Transcription Privacy Policy

Last updated: October 26, 2026

Transcription helps you save, copy, download, and organize captions that YouTube makes available for a video you choose.

Information processed

When you press the Transcript button, the extension reads the selected video's title, channel name, URL, caption language, and caption text from YouTube's current page and caption player requests. It processes that information to format and save the transcript. It does not read your clipboard.

The extension stores transcript copies in Chrome's local extension storage. If you have installed the optional Transcript Vault Mac app, the extension can also send a copy through Chrome Native Messaging to that app, which stores it in a local folder on your Mac. Notes, stars, and Trash state are stored locally by the Mac app. Capturing a transcript copies its text to the clipboard and downloads a text file by default. You can turn off either automatic action in the extension settings. Reader buttons also let you copy or download a saved transcript.

In version 1.1.0, when you choose Export library data (JSON), the extension downloads a separate copy of its Chrome transcripts and preferences, including unknown stored fields and unreadable original records. The export excludes the optional Mac app’s notes, stars, and Trash. It is not sent to the developer and does not change stored originals. Keep the file private; no import or restore interface is provided.

Where information goes

Transcript requests are made to YouTube as part of the video player and its caption service. Transcription has no Transcription account, analytics, advertising, remote transcript server, or cloud sync. Transcript data is not sent to the developer. The optional Mac app connection runs between Chrome and an app on the same computer.

Files you download may be backed up or synced by other services you use. Transcription does not provide cloud sync or control those services.

Optional AI summaries and creation (version 1.2.0)

The AI task picker is available by default after saving; you can skip it for any video or turn it off in the extension popup. When you continue from the task picker, the extension copies your selected instructions, video title, source URL, channel (when available), and transcript to the clipboard and opens your chosen assistant, ChatGPT or Claude. With automatic sending off, you paste and send manually. No transcript is automatically uploaded merely by selecting an assistant.

Automatic filling and sending is separately opt-in for each provider and requires optional access to https://chatgpt.com/* or https://claude.ai/*. When enabled, the extension enters and sends the selected prompt and transcript using your signed-in account on that provider’s website. This shares the selected content with that provider; its privacy policy and account settings apply. Choosing another assistant does not turn on its automatic sending. Turn either automatic sending or the entire AI handoff off in the popup, or revoke site access in Chrome.

Pending automatic prompts are stored temporarily in Chrome session storage, bound to a single new tab, and expire after two minutes. If a text draft already exists in the new tab, it is backed up in that tab’s session storage before replacement, with a manual restore control. Close the tab when you no longer need its backup. These prompts and draft backups are excluded from library exports and are not sent to the developer. The optional provider scripts run only for extension-created handoff/recovery tabs. They do not continuously read your other conversations.

Your choices and control

Use the extension settings to turn off automatic clipboard copying or downloads. Chrome copies can be removed by clearing the extension’s local data or uninstalling it. The Mac app has a recoverable Trash. Uninstalling the extension removes its Chrome local storage according to Chrome's behavior; uninstalling the Mac app does not automatically delete transcript files already saved on your Mac. You can delete those files from ~/Library/Application Support/Transcript Vault/. Downloaded text files remain in the folder where Chrome saved them after clearing extension data or uninstalling; delete those files separately.

Limited use

Transcription's use of information received from Google services adheres to the Chrome Web Store User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements. Transcript data is used only to provide the transcript capture, storage, copy, download, library, and optional AI handoff features you request. It is not sold, used for advertising, or shared with third parties by the developer.

Changes and contact

This policy may be updated when the product's data practices change. The current version will be linked from the Chrome Web Store listing. Contact: Transcription support. Please do not post private transcript content in a public support issue.