Popover Privacy Policy

On-device translation

When the on-device model answers, your selected text is processed on your device. Popover does not send that text to a translation server. To keep future translation requests on your device, choose On-Device Only under Settings ▸ Translation Engine in Popover. The on-device model must be available on your device.

Private Cloud Compute

Automatic is the default engine setting. On an eligible device running iOS 27 or iPadOS 27 or later, Automatic tries Apple’s Private Cloud Compute when it is available and has remaining quota. Cloud Only also uses this service. For these requests, the selected text, translation instructions and language information are sent to Apple’s Private Cloud Compute servers to generate the translation.

Apple states that Private Cloud Compute uses request data only to fulfill the request, does not retain it after processing, and does not make it accessible to Apple. Popover’s developer cannot access this request data. Apple’s documentation is linked below.

Your engine choices

Automatic falls back to the on-device model when Private Cloud Compute is unavailable, a temporary failure occurs, or its safety filter blocks the request. Cloud Only never falls back, so a cloud failure is shown as an error. On iOS 26 or iPadOS 26, Automatic and On-Device Only use the on-device model; Cloud Only is unavailable. You can change the engine at any time in Popover Settings.

Storage and retention

Popover does not save translation history, write selected text or translations to its own files, or include them in app-generated logs in the released app. Text is held temporarily to process and display the current translation. The app saves your language pair, engine choice, cloud reasoning setting and setup-completion status locally. It also keeps a usage record on this device: the number of finished translations and the time of the most recent one. When Apple reports that the daily Private Cloud Compute quota has been reached, the record notes this and the expected reset time. The Status screen shows the record, and the app uses the count to decide when to ask for an App Store rating. The record contains no text and stays on the device. Language and engine settings and the usage record are shared only between Popover and its translation extension, through their shared app storage.

There is no translation-history database or developer-side copy to delete. You can change saved preferences in Settings. Deleting the app removes its local data, including the usage record. Copies held by other apps, the system clipboard or device backups are controlled separately by those apps and Apple.

Copy and Replace

Tapping Copy places the translation on the system clipboard, where the system and apps you paste into handle it under their own rules. Tapping Replace sends the translation back to the app where you selected the text. That app controls how the replacement is saved or shared. Popover does not clear or delete copies you place in another app or on the clipboard.

Tracking and Apple services

Popover does not track you across apps or websites, use advertising identifiers, or sell your data. It includes no advertising or third-party analytics SDKs. Apple separately operates the App Store, system diagnostics and Private Cloud Compute under its own privacy terms. This policy describes Popover’s handling of data; it does not replace Apple’s privacy policy. Opening an external link below uses your browser and makes a request to Apple’s website.

Policy changes

If Popover’s data handling changes, this policy will be updated along with its last-updated date. The app shows the version that shipped with it.