Privacy & Security

What StudyChime can access, store, and send.

Browser extensions deserve scrutiny. This page explains StudyChime’s permissions, local storage, network requests, and monetisation boundaries in plain English.

What the extension can access

Limited access for a specific job.

The StudyChime extension monitors the signed-in Prolific studies page you choose to keep open. It does not request broad access to every Chrome tab.

Prolific studies page

StudyChime passively reads visible study details so it can apply your alert settings.

No reserving, accepting, completing, or submitting studies
No automatic refreshing or background reopening
No Prolific password, participant ID, or cookie permission

Local monitoring recovery

A five-minute Chrome health check can restore the bundled monitoring script if Chrome disconnects it.

Limited to the exact open studies page
Does not navigate or modify Prolific
Downloads and executes no remote code

What stays on your device

Your settings and history are local-first.

StudyChime does not require a cloud account for extension settings, Milestones, profiles, schedules, or Study Trends.

Extension storage: Settings, Quick Start status, alert destinations, provider credentials, quota cache, licence entitlements, filters, schedules, customisation, and Milestone totals.
Local Study Trends: Up to 12 months of privacy-minimised observations without study titles, researcher names, descriptions, or URLs.
Schedule estimates: Calculated locally from existing Trends observations. No study or schedule data is sent for the estimate.
Backups: Non-sensitive settings can be exported as JSON and Trends as CSV. Credentials, licence keys, identifiers, and custom sound files are excluded.

What leaves your browser

Only requests needed for features you use.

Prolific passwords, browser cookies, unrelated browsing history, Milestone totals, and local Trends data are not sent to StudyChime.

Discord, Telegram, and Pushover alerts

When enabled, matching study details and the credentials needed for delivery are sent directly to the destination you configure. Free accounts can use 10 external alert batches per rolling 24-hour period.

Use private destinations you control because alerts can contain the study title, reward, estimated time, places, and link.

Licence, trial, quota, and StudyChime banner requests

The StudyChime service may process installation and activation IDs, licence details, signed entitlements, quota events, rate limits, trial redemptions, extension version, and anonymous StudyChime banner configuration.

Banner checks do not include study contents or destination credentials. Banners are for StudyChime announcements only, never third-party advertising.

Optional Remote snooze

A secure one-use link can pause alerts from your phone. It expires after six hours and contains no study, alert-message, schedule, or credential data. Private signing material remains on the device.

Help, feedback, and payments

Help actions open an email draft; nothing is sent until you review and send it. Lemon Squeezy handles checkout and card information, while verified purchase events update licence state.

What StudyChime never does

Plain extension promises.

These are the boundaries the extension, permissions, and privacy policy are designed around.

No Prolific password collectionYou sign in to Prolific normally in Chrome.
No automated study actionsNo reservation, acceptance, completion, submission, or automatic refresh.
No behavioural trackingStudyChime doesn’t build shared study histories, advertising profiles, or cross-user behavioural data.
No unrelated website readingRequired page access is limited to Prolific and StudyChime services.
No central Study Trends databasePrivacy-minimised observations stay in local browser storage.
No automatic support submissionEmail drafts leave your device only after you choose to send them.

External services and payments

Optional providers, clearly separated.

Browser notifications need no external messaging provider. Discord, Telegram, Pushover, Remote snooze, and Premium are used only when you enable or purchase them.

Discord

Uses a private webhook URL you create and control.

Uses your bot token and destination chat ID.

Pushover

Uses your application token and user key.

Lemon Squeezy

Handles checkout and payment information; card details are not processed inside the extension.

Website privacy

This marketing website does not use behavioural analytics, session recording, tracking pixels, or advertising profiles. This is separate from the optional service requests made by the StudyChime extension.

View every Chrome permission and allowed service

Permission or service	Why it is needed	Boundary
`alarms`	Runs a five-minute local monitoring health check.	Targets an already-open Prolific studies page.
`notifications`	Shows local Chrome alerts.	Used only when browser notifications are enabled.
`offscreen`	Plays alert sounds.	No screen recording or page capture.
`scripting`	Restores the bundled monitoring script.	Limited to the Prolific studies page; no remote code.
`storage`	Keeps local settings, progress, profiles, and entitlements.	Most extension data remains on your device.
`app.prolific.com`	Reads visible studies and restores monitoring when needed.	No refresh, navigation, or automated study actions.
StudyChime service	Handles licences, trials, quota, Remote snooze, and StudyChime banners.	Does not receive Prolific passwords, cookies, or local Trends.
Optional alert providers	Delivers alerts to Discord, Telegram, or Pushover.	Requested only when that provider is configured or tested.