What local-first means for your AI privacy

Any extension that enhances ChatGPT or Claude has, by necessity, access to the page, which means access to your conversations. That is a lot of trust to hand over. Local-first design is how an extension can be useful without becoming a privacy liability.

What 'local-first' actually means

Local-first means your data lives on your device by default, and the network is an optional enhancement rather than a requirement. For TidyChats, your conversation content and the search index live in your browser's IndexedDB. They are never uploaded.

What gets synced, and what does not

• Stays in your browser: conversation text, the search index, generated media references.
• Synced (encrypted at rest): the items you create: folders, prompts, chains, tags, bookmarks and settings.
• Only on explicit action: when you trigger @@ summarize on premium, the selected text is sent for that one request.

Questions to ask any AI extension

• Does it upload conversation content by default?
• What exactly is synced, and is it encrypted at rest?
• Can you use it fully without an account?
• Is the data model documented in plain language?

The safest data is the data that never leaves your device. Everything else should be opt-in and explained.

Privacy is not a feature you bolt on at the end. It is an architecture decision. TidyChats is built local-first so you get folders, search and exports without trading away control of your conversations.