Reel Transcribe — Privacy Policy

Last updated: March 30, 2026

Overview

Reel Transcribe is a Chrome extension that lets you transcribe Instagram Reels using the OpenAI Whisper API. Your privacy is important to us. This policy explains what data the extension accesses and how it is handled.

Data Collection

Reel Transcribe does not collect, store, or transmit any personal data to us. We have no servers, analytics, or tracking of any kind.

Data Processed Locally

• OpenAI API key — Your key is stored in Chrome's built-in chrome.storage.sync and is never sent anywhere except directly to the OpenAI API for transcription requests.
• Language preference — Your selected language hint is stored in chrome.storage.sync and included in Whisper API requests.
• Video data — When you click "Transcribe," the audio/video data for that reel is extracted from the page and sent to the OpenAI Whisper API for transcription. This data is not stored by the extension and is handled entirely in memory.

Third-Party Services

The extension sends video data to the OpenAI Whisper API (api.openai.com) using your own API key. OpenAI's use of that data is governed by OpenAI's Privacy Policy and Terms of Use. We encourage you to review their policies.

Permissions

• storage — To save your API key and language preference locally.
• activeTab — To interact with the current Instagram tab when you use the extension.
• Host permissions (instagram.com, cdninstagram.com, fbcdn.net) — To access video content on Instagram pages and their CDN.
• Host permissions (api.openai.com) — To send transcription requests to the Whisper API.

Data Retention

The extension does not retain any video data or transcription results beyond the current browser session. Transcription results are held in memory only while the results panel is open. Your API key persists in Chrome sync storage until you remove it.

Children's Privacy

This extension is not directed at children under 13. We do not knowingly collect data from children.

Changes to This Policy

If this policy is updated, the revised version will be posted on this page with an updated date.

Contact

If you have questions about this policy, please open an issue on the GitHub repository.