The short version
ChatLens has no backend server, no analytics, no telemetry, and no network permissions of any kind. Everything happens on your own device, inside your own browser tab. We — the developers — never receive, see, or have access to your chat data, in any form.
What ChatLens processes
When you choose to upload a WhatsApp chat export (a .txt
or .zip file you export yourself, from inside WhatsApp),
ChatLens parses that file entirely within its own extension page,
using a Web Worker to keep the browser responsive. This processing
never leaves your device — there is no upload step, because there
is nowhere for it to go.
What is stored, and where
-
Only aggregated statistics — counts, percentages,
scores, and award unlocks — are saved, using Chrome's
chrome.storage.localAPI, which is sandboxed to the extension and stays on your device. - Raw message text is never persisted. It exists only in memory during the single parsing pass that produces your statistics.
-
If you export "with media," photo/video/voice-note previews are
decoded directly into in-memory
blob:references for the current tab only. They are never written to disk, never added tochrome.storage.local, and never transmitted anywhere — they disappear the moment the tab closes or a new chat is uploaded.
What ChatLens never does
What we do
- Parse your file locally, in this browser tab
- Store aggregate stats on your device only
- Let you delete everything, any time
What we don't
- Send your chat, or anything derived from it, anywhere
- Use AI, remote code, or third-party scripts
- Track, profile, or show you ads
- Sell or transfer your data to anyone
- Request access to any website — zero host permissions
Permissions we request, and why
| Permission | Why |
|---|---|
| storage | Saves your aggregated statistics locally, so you don't have to re-upload your chat every time you open the extension. |
| alarms | Powers an optional, off-by-default local reminder you can enable in Settings. |
| notifications | Shows that same optional reminder as a native Chrome notification, only if you turn it on. |
No host permissions are requested at all — ChatLens cannot read or interact with any website, including WhatsApp Web.
Your control over your data
You can delete everything ChatLens has stored, at any time, with one click from the Privacy page inside the extension itself.
Changes to this policy
If this policy changes, the "Last updated" date at the top of this page will change too. Continued use of ChatLens after an update means you accept the revised policy.
Contact
Questions about this policy? Reach out via the support link on the ChatLens Chrome Web Store listing page.