Set the training opt-out and a transcript deletion period before Granola captures sensitive meetings. Granola keeps no meeting audio. The desktop apps stream it to the transcription provider and save nothing, and the mobile apps cache it only until transcription completes. Transcripts and notes stay on US-hosted AWS until deleted, and Granola trains its own models on anonymized data unless a user opts out or the workspace is on Enterprise.
When you need this
- Security review asks where audio, transcripts, and notes live, and for how long.
- Customer or candidate meetings must stay out of vendor model training.
- A healthcare, education, or EU-regulated team is evaluating Granola.
Evaluation criteria
Audio
Is any meeting audio stored, anywhere?
Look forCheck the documented audio path for each device. On macOS and Windows, microphone and system audio stream to the transcription provider; no audio or video is saved. On iOS and Android, audio is cached during the meeting, then deleted from Granola and third-party systems after transcription completes. Granola's general FAQ mentions caching without naming platforms, and its platform and security pages separate the two paths. On both, Granola keeps only transcripts and notes.
Transcripts and notes
How long are transcripts kept, and who sets the limit?
Look forTranscripts stay indefinitely by default. Users can set deletion from 1 day to 1 year, with a one-week cooldown. Enterprise admins can request a workspace policy that overrides users and deletes older transcripts at once. Notes survive transcript deletion but cannot be regenerated. Enterprise legal holds stop deletion for named custodians.
Model training
Does our meeting data train anyone's models?
Look forBasic and Business use anonymized data to improve Granola's models by default. Each user can turn off Use my data to improve models for everyone. Granola cannot guarantee that data was not used before opt-out, so opt out before the first meeting. Enterprise workspaces start opted out. Granola bars its AI providers, OpenAI and Anthropic among them, from training on customer data.
Third parties and models
Which outside services see meeting content?
Look forReview the subprocessor list in the Trust Center. Granola names transcription providers such as Deepgram and AssemblyAI, and AI providers such as OpenAI and Anthropic. On Enterprise, Fable 5 in Chat stays off until an admin enables it. Zero data retention does not cover it. Anthropic keeps its logs for 30 days.
Residency and compliance
Does Granola meet our regulatory baseline?
Look forGranola has held SOC 2 Type II since July 2025. AWS stores data in the US only. Granola offers no EU, UK, or other residency. Its GDPR terms use a standard DPA, with no custom DPAs. HIPAA requires Enterprise and a BAA and covers desktop apps only. Granola has no ISO 27001 and is not FERPA compliant.
Sharing and security record
Who outside the meeting can read a note?
Look forNotes stay private until shared, and links can be set to Private, Only my company, or Anyone with the link. The Verge reported in April 2026 that links defaulted to anyone with the link. Enterprise admins can impose a sharing limit that applies retroactively. Granola's post-mortems cover an iOS beta transcription key exposed until March 2025 and a desktop session flaw that Strix reported in June 2026, fixed within six days.
Questions to ask vendors
- Can you confirm in writing that no audio is retained on desktop, and how long cached mobile audio can persist if transcription fails?
- What transcript retention policy can you configure for our workspace, and how fast does it apply?
- Is our workspace opted out of model training by default, and can users turn it back on?
- Which sub-processors receive transcripts, and in which regions?
Red flags
- Business accounts recording customer meetings with the training opt-out left on its default.
- Protected health information captured outside an Enterprise workspace with a signed BAA, or on mobile, which the BAA does not cover.
- An EU data residency requirement, which Granola does not offer today.
- Transcript deletion assumed to remove the AI notes, which remain until deleted separately.
Products in this piece
Sources
- Official documentation
- 14
- Public source
- 3
- Granola: Security, privacy, and how it all works
- Granola Help Center: How transcription works
- Granola Help Center: How transcription works on mobile
- Granola Help Center: Security, Privacy & Data FAQs
- Granola Help Center: Models & training
- Granola Help Center: Transcript auto-deletion
- Granola API docs: Legal Holds API
- Granola Help Center: Is Granola HIPAA compliant?
- Granola: Granola is SOC2 compliant (Jul 7, 2025)
- Granola Help Center: AI-enhanced notes
- Granola Help Center: Subscriptions and billing
- Granola Help Center: Sharing controls
- Granola: Post-Mortem: AssemblyAI API Key Exposure
- Granola: Report: Desktop App Navigation Vulnerability
- The Verge: PSA: Anyone with a link can view your Granola notes by default (Apr 2, 2026)
- Strix: One Click Account Takeover in Granola (Jul 5, 2026)
- Hacker News comment on Granola folders visible to the whole organization (Jul 30, 2025)