How Echo protects your memory

Private by default

Every memory starts private. Nothing reaches a teammate, a friend or a workspace until you choose to share it, and you pick exactly which memories go. When you share with a workspace, its members get a snapshot; your private original stays yours.

What happens when you save a conversation

• 1. Conversations come in from your tools. You save or import conversations from your AI tools, the Chrome extension or Echo for Mac, and AI tools you’ve connected can also save to Echo as you work.
• 2. It travels encrypted. Your content is encrypted in transit between your device, Echo and the AI providers Echo uses.
• 3. AI turns it into memories. Google Gemini picks out the decisions and details, and OpenAI builds the search index. On the paid services Echo uses, neither trains its models on your content.
• 4. Echo stores it securely. Memories and conversations are kept in Echo’s database behind access controls, least-privilege access and audit logging.
• 5. Vault adds encryption at rest. Turn on Vault and the text of your private memories and conversations is stored encrypted with AES-256-GCM.
• 6. You decide where it goes next. Your AI tools recall memories through your account, and you can share, export or delete them at any time.

How Vault encryption works

Vault is optional. Turn it on when you set up Echo, or later in Account.

• You set a password. It never leaves your device.
• Your device turns the password into an encryption key, using PBKDF2-SHA256 with 600,000 rounds and a salt.
• When Echo needs your encrypted memories, for example to save, import or share them, your device sends the key with that request. Echo holds it only in memory while it works and never stores it in its database.
• The text of your private memories, and of the conversations they came from, is stored as AES-256-GCM ciphertext. Titles, labels, dates, locations, names, conversation titles, file paths, images and the search index stay unencrypted so Echo can organize, show and search your memories, and memories you share to a workspace are stored so its members can read them.
• On a Mac, the key is kept in the macOS Keychain and in a local file for the Echo MCP bridge, so your AI tools can recall memories. Locking your vault or signing out removes it from that Mac.
• Only you hold the password, so keep it somewhere safe.

Which AI providers work with your content

Turning a conversation into memories means an AI model reads it. To create and search memories, Echo uses two providers, both on paid tiers whose terms rule out training on your content:

• Google Gemini (Vertex AI) extracts memories and writes answers and summaries, such as Deep Search results and workspace briefings.
• OpenAI turns text into embeddings, the search index that lets Echo find the right memory.

You stay in control

• Browse, edit and export your memories at any time.
• Delete a memory, and its search index entries are deleted with it.
• Delete your account, and Echo removes your conversations, memories, search index and sharing records from its production systems. Backup copies expire on a set schedule.
• Echo doesn’t sell your personal information or use it for targeted advertising.

The details

The Privacy Policy covers every detail, including how long each provider keeps data. The Memory Usage Terms explain how memories are stored and shared, and the subprocessor list names every company that helps run Echo. Questions go to [email protected].