Data handling summary for IT and procurement review. Last updated 4 October 2026, app version 1.2.5.
Your recordings never leave your iPhone. 5cut cuts, transcribes and makes notes on the device. There is no 5cut server, no account system and no cloud processing. A recording, transcript or export leaves the device only when the user exports it to a place that the user chooses.
| Question | Answer |
|---|---|
| Does 5cut upload customer audio? | No |
| Does 5cut use a third-party transcription service? | No |
| Does 5cut need accounts or logins? | No |
| Does the app have analytics or telemetry? | No |
| Do you need a Data Processing Agreement? | No. See below. |
| Does iOS encrypt the data at rest? | Yes. See below. |
| Can the app work without network access? | Yes, after the model download |
A data processing agreement controls how a processor handles personal data for a controller. 5cut never receives your data, so there is no processing relationship to control. The developer cannot access, see or keep any recording, transcript or export. This is not a policy promise. No system exists that can receive the data.
If your process needs a signed statement instead of a policy page, contact us. We will send you one.
Two layers apply. First, every modern iPhone encrypts its storage in hardware, with a key that is part of the chip. This protects the data if someone removes the flash memory from the device. Second, iOS Data Protection gives each file its own key. A class key wraps this file key, and iOS makes the class key partly from the device passcode. 5cut uses these classes:
There are two limits. First, Data Protection gets its strength from the device passcode. Without a passcode, only the hardware layer protects the data. For this reason, enforce a passcode policy through MDM.
Second, Data Protection protects a lost or stolen device. It does not protect a device that an attacker holds while it is unlocked. When a user exports a file to Photos or Files, the protection of that destination applies, not the protection of 5cut.
Every speech engine runs on the device, with local models:
Earlier versions had a fallback to the server-side speech recognition of Apple, for languages and devices without on-device support. Version 1.2.5 removed that path. The engine that was able to reach a server is gone. Every engine above runs on the device.
The app declares the iOS Speech Recognition permission. Apple requires this declaration from each app that links its Speech framework. 5cut links the framework to use the on-device transcriber. The declaration shows which API an app uses. It does not show where the audio goes.
To check where the audio goes, do one of these tests:
The app sends requests to the network in two cases only. Neither case sends user content:
The app has no SDKs for analytics, crash reports, attribution or ads. The internal analytics helper of the app writes logs in debug builds only. In App Store builds, it does nothing.
All components are open source and run on the device. They do inference or utility work only. None of them sends user data:
The app does not request contacts, location, calendar or tracking permissions.
Users can export transcripts and notes to Apple Notes, Markdown, Anki, Notion or Obsidian, and video to Photos or Files. Each export is a user action with the normal iOS share sheet. If your organization limits destinations, your MDM and Managed Open In policies control this. 5cut adds no separate channel.
5cut is a small independent app. These are its limits.
There is no SOC 2 report, no ISO 27001 certification and no third-party penetration test. These reports show how an organization controls the customer data that it receives. 5cut receives no customer data, so it does not create this risk.
There is also no admin console, no central policy enforcement and no audit log, because there is no account system for them. Apple Business Manager and your MDM handle all deployment and control.
5cut is in the App Store. You can deploy it to managed devices through Apple Business Manager and your MDM. Apple does not sell in-app purchases in volume. For a license for your whole organization, contact us about a custom build with the paid features already active.
Security or procurement questions
support@get5cut.comSee also the privacy policy and 5cut for organizations.
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