01
macOS Keychain key storage
Bring your own Anthropic, OpenAI, or OpenRouter key. Routines validates it with a test call, then stores it in the macOS Keychain — never in config files, never in plaintext, never sent to BinarCode.
10 / Privacy
No cloud in the middle. There's nothing to leak.
Bring your own API key, stored in the macOS Keychain with OS-level encryption. Your Mac talks directly to the AI provider over HTTPS. No BinarCode server handles your data — because there isn't one. We asked the same question of cloud tools in is ChatGPT private.
Privacy — How your data flows
Your Mac
SQLiteMarkdownKeychain
Direct HTTPS · your key
AI Provider
ClaudeOpenAIOpenRouter
Middleman cloud
doesn't exist
No BinarCode server in the loop. Ever.
anthropic-api-key ••••••••3f2a
Stored in macOS Keychain · com.binarcode.routines
Your Mac · direct HTTPS · zero intermediaries
02
Bring-your-own-key, no middleman
No BinarCode servers sit in the middle of your routines, auth, or AI calls. You control your spend and your privacy. Pay for tokens, not a markup — and revoke access instantly.
03
Privacy by design — direct HTTPS
Every decision happens locally: scheduling, memory retrieval, LLM calls. When a routine runs it calls your chosen AI provider directly over HTTPS with your key, and writes results back to local storage.
04
Native permissions, honest justifications
Microphone, screen recording, calendar, and AppleEvents permissions are requested only at first use, with plain-language explanations. You always know exactly why a permission is needed.
05
Offline Whisper transcription
When Deepgram is unavailable, or if you prefer full local operation, Routines transcribes 100% locally using a Whisper model running on your Mac. Audio is never sent anywhere.
06
Local-only meeting library
Every recording — title, attendees, transcript, summary, your notes — is stored in local SQLite and is fully searchable. Audio checkpoints live on disk and are never uploaded anywhere.
Your data, encrypted by the OS.
No server to breach. No subscription to hold your data hostage. Just your Mac, your key, your knowledge. For how the tradeoffs differ across the category, see our comparison of the best personal AI assistants.
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