Typing Extension Privacy: 9 Questions to Ask Before You Install
A typing or autocomplete tool, by its nature, sees what you type. That doesn't make it unsafe, but it does mean a few questions are worth asking before you install one. That includes ours. Here are nine, in the order that tends to matter most.
1. What permissions does it ask for?
A tool that works on websites will typically need permission to interact with the page you're on so it can show suggestions in text fields. That's often necessary for the job, but it's also a reason to read the privacy policy, because it means the developer could technically have access to a lot. Compare what it asks for with what it claims to do.
2. Does the text you type leave your device?
Some tools process text on your device. Others send it to a server, often to an AI model, to generate suggestions. Neither approach is automatically right or wrong, but you should be told which one is in use.
3. If it's sent, where and to whom?
Look for which company's servers receive it, whether any outside AI provider is involved, and which country the data goes to.
4. Is it stored or logged, and for how long?
Ask whether your text is kept at all, whether it's tied to your account, and whether it's ever used to train models. "We don't sell your data" isn't the same as "we don't keep it".
5. Does it work in password, payment and other sensitive fields?
A well-designed tool should stay out of these. If the privacy policy doesn't say, check the tool's own documentation or ask.
6. Can you turn it off for particular sites?
You may want it on for email and off for banking, or off on work systems. A per-site switch makes that easy.
7. Who is behind it?
Look for a named person or company, a contact address and a dated privacy policy. A tool with no identifiable owner is harder to hold to account.
8. What happens when you stop using it?
Can you delete your data? Is the process described? Does uninstalling remove everything stored on your device?
9. What do independent sources say?
Look at the store listing, independent reviews and the developer's history. Bear in mind that a handful of reviews is not strong evidence either way, and star ratings alone don't answer questions 1 to 8.
At work
If you handle other people's personal information, such as customers, clients or patients, check your organisation's policy, or ask whoever looks after IT or data protection, before installing any tool that can read what you type.
TypePro's answers
We think a tool that reads what you type should answer these questions plainly. Here are ours.
| Question | TypePro's answer |
|---|---|
| 1. Permissions requested | Needs access to the page you're typing on so suggestions can appear in text fields, plus access to TypePro's own accounts and API. Exact browser-permission names appear in the extension listing when you install. |
| 2. Does text leave the device? | Yes, when TypePro is on and you have opted in: the text you're writing and limited surrounding context are sent so a suggestion can be generated. This is not fully on-device processing. |
| 3. If sent, where and to whom? | True AI Ltd (TypePro). Hosting is in the EU. An AI processing provider generates suggestions. Sign-in is handled by our authentication provider. See our privacy policy and data protection pages. |
| 4. Stored or logged? How long? Used for training? | Account details, optional documents you add to your library, and limited usage events (for example whether a suggestion was shown or accepted) are kept while your account is active and for a short period afterwards if needed for security or legal reasons. We do not sell your data. Our AI provider does not train its models on data sent through TypePro. |
| 5. Password, payment and sensitive fields | Password and other sensitive fields are skipped. Obvious secrets are redacted before anything leaves the browser. Many password-manager, banking and healthcare sites are blocked by default unless you opt in per site. |
| 6. Per-site off switch | Yes. Pause on the current site, or turn TypePro off globally, from the extension popup. You can also withdraw page-context consent. |
| 7. Who is behind it | True AI Ltd, 47 Norroy Road, London, SW15 1PQ, United Kingdom. Contact: info@typepro.co.uk. |
| 8. Deleting your data | You can delete documents from your library in the product, pause TypePro, and close your account / request deletion. Email info@typepro.co.uk for other rights. |
| 9. Independent information | Start with our privacy policy, data protection summary and the browser store listing once published. |
Our full privacy policy has the detail. If anything here is unclear, contact us at info@typepro.co.uk.