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Terms of Service

The rules and guidelines for using Tentacle.

Last updated: February 18, 2026

1. Acceptance of Terms

By accessing or using Tentacle ("the App", "the Service"), you agree to be bound by these Terms of Service ("Terms"). If you do not agree to these Terms, do not use the Service.

These Terms apply to all users of the App, including free users and Pro subscribers.

2. Description of Service

Tentacle is a local-first, open-source note-taking application that allows you to:

  • Capture notes via text or voice recording
  • Search notes using semantic search powered by local embeddings
  • Organize notes with AI-powered auto-tagging
  • Optionally sync notes across devices using encrypted cloud sync (Pro feature)
  • Export notes to Obsidian or other Markdown-compatible tools

The Service is provided "as is" and "as available." We reserve the right to modify, suspend, or discontinue any part of the Service at any time.

3. User Accounts

3.1 Account Creation

To use certain features (e.g., cloud sync, Pro features), you must create an account. You agree to:

  • Provide accurate, current, and complete information during registration
  • Maintain the security of your password and account
  • Notify us immediately of any unauthorized use of your account
  • Accept responsibility for all activities that occur under your account

3.2 Age Requirement

You must be at least 13 years old to use Tentacle. If you are under 18, you must have parental consent to use the Service.

3.3 Account Termination

You may delete your account at any time from the app settings. We may suspend or terminate your account if you violate these Terms or engage in harmful behavior.

4. Acceptable Use

You agree to use Tentacle only for lawful purposes and in accordance with these Terms. You agree not to:

  • Use the Service to store, transmit, or distribute illegal content (e.g., child exploitation material, content promoting violence or terrorism)
  • Violate any applicable laws or regulations
  • Infringe on intellectual property rights of others
  • Attempt to gain unauthorized access to our systems or other users' accounts
  • Interfere with or disrupt the Service or servers
  • Use the Service to send spam or unsolicited communications
  • Reverse engineer, decompile, or disassemble the App (except as permitted by open-source licenses)
  • Use automated tools (bots, scrapers) to access the Service without permission

Violation of these rules may result in account suspension or termination.

5. User Content and Ownership

5.1 Your Content

You retain full ownership of all content you create in Tentacle ("Your Content"), including notes, recordings, and tags. We do not claim any ownership rights to Your Content.

5.2 License to Operate the Service

By using the Service, you grant us a limited, non-exclusive, royalty-free license to:

  • Store Your Content on our servers (if you enable cloud sync)
  • Transmit Your Content between your devices (for sync purposes)
  • Create backups of Your Content to prevent data loss

Important: If you enable cloud sync, Your Content is encrypted before transmission. We cannot read, analyze, or use Your Content for any purpose other than providing the sync service.

5.3 Responsibility for Your Content

You are solely responsible for Your Content. We do not monitor, review, or moderate user content (since it is encrypted and local-first). You agree not to store illegal or harmful content in the App.

5.4 Data Portability

You can export Your Content at any time in standard formats (Markdown, JSON). We will not lock you into our platform.

6. Pro Subscription and Payments

6.1 Pro Features

Tentacle offers a Pro subscription ($10/month) that includes:

  • Auto-tagging without requiring your own API key
  • Chat with your knowledge base (RAG)
  • Cloud sync across devices
  • Mobile app access
  • Priority support

6.2 Billing

  • Pro subscriptions are billed monthly via Polar.sh.
  • You will be charged at the beginning of each billing cycle.
  • Prices are subject to change with 30 days' notice.
  • All fees are non-refundable except as required by law.

6.3 Cancellation

  • You may cancel your Pro subscription at any time.
  • Cancellation takes effect at the end of the current billing cycle.
  • You will retain access to Pro features until the end of the paid period.

6.4 Free Tier

The free tier is provided free of charge and includes core features like local note storage, semantic search, and manual tagging. We reserve the right to modify or discontinue the free tier with reasonable notice.

7. Privacy and Data Protection

Your privacy is important to us. Please review our Privacy Policy to understand how we collect, use, and protect your data.

Key points:

  • Your notes are stored locally by default.
  • If you enable cloud sync, your data is encrypted end-to-end.
  • We cannot read your notes.
  • We do not sell your data to third parties.

8. Intellectual Property

8.1 Our IP

Tentacle and its original content, features, and functionality are owned by Tentacle and its licensors. This includes:

  • The Tentacle name and logo
  • The app design and user interface
  • Our proprietary code (not covered by open-source licenses)

8.2 Open Source

Tentacle is open source and released under the MIT License. You can view, modify, and distribute the code according to the terms of the license. See our GitHub repository for details.

8.3 Trademarks

"Tentacle" and the Tentacle logo are trademarks. You may not use our trademarks without permission, except as allowed by the open-source license (e.g., to indicate that your fork is based on Tentacle).

9. Third-Party Services

Tentacle integrates with third-party services, including:

  • OpenAI: For AI-powered features (transcription, tagging, RAG). If you use BYOK (bring your own key), you are subject to OpenAI's terms of service.
  • Polar.sh: For payment processing. Polar.sh's terms and privacy policy apply to payment data.
  • Vercel/Supabase: For hosting and database services.

We are not responsible for the actions, policies, or content of third-party services.

10. Disclaimers and Limitation of Liability

10.1 No Warranty

Tentacle is provided "as is" and "as available" without warranties of any kind, express or implied. We do not warrant that:

  • The Service will be uninterrupted, secure, or error-free
  • The results obtained from using the Service will be accurate or reliable
  • Defects will be corrected

10.2 Limitation of Liability

To the fullest extent permitted by law, Tentacle and its affiliates, officers, employees, and agents will not be liable for:

  • Any indirect, incidental, special, consequential, or punitive damages
  • Loss of data, profits, or revenue
  • Damages arising from your use or inability to use the Service

Our total liability for any claim related to the Service is limited to the amount you paid us in the 12 months preceding the claim (or $100 if you are a free user).

10.3 Data Backups

While we take measures to prevent data loss (e.g., backups for cloud-synced data), you are responsible for maintaining your own backups of important data. We are not liable for data loss.

11. Indemnification

You agree to indemnify and hold harmless Tentacle and its affiliates from any claims, damages, losses, or expenses (including legal fees) arising from:

  • Your use of the Service
  • Your violation of these Terms
  • Your violation of any third-party rights
  • Your Content

12. Changes to the Terms

We may update these Terms from time to time. If we make material changes, we will notify you via email or a prominent notice in the App at least 30 days before the changes take effect.

Continued use of the Service after changes constitutes acceptance of the updated Terms. If you do not agree to the new Terms, you must stop using the Service and may delete your account.

13. Governing Law and Dispute Resolution

13.1 Governing Law

These Terms are governed by the laws of the State of California, United States, without regard to conflict of law principles.

13.2 Dispute Resolution

Any disputes arising from these Terms or your use of the Service will be resolved through:

  1. Informal negotiation: Contact us at nicolas@polvera.com.br to attempt to resolve the issue.
  2. Binding arbitration: If negotiation fails, disputes will be resolved through binding arbitration in accordance with the rules of the American Arbitration Association (AAA). Arbitration will take place in San Francisco, CA.

Class action waiver: You agree to resolve disputes individually and waive the right to participate in class actions or class arbitrations.

13.3 Exceptions

Either party may seek injunctive relief in court to protect intellectual property rights or prevent unauthorized access to the Service.

14. Severability

If any provision of these Terms is found to be invalid or unenforceable, the remaining provisions will remain in full force and effect.

15. Entire Agreement

These Terms, together with our Privacy Policy, constitute the entire agreement between you and Tentacle regarding the Service and supersede any prior agreements.

16. Contact Us

If you have questions about these Terms, please contact us:

TL;DR: Use Tentacle responsibly. You own your data. We provide the service "as is." If you use Pro features, you agree to pay. We can update these terms with notice. Disputes are resolved through arbitration. Don't do anything illegal.