applies only to Notability Cloud and does not change access to note content.

However, the policy wording does not reflect this distinction.

In support replies, Notability confirms that acceptance of the policy is required to access the app and export notes.