Last updated: 11 November 2026 · Deutsche Fassung unten
CoNotes is a note-taking app for Android tablets and phones. This policy explains which data CoNotes processes, where it goes and what you can do about it. In short: your notes stay on your device unless you choose a feature that sends something somewhere. There is no advertising and no analytics/tracking in CoNotes.
Jan Witzenrath, e-mail: conotesbusiness@gmail.com (“we”).
Notes, handwriting, pictures, imported documents, page thumbnails, settings, study times, goals, flash cards and lecture transcripts are stored in the app’s private storage on your device. API keys you enter for AI providers are encrypted with the Android Keystore. Handwriting recognition for search runs on the device (Google ML Kit; the language model is downloaded once from Google).
| Feature | What is sent | To whom |
|---|---|---|
| Google Drive sync (optional, sign in in Settings) | Your notes, media and study data | Your own Google Drive, in a hidden app folder only CoNotes can see (scope drive.appdata), plus files CoNotes creates for you (drive.file, e.g. converting Office files to PDF). We have no access to your Drive. |
| Ask AI, summaries, flash cards, “Fix words with AI” | The selected area or pages (as pictures/text), your question, and for summaries the lecture transcript | The AI provider you choose and connect with your own key or account (e.g. Anthropic, Google Gemini, OpenAI, Ollama). Their privacy policies apply. Nothing is sent before you start the action. |
| Send to an AI app / share | What you choose to share | The app you pick |
| Picture search | Your search words | Wikimedia Commons (Wikimedia Foundation) |
| Lecture recording | Audio is turned into text by Android’s speech recognition, on the device when available, otherwise by Google’s speech service. CoNotes keeps no audio, only the text, on your device. | Google (only if on-device recognition isn’t available) |
| Friends, study rooms, chat, writing together online, voice chat (optional, requires signing in with Google) | Your Google account id, the name you choose, your friend code, your study status (if you allow it: studying, subject, study time this week), your pixel character, friend requests, the rooms you are in and their chat messages and file list, connection details to set up live connections | Google Firebase (Authentication and Cloud Firestore), operated by Google. Other users only see what the app shows them (friends see your status; room members see room content). |
| Writing together / voice chat over the internet | Your pen strokes and voice travel directly between the devices (encrypted, WebRTC). If a direct connection is impossible, they are relayed (still encrypted) through a relay server. | The other participants; relay: Cloudflare. Nothing is stored there. |
| Writing together nearby | Your note and strokes | Only the nearby devices you connect to (Bluetooth / Wi-Fi), no server |
| Receive files from your computer (browser add-on, optional) | Files you send from your own browser | Your device only, within your local Wi-Fi, protected by a pairing code |
| Report a bug (optional) | Your description, app/Android version, device model, language, the screen you were on, and – only if you tick it – the app’s recent log and a contact address you type in | Us (a Google Apps Script / Google Sheet we operate) |
| Flash cards to AnkiDroid (optional) | The cards you choose | The AnkiDroid app on your device |
Providing the features you use (Art. 6(1)(b) GDPR); your consent where you opt in, e.g. sharing your study status or sending a log with a bug report (Art. 6(1)(a)); our legitimate interest in keeping online features working and safe, e.g. handling reports of abuse (Art. 6(1)(f)).
On your device: until you delete it or uninstall the app. Google Drive: until you delete it there or disconnect CoNotes in your Google account. Firebase (online account, rooms, chat): until you delete your online account (see 6); rooms you own are deleted when you delete them; messages you sent in rooms of others stay visible to that room’s members unless the room is deleted. Bug reports: up to 12 months.
In the app: Study → Friends → ⋮ → Delete my online account. This deletes your profile, friend code, friendships, requests, study status and room memberships from Firebase and removes your sign-in. Notes on your device and in your Drive are not affected (delete them in the app or in Google Drive). You can also ask us to delete your data: conotesbusiness@gmail.com – see account deletion.
You can block other users and report messages or users in chats and rooms. Reports reach us and are reviewed.
The online features (friends, rooms, chat, voice) are meant for users aged 16 and over.
You have the right to access, rectification, erasure, restriction, data portability and objection, and to withdraw consent at any time. You may lodge a complaint with a data protection authority. Contact: conotesbusiness@gmail.com.
We will update this page when CoNotes changes in a way that affects your data.
Stand: 11. November 2026
CoNotes ist eine Notiz-App für Android-Tablets und -Smartphones. Deine Notizen bleiben auf deinem Gerät, außer du nutzt eine Funktion, die etwas verschickt. CoNotes enthält keine Werbung und kein Tracking/keine Analyse.
Jan Witzenrath, E-Mail: conotesbusiness@gmail.com.
Notizen, Handschrift, Bilder, importierte Dokumente, Einstellungen, Lernzeiten, Ziele, Karteikarten und Vorlesungs-Mitschriften werden im privaten Speicher der App auf deinem Gerät gespeichert. API-Schlüssel werden mit dem Android-Keystore verschlüsselt. Die Handschrifterkennung läuft auf dem Gerät (Google ML Kit).
Google-Drive-Sync (optional): Notizen, Medien und Lerndaten in einen versteckten App-Ordner in deinem Google Drive; wir haben keinen Zugriff. KI-Funktionen (Fragen, Zusammenfassungen, Karteikarten, Wörter korrigieren): der gewählte Bereich bzw. die Seiten, deine Frage und ggf. die Mitschrift an den KI-Anbieter, den du auswählst und mit deinem eigenen Schlüssel/Konto verbindest. Bildersuche: Suchbegriffe an Wikimedia Commons. Vorlesung aufnehmen: Spracherkennung von Android, wenn möglich auf dem Gerät, sonst durch Google; es wird kein Ton gespeichert, nur Text auf deinem Gerät. Freunde, Lernräume, Chat, gemeinsames Schreiben online, Sprachchat (optional, mit Google-Anmeldung): Konto-ID, gewählter Name, Freundescode, Lernstatus (nur wenn erlaubt), Pixel-Figur, Anfragen, Räume mit Chatnachrichten und Dateiliste, Verbindungsdaten – bei Google Firebase. Stifte-Striche und Sprache laufen verschlüsselt direkt zwischen den Geräten, notfalls über einen Relay-Server von Cloudflare (ohne Speicherung). Fehler melden (optional): Beschreibung, App-/Android-Version, Gerät, Sprache, Bildschirm und – nur wenn angehakt – das Protokoll der App und eine Kontaktadresse, an uns (Google Apps Script/Google Tabelle).
Art. 6 Abs. 1 lit. b DSGVO (Bereitstellung der genutzten Funktionen), lit. a (Einwilligung, z. B. Lernstatus teilen, Protokoll mitsenden), lit. f (berechtigtes Interesse an sicheren, funktionierenden Online-Funktionen, z. B. Bearbeitung von Meldungen).
Auf dem Gerät: bis du löschst oder die App deinstallierst. Drive: bis du dort löschst. Firebase: bis du dein Online-Konto löschst. Fehlerberichte: bis zu 12 Monate.
In der App: Lernen → Freunde → ⋮ → Mein Online-Konto löschen. Oder per E-Mail an conotesbusiness@gmail.com.
Du kannst andere Nutzer blockieren und Nachrichten oder Nutzer melden.
Die Online-Funktionen sind für Nutzer ab 16 Jahren gedacht.
Auskunft, Berichtigung, Löschung, Einschränkung, Datenübertragbarkeit, Widerspruch, Widerruf von Einwilligungen; Beschwerde bei einer Datenschutzaufsichtsbehörde. Kontakt: conotesbusiness@gmail.com.