This notice explains what Live Caption processes when you use the Chrome extension, optional Desktop Companion, cloud transcription, translation, transcript sync, and billing.
Caption sources
Existing subtitles
When a page exposes subtitles, the extension reads the caption text and timing from that page. No audio transcription is required.
Private Desktop Companion
The extension sends captured tab audio over the loopback interface to the Companion running on your computer. Audio and transcription remain on that device. The release Companion downloads its English speech model on first use and can then caption without sending audio to us.
Cloud performance
When you choose Cloud performance—or Automatic mode selects it because the Companion is unavailable—short audio chunks are sent to our Cloudflare Worker and forwarded to our speech-to-text processor, Deepgram. Audio seconds are counted to enforce your plan allowance. Cloud audio is used to return transcription and is not added to your transcript library as audio.
Browser compatibility
If explicitly selected, an English-only model runs inside Chrome. Its first use downloads model files from the model host allowed by the extension.
Accounts and saved transcripts
Without sync, transcripts and settings are stored in Chrome extension storage. When you sign in and enable sync, we process your email address, session identifiers, plan entitlement, usage counts, and the transcript text and metadata you choose to sync. Cloud data is stored using Cloudflare Workers and D1. Login email is delivered through Resend.
Translation
Translation offers a choice of providers. The Free provider translates on your device using Chrome's built-in translator when available; when it is not, the selected word or sentence and the target language are sent to Google's translation service. If you add your own DeepL API key, that text is sent directly from the extension to DeepL and your key is stored only on your device — it is never sent to us. On the trial and Pro plans, the text is sent through our Worker to DeepL and translation characters are counted for quota enforcement. Provider keys operated by us are never included in the extension.
Payments
Subscription checkout and account billing are hosted by Lemon Squeezy, our merchant of record. We receive subscription identifiers, status, renewal dates, and a customer portal URL. We do not receive or store full payment-card details.
Retention and your controls
- Login codes expire after 10 minutes and sessions after 30 days.
- The local library is bounded and can be cleared from the extension.
- Transcript sync can be disabled at any time.
- Signed-in users can export or delete eligible cloud account data.
- Operational usage counters and billing records are retained as needed for service integrity and legal obligations.
Security and logging
Production logs are designed not to contain transcript text, audio, email addresses, login codes, media URLs, provider keys, or session tokens. No system is perfectly secure; please report suspected issues using the support contact below.
Contact
For privacy requests, questions about this notice, or to exercise your data rights, contact support@audiocaptions.com. We respond to verified requests within 30 days.