PaperwellThe short version
- Paperwell works on your device. Your PDFs, scans, photos, text, signatures and saved details are not sent to us or to any server we run. We do not run a server for your files.
- There is no account, no advertising, no analytics and no tracking.
- The only data that leaves your device in normal use is what is needed to check your Pro subscription, handled by RevenueCat together with the App Store or Google Play.
- You can delete everything inside the app at any time.
Who we are
Paperwell is published by Erik Geiger, an individual developer based in Romania. For privacy questions, write to erik.geiger1998@gmail.com. In this policy, "we" and "us" mean Erik Geiger.
Data on your device
To do its job, Paperwell works with content that you choose. All of it is processed and stored locally, in the app's private storage on your phone or tablet:
- Documents and images you scan, import or create, and the files that result from using a tool.
- Recognised text (OCR) and search information built from your documents, so the Library can search inside them.
- Signatures, text and marks you place on documents.
- "My details" that you choose to save for filling forms, such as a name, address or phone number, and entries you add to the Paperwork vault.
- Library structure such as groups and marks, and your app settings.
The app keeps these files out of cloud and computer backups. That protects your privacy, but it also means we cannot recover them for you: if you delete the app or lose the device, export or share anything you want to keep.
Permissions the app may ask for
| Permission | Why |
|---|---|
| Camera | To scan documents. Asked only when you tap Scan. Images are processed on your device. |
| Photos and files | To import images and PDFs that you pick yourself. Paperwell only receives the items you choose. |
| Face ID, fingerprint or device passcode | To lock the app and protect your documents. Biometric data stays in your device's secure hardware and is never accessible to the app or to us. |
| Billing (Android) | To let you buy Pro through Google Play. |
Services we use
Purchases: RevenueCat, App Store and Google Play
Pro is sold through the Apple App Store or Google Play. Payments are handled entirely by Apple or Google; we never see your card or payment details. To confirm that you have Pro, the app uses RevenueCat, Inc., a subscription service. RevenueCat receives an anonymous app user identifier created by the SDK, your purchase and subscription status (products, dates, renewals), purchase receipts or tokens, your IP address, and basic device, locale and currency information. We use this only to unlock Pro, restore purchases and prevent fraud. RevenueCat is based in the United States; see revenuecat.com/privacy for how it handles data. Apple and Google process purchase data under their own policies.
Legal basis (EU/EEA/UK): performing our contract with you (delivering the Pro features you buy) and our legitimate interest in preventing fraud and misuse.
On-device recognition: Google ML Kit and Apple frameworks
Text recognition and some image features use Google ML Kit and on-device frameworks from Apple. They analyse your images on your device; the images and text are not sent to us. According to Google's published disclosures, ML Kit may also send limited technical information to Google, such as device model, operating system, app package name and version, a per-install identifier and performance or error metrics, for diagnostics. It is not used to identify you. Where Apple Intelligence features are available, they run on the device.
Links
Links to this website, store pages and links inside QR codes open in your browser only after you confirm. Those sites have their own policies.
What we never do
- We do not collect your documents, scans or text.
- We do not show ads or use advertising identifiers.
- We do not use analytics, crash-reporting or tracking tools of our own.
- We do not sell or share personal data, and we do not build profiles of you.
Sharing and exports
When you share, export or print a file, or open it in another app, you choose where it goes, and that destination's own privacy policy applies. Paperwell can remove location and other metadata from photos before you share them.
Keeping and deleting your data
Your content stays on your device until you delete it. You can remove single files in the Library, or use Settings, Delete all my data to wipe documents, saved details and the Library. Uninstalling the app also removes its data. Temporary files are cleared automatically.
Purchase records held by RevenueCat, Apple and Google follow their own retention rules. We hold no other personal data about you.
Security
Files live in the app's private storage, size limits and input checks guard against malformed files, and the optional app lock and screen cover protect what is shown on screen. Password-protected PDFs created in the app use AES-256 encryption, and the passwords are never stored. No system is perfectly secure, but keeping data on your device greatly reduces what can be exposed.
Your rights
Because we hold almost no personal data about you, there is usually little to request. If you are in the EU/EEA, UK or similar region, you have the right to access, correct, delete, restrict or object to the processing of your personal data, and to data portability, to the extent it applies. Contact us at erik.geiger1998@gmail.com; we will help or point you to the right provider (for purchase data, RevenueCat, Apple or Google). You may also complain to your data protection authority; in Romania this is the ANSPDCP.
International transfers. RevenueCat and Google operate in the United States and other countries. Where required, transfers rely on recognised safeguards such as the EU-US Data Privacy Framework or Standard Contractual Clauses, as described by those providers.
US residents. We do not sell or share personal information as defined by US state privacy laws.
Children
Paperwell is a general-purpose tool and is not directed at children under 16. We do not knowingly collect personal data from children. If you believe a child has provided data, contact us and we will help.
Changes to this policy
If we change how the app handles data, we will update this page and the date above, and for important changes we will tell you in the app or in the store listing.
Contact
We usually reply within a few days.