Privacy · Processing boundaries
“Private” should describe a data path, not a slogan.
Processing map
Minimize the record
- Prefer a direct supported transcript over visual capture when it meets the need.
- Select only the relevant screenshots or recording period.
- Remove unrelated notifications before recording.
- Review attachments for third-party personal data.
- Use an approved secure channel for any output sent to an attorney, employer, client, or researcher.
- Delete working copies when the purpose and retention obligation end.
Claims TextTrace does not make
TextTrace does not claim that every workflow is fully on-device, that OCR is perfect, that a backup importer can defeat encryption, or that an export becomes legally admissible. The privacy policy is the controlling description of service data practices; the processing guide explains the routes in plainer language.
Questions, answered precisely
Frequently asked questions
Are chat screenshots processed entirely on my iPhone?
No. TextTrace sends selected visual material through its secure backend to Google Cloud Vision for text extraction. Read the current disclosure before importing.
Is a WhatsApp TXT sent to Google Vision?
No. Supported WhatsApp transcript text is parsed directly rather than processed as OCR.
Does TextTrace bypass an encrypted iPhone backup?
No. The Mac importer supports only user-selected, unencrypted Finder or iTunes backups.
Articles
Continue with a practical guide
Use screenshots for a short, exact scope; use screen recording for a longer visible run.
If the chat app offers a supported direct TXT or ZIP export, start there. Otherwise choose screenshots when you need a small number of precise moments, and screen recording when manual images would be slow or easy to misorder.
7 min · Updated 2026-09-07→Open the WhatsApp TXT you already have.
WhatsApp’s Export Chat command creates a transcript. TextTrace parses supported TXT or ZIP files directly, then gives you search, attachment context, and practical export formats.
4 min · Updated 2026-09-05→
Keep every quoted chat passage connected to the source you reviewed.
Preserve the original export, build a searchable working record, log consent and scope separately, and check every quote against the source. Use CSV for analysis and PDF for human reading, but de-identify only on a working copy.
8 min · Updated 2026-09-07→