IrisPrivacy policy
Effective date: 5 November 2026
This policy explains how the Iris browser extension ("Iris") handles information, and how Tigillo Consultancy Ltd ("we", "us") handles the limited personal data we do receive.
Who we are
Iris is published by Tigillo Consultancy Ltd, a company registered in England and Wales under company number 12211525, with its registered office at 27 Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AX, United Kingdom. For anything about this policy or your data, contact us at admin@tigillo.com.
For the limited personal data described under "What we receive", we are the data controller under the UK General Data Protection Regulation (UK GDPR) and the Data Protection Act 2018.
The short version
- Iris turns your speech into text on your own computer. The speech recognition model ships inside the extension (or, if you choose it in Settings, Chrome's own speech recognition does it on your computer). Your audio and transcripts are never sent to us or to anyone else.
- Iris has no accounts, analytics, advertising, tracking or crash reporting, and the extension makes no network requests of its own. (The one optional exception: if you choose an online voice, the text Iris speaks is sent to that voice service. See "Spoken replies" below.)
- We never sell data, and we never use it for advertising, profiling or credit decisions.
What Iris handles on your device
Everything in this section stays inside your browser on your computer. None of it is sent to us.
| Information | When and why | How long it is kept |
|---|---|---|
| Microphone audio | Only while you are dictating (after you press the shortcut or click Start dictation) or while you have turned on Always listening. A small on-device voice detector decides whether someone is speaking (so music or a TV is not transcribed), and the speech is turned into a transcript. | Held in memory only until it has been transcribed, then discarded. Never written to disk. |
| Transcripts (the text of what you said) | Typed into the text field you have selected, or used to carry out a voice command. | The most recent result is kept in Chrome's temporary session storage so you can see or copy it from the toolbar popup. It is deleted when you close Chrome. |
| Speech in Always listening mode | To detect the phrase "Hey Iris", speech is transcribed on your computer. | Anything that does not start with "Hey Iris" is discarded immediately and never stored. |
| Tab titles and web addresses | Read when you give a tab command (for example "switch to Gmail") so Iris can find the matching tab. | Not stored. If Iris closes a tab for you, that tab's address and title are kept in session storage (up to 10) so "undo" can reopen it; deleted when you close Chrome. |
| The selected text field | When typing for you, Iris checks which field is selected and the character just before the cursor (to decide whether to add a space). If the selected field is a password or card field, Iris types nothing there and tells you how to sign in safely instead; what you said is never shown, spoken back or kept. | Not stored. |
| Conversation context | So that you can say "the second one", "read more", "and tomorrow?" or "say that again", Iris remembers, for each tab, what you asked there and what it answered, and the last list it read out. Older exchanges are shortened into a brief summary (by Chrome's on-device AI if available). | In memory only, separately for each tab: kept until you close that tab or say "start over", and cleared when Chrome closes. |
| Timers | When you set a timer by voice, its length and end time are kept on this device until it finishes or you cancel it. | Until the timer ends. |
| Settings and status | Your settings (whether Iris uses AI and which, whether you use a screen reader, extra wake words, spoken replies, speaking speed, sound cues, whether to start listening with Chrome, whether the on-page button is on) and status such as whether Always listening is on. | Settings: Chrome local storage on this device, until you change them or remove Iris. They are not synced. Status: session storage, deleted when you close Chrome. |
| What Iris hears, shown live | While Iris's popup, its settings page or the optional on-page button is open, the microphone level and the words being recognised are shown there, so you can see what Iris heard. In Always listening mode this includes speech that did not start with a wake word. | Displayed only; never stored. |
| Email, messages and shopping by voice | When you ask, Iris reads parts of the page you are on so it can tell you about them or act on them: email senders, subjects and the open email (Gmail), the latest messages in an open WhatsApp chat, search results, product details and prices (Google, Amazon), what is playing (Spotify, YouTube). This is read on your computer only, shown or spoken to you, and passed to Chrome's on-device AI if you asked it something. | Not stored. |
| Research (only when you ask and then say "go ahead") | Iris searches the web for your topic (with your search engine), opens up to five of the results one after another in a background tab, reads their text on your computer and has Chrome's on-device AI take notes and write up the answer. Those websites receive a normal visit from your browser, and the search engine receives the searches. | Notes and sources are kept in memory for that tab's conversation, until you close the tab or say "start over". The background tab is closed when the research ends. |
| Cookie questions | After Iris opens a page for you, it checks whether the page shows a box asking about cookies and, if so, tells you once per site. When you say "reject cookies", "accept cookies" or "cookie settings", Iris presses that button in the site's own box. Iris never answers a cookie question by itself. | The names of the sites already mentioned are kept in memory until Chrome closes, so each is mentioned once. Nothing is saved or sent. |
| Pictures and the screen (only when you ask, e.g. "describe the photo", "what does this page look like?") | Iris takes a screenshot of the visible part of the tab (cropped to the picture you asked about) and gives it, with the picture's description from the website, to Chrome's on-device AI, which describes it. It is told never to identify people from their faces. | The screenshot is held in memory only while it is described, then discarded. It is never saved or sent anywhere. |
| Describing videos (only when you ask, e.g. "describe the video" or "describe the frames") | Iris looks at the video's pictures and gives the moments that matter to the AI on your computer (Chrome's, or Iris's own), which describes what is happening in one short sentence; Iris says it as the video plays. "Describe the frames" gives it three pictures of the video as it plays, 5 seconds apart, each described in detail. To describe a moment as it comes rather than after it, Iris looks ahead where it can: on YouTube, the YouTube page fetches the video's preview pictures (the ones its seek bar shows) from YouTube's image server, without your cookies, as YouTube's player does itself; for a plain video file, the page opens a second, hidden copy of the same video from the same website to look a little ahead; on other players, Iris may first play the video once quickly with the sound off, then put it back where it was. If the video is from another website that doesn't let pages see it, Iris uses screenshots of the tab instead. It is told never to identify people from their faces. | The pictures are held in memory only until they are described, then discarded; the descriptions only until the describing stops. Nothing is saved or sent anywhere by Iris. |
| Iris's keys on web pages | So Iris's own keys (for example Alt+Shift+V, which describes a video) and a site's keys (for example one that skips a YouTube ad) work on web pages, a small Iris script in each page checks each key press against those keys only. Any other key press goes on to the page untouched. Not on the sites you told Iris to stay off. | Nothing is recorded, kept or sent: a key press is only compared, in the page, with Iris's own keys. |
| Commands you type | What you type in the box in Iris's menu is handled on your computer like something you said, and the page you are on never sees it. It is remembered like a spoken command (see Conversation context), and not otherwise kept. | As for conversation context. |
| Replies to your screen reader (only if you turn on "I use a screen reader") | Iris puts its reply in a hidden status line in the page you are on, so that your screen reader can say it. The page's own scripts can't read it. | Until the next reply or until you leave the page. |
| Parts of a page | When you ask what is on a page, or to read or go to a part of it ("read the reviews", "go to the menu"), Iris looks at how the page is laid out and reads that part to you. | Not stored. |
| Forms | When you say "enter email …", Iris reads the labels of the form fields on the page (for example "Email address") to find the one you meant, then types your value into it. Iris never types into a password or card field. Numbers you say into phone, quantity or code fields are typed as digits. | Not stored. |
| Spoken replies and reading aloud | When spoken replies are on, or you ask Iris to read a page, Iris passes the text to a voice installed on your computer. Only if you turn on "Allow online voices" in Settings and choose one (for example Chrome's "Google" voices) is the text Iris speaks sent to that voice provider to be turned into speech; this is handled by Google under its own privacy policy. Your microphone audio is never sent. | Not stored by Iris. |
| Browser assistant (AI) | For instructions Iris has no built-in command for ("find the cheapest plan on this page"), Iris lists the buttons, links and fields on the page and the page's parts (such as its menu, main content, reviews or comments), with the text of a part or short extracts of page text when the assistant asks to read or find something, and gives them to Chrome's built-in AI model on your computer, which picks one action at a time. Questions about a page and page summaries work the same way. For a task done in steps, Iris first says what it heard and then its plan, and starts only when you say yes; before planning, after each step that changes the page, and when the assistant is stuck, it takes a screenshot of the visible part of the tab and gives it to Chrome's on-device AI, to see what is on the page, whether the step worked or what is in the way. When a choice is yours (a size that is sold out, two that fit as well), Iris asks you, and what you say next is the answer. | Not stored. Each run ends after at most 8 steps. Screenshots are held in memory only while they are looked at, then discarded; they are never saved or sent anywhere. |
| AI sessions kept ready (on by default; Settings → Keep the AI ready) | To answer faster, Iris keeps Chrome's on-device AI loaded with its instructions and with the page you are asking about, instead of starting over for every request. This stays on your computer, in memory. | Released after five minutes unused, when you close the tab, say "start over", or turn the setting off. |
| Iris's own small AI | On computers without Chrome's built-in AI (or if you choose it in Settings), questions about a page, picture descriptions and short drafts are handled by a small AI model that is part of Iris itself (SmolVLM, included in the extension). It gets the same page text, screenshot or request the Chrome AI would, and runs entirely on your computer: nothing is sent anywhere and nothing is downloaded. | Not stored. |
| Writing assistant | When you ask Iris to reply, write or rewrite text, it reads the text it needs on this page (the email you are replying to, the text you selected, or the text in the box you are typing in) and gives it to Chrome's built-in AI model, which runs on your computer. The draft is written into your text box; Iris never sends it. Chrome downloads and manages that model itself; Google's terms for Chrome's built-in AI apply. | Not stored by Iris. |
| Sending a page to someone | When you say "email this page to Anna" (or "… on WhatsApp"), Iris takes the address and title of the tab you are on and opens a new email in your Gmail with them in it (or types them into the WhatsApp chat, as below). They go to Google only as part of that draft, in your own account, as if you had typed them there. Iris never sends it: you do, by saying "send it" and then "confirm". | Not stored by Iris. |
| WhatsApp Web (only if you turn it on) | When you say "text Sarah saying …", Iris types "Sarah" into WhatsApp Web's own chat search, reads the names in the results to pick the matching chat, opens it and types your message. It never sends a message unless you say "send" or press Enter. | Not stored. Iris does not read your messages. |
| Speech recognition by Chrome (the default) | Your speech is recognised by Chrome's built-in speech recognition, which Iris only ever uses in its on-device mode. Chrome downloads a language pack from Google once, when you press Download language packs in Iris's settings. Your audio is not sent anywhere. Whenever Chrome cannot recognise speech on your computer (no pack yet, an older Chrome, or its recogniser stops responding), Iris uses its own recogniser, which ships inside the extension. You can choose Iris's built-in recogniser only in Settings. | Not stored. |
| Your language | Iris works in the 39 languages Chrome's on-device translator supports. If you choose one other than English, Iris uses Chrome's on-device translator to translate what you said into English so it can recognise commands, and to translate its replies into your language. Chrome's on-device AI writes English, Spanish, French, German and Japanese itself; for other languages, and for pages written in them, Iris translates on this computer between that language and English. Dictated text is typed exactly as you said it, never translated. Chrome downloads the translation packs once, when you choose the language. | Not stored. |
| Music and videos | When you say "play …", Iris searches Spotify, YouTube or YouTube Music (the one you named, or the one set in Settings) for what you said and starts the top result. That service receives the search, as if you had typed it. If Chrome's on-device AI is available and Iris can't tell whether you meant a song or a video, it asks that on-device AI. | Not stored. |
| Chess (only if you use it) | On Lichess or Chess.com, Iris reads where the pieces are on the board to make the move you said, to read the board to you, and to tell you your opponent's reply. It never chooses or suggests moves. | Not stored. |
| YouTube notifications (only when you ask, e.g. "read my notifications") | Iris opens the notifications list in your YouTube page, reads what it says to you, and closes it. | Not stored, apart from the last list read to you, kept as Conversation context so that "the second one" works. |
| Media and scrolling | When you say "pause", "next", "volume 5", "skip ad" or "scroll down", Iris finds the player or page area on the tab and presses its button or scrolls it. "Skip ad" only presses YouTube's own Skip button when it is shown; if you turn on Press YouTube's Skip button for me in Settings, Iris presses it as soon as it appears. While Iris listens for your command or speaks, it turns down the volume of a tab that is playing, and turns it back up afterwards. | Not stored. |
| Where you stopped reading | When Iris reads a page, a PDF or a picture aloud and you pause, stop or close the tab, it keeps the page's address and title, how far it got and the first words of that part, so "read this page" can carry on from there. Nothing else from the page is kept. | Kept in Chrome's local storage on this computer for 7 days (or the number of days you choose in Settings, or not at all), and dropped when you reach the end. Forget where I stopped reading in Settings removes them all. Never synced or sent. |
| PDFs you ask Iris to read | Chrome's PDF viewer can't be read by an extension, so Iris downloads the PDF again from the same address you opened it from, on your computer, and reads its text there. | The file is read in memory and not kept. |
| What you ask Iris to remember | When you say "make BBC my news site" or "remember that …", Iris keeps that choice or note so that "open the news" goes to your site and "what do you remember" can read your notes back. Nothing is remembered unless you ask. Notes that look like a password, PIN or card number are refused. These preferences are given to Chrome's on-device AI as context when it helps you. | Kept in Chrome's local storage on this computer until you say "forget my news site", "forget everything you remember", press Forget everything in Settings, or remove Iris. Never synced or sent. |
Voice commands that open sites or search are carried out by Chrome. A search goes to the search box of the page you are on, or, if it has none, to your default search engine in Chrome, or to another search website if you choose one in Iris's settings. A site you open receives your visit as normal. Those services handle your data under their own privacy policies.
What we receive
The extension sends us nothing. We receive personal data only in these cases:
- When you contact us (for example by email to admin@tigillo.com): your name, email address and what you tell us. We use this to reply and to fix problems. Lawful basis: our legitimate interest in supporting our users (UK GDPR Article 6(1)(f)). We keep support messages for 12 months after our last reply and then delete them.
- If you leave feedback after uninstalling. If this is enabled, Chrome opens a feedback page on iris.tigillo.com when you uninstall Iris. Like any web page, it receives your IP address and browser details. Answering the questions is optional; if you send your answers, Formspree delivers them to us by email. Lawful basis: legitimate interest in improving Iris. Retention: 12 months.
- Chrome Web Store statistics. Google provides publishers with aggregated statistics, such as install counts by region. We cannot identify you from these. Google's own handling of your data is covered by Google's Privacy Policy.
Who we share it with
We use these service providers (processors) only to operate the services above: Yandex (Yandex 360, which handles our email), Formspree (which delivers what you send with the forms on this website to us) and Cloudflare (which hosts this website). They act on our instructions and may not use the data for their own purposes. Where they process data outside the UK, we rely on UK adequacy regulations or the International Data Transfer Agreement / Addendum to protect it.
We do not otherwise share, sell or rent personal data.
Your rights
Under UK data protection law you have rights to access, correct, delete, restrict or object to our processing of your personal data, and to data portability. To use them, email admin@tigillo.com. We will acknowledge your request or complaint within 30 days and respond without undue delay.
If you are unhappy with how we have handled your data, please tell us first so we can put it right. You can also complain to the UK Information Commissioner's Office: ico.org.uk/make-a-complaint, telephone 0303 123 1113.
Because Iris keeps your audio and transcripts only on your device, we cannot access, export or delete them for you. You can clear everything Iris holds by closing Chrome, or by removing the extension.
Permissions Iris asks for
- Microphone: requested on the welcome page; used only as described above.
- "Read your browsing history" (Chrome's wording for the
tabspermission): lets Iris see tab titles and addresses so it can switch to, close or match tabs by voice. Nothing is recorded or sent anywhere. - "Read and change all your data on all websites" (site access, asked once when you add Iris): lets Iris do what you ask on the page you are on by voice alone, without a keypress: type your dictated text, click the button you name, read the page aloud, summarise it or answer a question about it, control music and videos, and show its optional button. Iris uses a page only when you ask, on this computer; nothing it reads is stored or sent anywhere. The button's display is kept separate from the page so the website's own code cannot read it under normal conditions.
- Keeping Iris off a site: say "Hey Iris, stay off this site" and Iris will neither read nor act on that site until you say "you can use this site". The list stays on this computer and is shown in Settings → Site access. Chrome's own Site access setting for Iris also applies.
- "Debugger": used only to press YouTube's own Skip button for you, with one click at the button. Nothing is read through it.
Children
Iris is not directed at children under 13, and we do not knowingly receive personal data from them.
Security
Iris processes your voice locally, so there is no copy on our servers to be breached. We protect the limited data we do hold (such as support emails) with access controls and reputable providers.
Chrome Web Store user data policy
Iris's use of information complies with the Chrome Web Store User Data Policy, including the Limited Use requirements.
Changes to this policy
If we change how Iris handles information, we will update this page and the effective date above. For material changes we will also note them in the extension's release notes before the change takes effect.
Contact
Tigillo Consultancy Ltd, 27 Old Gloucester Street, London, WC1N 3AX, United Kingdom. Email: admin@tigillo.com.