Bobbin privacy policy
Last updated: October 9, 2026
Summary: Bobbin is a local-first Chrome extension. It builds a searchable index of readable page text from sites you visit, only after you agree in the product UI. Indexing and search run on your device using IndexedDB and optional on-device ML. Optional Assistant Sync copies that memory into a folder you own in Google Drive after you press I agree. Optional cloud chat (Google Gemini) sends only what you choose when you enable it in settings: typically your question plus retrieved snippets, not your entire browsing history. Bobbin does not operate a backend that receives your indexed content.
Bobbin's use of information received from Google APIs adheres to the Chrome Web Store User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.
Bobbin's use and transfer to any other app of information received from Google APIs will adhere to the Google API Services User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.
Data collected by Bobbin
| Data | Where it stays | Purpose |
|---|---|---|
| Extracted page text (chunked) | Your device (IndexedDB) | Search, Ask, Digest |
| Visit timestamps / URLs / titles | Your device | Recency ranking, digests |
| Search queries from search engines you use, and page text (up to 4,000 characters per page, redacted) | Your device (IndexedDB), whether or not Assistant Sync is on; never uploaded by sync | Ask any assistant, which puts a short packet into a chat only when you click Insert or Copy |
| Assistant Sync copy (titles, URLs, searches, LinkedIn profiles, topics, and the text of pages you read in daily Pages docs) | A folder named Bobbin Memory in your Google Drive, only if you enable it | So an assistant you connect can answer from that file |
| Settings (blocklist, pause, chat mode, optional API key) | chrome.storage.local on your device | Extension behavior |
There is no Bobbin account and no Bobbin server that stores your browsing. Bobbin does not sell your data.
When indexing starts
Bobbin does not begin indexing or history import on install by itself. On first run, the welcome page asks you to press I agree. Until you agree, or until you press I agree or Scan history in Settings, no new browsing activity is stored. Not now leaves capture off.
After you agree, Bobbin may index readable http(s) pages you open, and may run a one-time scan of up to 500 URLs from the last 30 days of browser history to seed the library. You can also start a history scan anytime from Settings.
Incognito: Bobbin uses incognito: not_allowed. Incognito windows are
never indexed or synced. Sensitive sites (banking, health, email, login pages), your blocklist, and
admin policies are skipped before anything is read or stored.
Optional Assistant Sync
Assistant Sync is off until you press I agree on the Assistant Sync consent screen. When it is on, Bobbin copies a memory of your browsing into your own Google Drive, in one folder named Bobbin Memory. That copy has a spreadsheet with page titles, URLs, searches, LinkedIn profiles you opened, and topic labels, and a Pages folder with one Google Doc per day. The day docs hold the text of pages you read (on screen and focused for 20 seconds, or scrolled 30%, up to 4,000 characters per page) and the name, headline, location, current role, About, Experience, Education, and up to 10 skills of LinkedIn profiles you opened. Text of LinkedIn feed posts (author, up to 1,500 characters, time seen) is saved only if you turn on Save text of LinkedIn posts I scroll past, which is off by default. Photos, contact info, and messages are never synced. Challenge, captcha, sign in, and sign up pages are never recorded. Drive writes run only while sync is enabled.
The Google permission is drive.file. It lets Bobbin create and edit only the files it
creates, not the rest of your Drive. Delete all indexed data, after you type DELETE, removes the local library and moves the Bobbin Memory
folder to the Drive trash. Steps are on the data deletion page.
Optional cloud chat (Gemini)
If you turn on cloud chat and add a Google Gemini API key, prompts are sent from your browser directly to Google's API under Google's terms, not through Bobbin infrastructure. You can disable cloud chat at any time and remove your key from settings.
Permissions (Chrome)
- tabs / broad host access: Read active-tab context for indexing pages you visit and show the in-page overlay.
- storage: Saves settings and local extension state.
- history: Used for optional bulk import after you agree on the welcome page or press Scan history in Settings.
- scripting / offscreen / alarms: Required for MV3 lifecycle, embeddings, and periodic maintenance.
- identity: Google sign-in, used only when you press I agree for Assistant Sync.
- notifications: Optional notice when a first history scan starts and finishes.
Contact
Email shailesh.entrant@gmail.com or open a GitHub issue. Feedback form: use Send feedback in Bobbin Settings. Please don't paste personal browsing history into feedback.