In short
- No cookies until you use the server; no tracking and no advertising.
- Everything kept in your browser stays on your device. We can’t read it.
- You can clear it all from your browser’s site settings.
Cookies
PowerLens sets no cookies until you use a feature that needs its server, and then only this one, which is needed for the feature to work, so there is no cookie banner to accept:
| Name | What for | How long |
|---|---|---|
powerlens_client | Set the first time you keep a comparison on the server or transcribe a recording there: a random id, so the server knows which saved comparisons and transcripts are this browser’s. Only the server can read it. | 1 year |
If you open a file from Google Drive, OneDrive or Dropbox, that service’s sign-in and picker may set their own cookies, under their own policies. Those are only set when you use a cloud drive.
What is kept in your browser
These are strictly necessary for PowerLens to do what you ask, such as carrying on after a reload. None are used for tracking.
| Name | Where | What for | How long |
|---|---|---|---|
powerlens.theme | Local storage | The light or dark theme you picked. Removed when you go back to following your system. | Until cleared |
powerlens.prefs.v1 | Local storage | View settings: side by side or unified, minimap, line numbers, connection bands and the like. | Until cleared |
powerlens.words.v1 | Local storage | Words you added to the spelling dictionary. | Until cleared |
powerlens.author.v1 | Local storage | The name you put on your notes. | Until cleared |
powerlens.audio-split | Local storage | How the list of differences and the transcripts share the audio panel. | Until cleared |
powerlens.transcribe-where | Local storage | Whether recordings are transcribed on your device or on the server. | Until cleared |
powerlens.transcribe-consent | Local storage | That you agreed to send recordings to the transcription server, when you asked for that to be remembered. | Until cleared |
powerlens.transcript-ignore | Local storage | Whether comparing transcripts ignores punctuation and capital letters. | Until cleared |
powerlens.keep | Local storage | Where you last chose to keep a comparison: in this browser, or on the server. | Until cleared |
powerlens.tab | Session storage | An id for this tab, so a reload finds its own comparison. | Until the tab closes |
powerlens | IndexedDB | The comparison in each tab: the documents, the changes copied between them, your review and your place. | Until cleared |
powerlens-library | IndexedDB | Your saved comparisons: each one’s title, its two documents, and your review, notes and transcripts. | Until you delete them, or clear it |
powerlens-v1 | Cache storage | The site’s pages and tools, kept by its service worker so PowerLens works offline. | Until cleared or updated |
Clearing it
To remove everything PowerLens keeps, clear this site’s data in your browser:
- Chrome and Edge: click the icon left of the address, then Site settings › Delete data.
- Firefox: click the padlock, then Clear cookies and site data.
- Safari: Settings › Privacy › Manage Website Data, then remove this site.
Your current comparison, and those saved in this browser, are lost when you do this, so save anything you need first. Comparisons kept on the server stay there, but this browser can no longer reach them (the server forgets them after 180 days): delete them from your comparisons first if you want them gone now. A private or incognito window keeps nothing after it closes.
Contact
Questions can be raised through the project’s issue tracker.