Privacy Policy for PilcrowMD
Effective date: October 30, 2026
PilcrowMD is a Markdown reader and editor for Android, with a Mac app in beta. This policy covers both apps and this website. The sections below describe the Android app. The Mac app has its own section after it, and this website has the last one. This policy explains how the apps handle your information. The short version: The PilcrowMD apps do not collect, store, or share any personal data. There are no accounts, no ads, and no tracking in the apps.
Data we collect
None. PilcrowMD has no user accounts, no analytics, no advertising, no crash-reporting or telemetry SDKs, and no trackers. We – the developers – do not receive any information about you or your use of the app.
Your files
PilcrowMD only accesses the Markdown (.md, .markdown,
.txt) files you explicitly open, using Android's Storage
Access Framework. Those files, and any edits you make, stay on your
device. The app never uploads, copies, or transmits your files to us or
to any server. Since version 1.0.15 the Android app has no internet
permission, so the app itself cannot send anything over the internet. A
copy of a file leaves the app only when you choose to save one with
Save As, to a place you pick. The Feedback
buttons in Settings open your own mail app or browser; the app sends
nothing itself.
Settings stored on your device
The app saves your preferences locally on your device only – for example your chosen font, text size, line-number toggle, the location of your most recently opened file, and your scroll position per file. This information never leaves your device and is removed if you uninstall the app.
Network use
PilcrowMD works offline. Since version 1.0.15, Mermaid diagrams are drawn on your phone, offline. The app has no internet permission.
Android 1.0.14 and older worked differently: when Mermaid was turned on in Settings, the source text of a Mermaid diagram was sent to the third-party service mermaid.ink to render an image. F-Droid users may still be on 1.0.14. Update to 1.0.15 or newer to stop that.
Permissions
- File access (Storage Access Framework): to open and save the specific files you choose. PilcrowMD does not request broad access to your storage.
- Internet: none. Since version 1.0.15 the app does not request it.
Children
PilcrowMD is not directed at children and does not knowingly collect any data from anyone, including children.
Your rights (GDPR / CCPA)
Because PilcrowMD does not collect, store, or share any personal data, there is no personal data for us to access, correct, delete, or export. You remain in full control of your own files on your device at all times.
Open source
The Android app is open-source software (GPL-3.0). You can inspect exactly how it handles data in the source code at github.com/pilcrowmd/pilcrow .
F-Droid's build system rebuilt PilcrowMD 1.0.5 from that source and the published APK matched it byte for byte; an independent contributor verified that published file on a physical phone – see how that was verified.
PilcrowMD for Mac (beta)
The Mac app collects no personal data. It has no accounts, no tracking, no analytics and no ads.
It makes no internet connection at all. Since version 0.3.1, Mermaid diagrams are drawn on your Mac, with all network blocked, and the mermaid.ink setting is gone.
Versions 0.1 to 0.3 worked differently: when Mermaid was turned on in Settings, the text of each diagram was sent to the third-party service mermaid.ink to be drawn. Update to 0.3.1 or newer to stop that.
It never fetches web pictures in your notes. Links open in your browser only when you click them.
It reads and writes only the files and folders that you open or add.
Its settings, recent files, added folders and new/updated marks are stored only on
your Mac, in ~/Library/Preferences/com.pilcrowmd.mac.plist and
~/Library/Application Support/PilcrowMac/. Deleting the app, this file
and this folder removes everything.
This website
We count visits to pilcrowmd.com with Umami and Cloudflare Web Analytics. Neither uses cookies or collects personal data. We see totals: pages visited, where visitors came from, country and device type. The apps send nothing.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, we will update it here and revise the effective date above.
Contact
Questions about this policy: [email protected].
Data controller: Addvalue Paweł Leks · [email protected].