Privacy & your data
Know what runs locally, what is retained and what changes when you enable optional rewriting.
On this page
What stays local#
Parakeet and Whisper recognition run on your computer. The app does not upload microphone audio for recognition. Local mode cleanup, preferred spellings, replacements, snippets and caret fitting also run locally.
The app does not require a TawkType account or subscription and has no telemetry feature in the reviewed implementation. It still makes network requests for user-requested downloads, installed-app updates and optional Claude rewriting. “Local recognition” does not mean the app never contacts the internet for any purpose.
Data at a glance#
| Data | Where it goes | Control |
|---|---|---|
| Microphone recording | Held for the current local recognition workflow; not kept as a permanent audio history. | Hold/toggle recording; Esc cancellation. |
| Recognized and final text | Local history.jsonl when History is enabled. | Settings → History. |
| Latest completed result | Temporary last-result buffer in the running app. | Used by Copy last and recovery; not a durable archive. |
| Caret context | A bounded local read around the insertion point. | Fit the text to where it lands, per mode. |
| Cloud rewrite request | Anthropic: raw transcript, task prompt, relevant spellings and extra instructions. | Global AI cleanup switch, available key and mode permission. |
| Clipboard text | Windows clipboard during paste/fallback or explicit copying. | Insertion method and your Windows/clipboard-manager settings. |
Files on your PC#
Open Settings → General → Open data folder. The folder is %LOCALAPPDATA%\TawkType\ for your Windows user.
| File or folder | Contents | Storage characteristic |
|---|---|---|
settings.json | Settings, vocabulary, modes and preferences. | Readable JSON. |
apikey.dat | A key saved through the app. | DPAPI-encrypted for the current Windows account. |
history.jsonl | Retained raw and final dictation text with metadata. | Plain text, not encrypted by TawkType. |
models\ | Downloaded local speech models. | Separate from the installer. |
logs\tawktype.log | Operational timings, character counts and diagnostic events. | Rolling log, approximately 5 MB before rotation. |
Regular recognizer logging uses counts rather than transcript bodies. A diagnostic log can still contain file paths, device details and error information. Review it before sharing it publicly.
Turn History off#
- Open Settings → History.
- Untick Keep a log of every dictation.
- Save and check for any deletion error.
This stops persistent dictation logging and attempts to remove the history file. It does not clear words already inserted into another program, clipboard-manager archives, backups or data previously sent to Anthropic. The running app can still retain its last completed result in memory for recovery.
To delete entries while continuing to keep future history, use Delete for one entry or Clear for the whole log. A failed deletion is reported; do not treat it as a successful erasure.
Clipboard and other applications#
Paste delivery temporarily places text on the Windows clipboard. Copy and copied-result fallback intentionally place text there. Clipboard history and synchronization are controlled by Windows or other clipboard tools, independently of TawkType’s History switch.
The current paste implementation restores previous plain text only. It does not preserve images, copied files or all rich formats. See clipboard behavior before relying on the clipboard for other work while dictating.
Delete local data or uninstall#
Uninstalling TawkType keeps its local data by default. To remove it as part of uninstalling, enable Settings → General → Delete all of this if I uninstall TawkType and click Save before uninstalling through Windows.
Delete my data… on the same General page instead deletes the stored files immediately after confirmation while leaving the app installed. Both choices cover models, history, settings, vocabulary, stored key and logs in the TawkType data folder. They do not clear exports, backups, clipboard history, other applications or previously sent cloud data.
See Uninstall & delete data for the steps, restart guidance and handling of files left in use.
Back up or move your preferences#
Use Vocabulary → Export for a portable copy of your main spellings, replacements and snippets. It contains readable text and may include names or saved personal passages. Keep it somewhere appropriate for that content.
For a wider backup, quit the app before copying its data folder. Review whether you need to include plain-text history and large models. A copied DPAPI key file is tied to its Windows protection context; enter your key again on a new account instead of assuming the encrypted file is portable.
The project has no built-in cloud synchronization or live privacy dashboard. This guide describes the controls that are implemented.