# Can Aurora keep sensitive meetings off the cloud? > Aurora keeps the speech pipeline on the iPhone: capture, transcription, speaker separation and summaries run on the device. What that buys for sensitive meetings, what it does not do, and how to assess it against cloud note-takers. USE CASES · CONFIDENTIAL WORK Aurora does not upload recordings for transcription and does not send a bot. It makes the transcript, speakers and summary on the iPhone. This page sets out what that protects, the flows that still exist, and when a cloud note-taker is plainly the better pick. Published 31 October 2026 ## The short answer Aurora keeps the speech pipeline on the phone: capture, transcription, speaker separation, summaries and Ask Aurora. Recordings are not uploaded to be transcribed. Optional sync of conversation text goes through your own iCloud and starts off. The audio stays on the device that recorded it and is deleted after seven days. Aurora is local-first, not network-free; every path is listed in the [Privacy Notice](https://auroraisyours.com/privacy/#app-egress). ## Who this is for - Practitioners who meet clients in person and want notes made on the device they already carry. - Work where uploading recordings to a third-party service is not acceptable. - Teams who prefer no extra participant in the room or on the invite. ## Cautions and responsibilities - **Consent.** Laws and professional codes differ. Get clear consent from everyone present before you record. - **Where the data lives.** The audio stays on the phone that heard it and is removed after seven days; transcripts and notes remain on the device and can sync as text through your own iCloud if you turn that on. - **What leaves.** Aurora is local-first, not network-free. Model downloads, update checks and optional flows are listed in the Privacy Notice. ## How to assess it against cloud services - **Where the audio is processed.** Aurora: on the phone. Many AI note-takers: in the cloud. - **Who joins the call.** Aurora: nothing. Cloud note-takers: a visible participant on Zoom, Teams or Meet (some offer a desktop mode). - **What leaves the device.** Model downloads, update checks and optional flows are listed in the Privacy Notice. Aurora is local-first, not network-free. ## Scenarios - **Client intake or debrief.** Set the phone on the table, confirm consent, and keep a single device in the room. - **Therapy and legal meetings.** When recording is appropriate and permitted, Aurora keeps the speech pipeline on the iPhone. No compliance claim is made here. - **Board discussions.** Where policy requires no cloud transcription, use a device in the room and export plain text as needed. - **Redaction discipline.** If you export text, remove personal details you do not need before sharing it further. ## Read the comparisons - [Best Otter alternative for iPhone](https://auroraisyours.com/compare/otter-alternative/) - [Best Granola alternative for iPhone](https://auroraisyours.com/compare/granola-alternative/) - [Best Plaud alternative for iPhone](https://auroraisyours.com/compare/plaud-alternative/) ## How to try Aurora Aurora is in a private beta on TestFlight, free while it lasts. Join the waitlist and we will email you when your invite is ready. [Join the waitlist](https://auroraisyours.com/#waitlist) See [What Aurora does](https://auroraisyours.com/product/) for the full capability list and labels, and [Aurora for iPhone](https://auroraisyours.com/iphone/) for the workflow. For interviews, read [Interviews, in person](https://auroraisyours.com/use/interviews-journalists/). For classrooms, see [Lectures and students](https://auroraisyours.com/use/lectures-students/).