1. Scope
This policy applies to the BetterScreenShot Windows application, its companion browser extension, the optional Google Drive sharing integration, support requests, and product pages under guneykaragoz.com/apps/betterscreenshot.
The BetterScreenShot browser extension is available through the Chrome Web Store and Microsoft Edge Add-ons.
2. Publisher and contact
BetterScreenShot is published by Güney Karagöz. Privacy and security questions may be sent to bss@guneykaragoz.com.
3. Local application processing
Core BetterScreenShot features process content locally on the Windows PC. Depending on the features the user enables, local data can include:
- Screenshot pixels, recordings, GIFs, microphone audio, computer audio, and camera video.
- Pointer positions, clicks, and deliberately enabled keystroke-overlay events.
- Imported image, video, GIF, and audio files.
- Editable annotation objects, image projects, media projects, Auto Zoom state, compositions, overlays, audio settings, and export settings.
- OCR and QR results and optional native Windows speech-recognition draft data.
- History metadata, thumbnails, tags, favorites, names, paths, timestamps, duration, and availability state.
- Settings, shortcuts, presets, recent colors, backup data, recovery state, and diagnostic logs.
This data is processed to provide the user-requested feature. The publisher does not receive it through a BetterScreenShot account or publisher-operated capture cloud.
4. Capture, recording, and permissions
BetterScreenShot processes the screen, application window, display, microphone, computer audio, camera, pointer, and input details selected by the user. Windows permissions and source restrictions apply.
The app attempts to exclude its own controls from capture where Windows supports exclusion. Operating-system, driver, source, and rendering limitations can still affect output. Protected media, DRM content, and secure desktop surfaces may be unavailable or appear incomplete. BetterScreenShot does not bypass those protections.
Printable-key overlays are off unless deliberately enabled. Overlay events are processed for the current recording workflow and are not written to a general keystroke log.
5. OCR, QR, and native speech recognition
OCR and QR recognition process images locally. The optional Studio transcript draft uses an installed Windows native speech recognizer and temporary local analysis audio. The temporary analysis file is removed after the recognition attempt.
Recognition can be inaccurate. Users should verify sensitive, legal, medical, financial, accessibility-critical, or safety-critical output manually. Recognized web links are restricted to HTTP and HTTPS and are shown before opening.
6. History, saved files, recovery, and backup
History is local working storage and can be limited by age, item count, storage cleanup, and favorite protection. A separate normal file created with Save, Save As, automatic saving, or export remains in the user-selected folder even if the app-managed History copy is removed.
Recovery Center may retain interrupted recording, export, scrolling-capture, and image-autosave state until the user recovers, keeps, or discards it.
Local backup includes settings and application state and may optionally include app-managed captures and editable projects. Credentials, caches, thumbnails, diagnostic logs, crash dumps, and update files are excluded.
7. Browser extension
The optional browser extension uses the permissions activeTab, nativeMessaging, scripting, and storage. It has no broad host permission.
After the user requests a capture, the extension may inspect the active page's layout, identify a document or content scroller, temporarily pause animations, hide repeating fixed or sticky elements, scroll and capture visible frames, restore the page, and transfer the resulting image, page title, and page URL to the installed BetterScreenShot desktop app through local native messaging.
The extension does not send captured page content to a publisher server. Browser-protected pages and restricted schemes may reject capture.
8. Optional Google Drive sharing
Google Drive sharing is optional and user-initiated. BetterScreenShot uses the system browser, OAuth with PKCE, state validation, and a temporary loopback callback. It requests the limited drive.file scope.
When connected, the app may process the Google account display name, email address, profile image, encrypted authorization credential, app-created file identifiers and metadata, and file-permission information needed to show and manage BetterScreenShot-created shares.
When the user confirms a share, BetterScreenShot uploads one selected rendered screenshot, GIF, or recording directly to the user's own Google Drive. Edited screenshots are flattened. Edited recordings and GIFs are rendered using current Studio settings. Editable projects, separate source tracks, unrelated captures, complete History data, and diagnostics are not uploaded through this workflow.
The app-managed Drive folder remains private. The selected file can receive a view-only anyone-with-the-link permission with file discovery disabled. Anyone who obtains the link may be able to view the file.
Disconnecting clears the locally stored connection and attempts revocation. It does not delete uploaded files and does not automatically remove existing public-link permissions. Users can make one or all managed links private, delete files in Google Drive, disconnect, and revoke access from their Google Account.
For complete details, read Google Drive Data Use and the Google Drive Sharing Guide.
9. Credential security
BetterScreenShot stores the reusable Google refresh credential only when Windows-backed Electron safe storage is available. The credential is encrypted using Windows-protected storage. BetterScreenShot refuses to keep the Google Drive connection when secure credential protection is unavailable.
OAuth state, verifier, and callback data are temporary. Credentials and authorization tokens are excluded from diagnostic export and local backup.
10. Diagnostics and support
BetterScreenShot keeps bounded diagnostic logs locally. A diagnostic ZIP is created only when the user exports it. The app does not automatically upload diagnostic packages.
By default, diagnostic export excludes captures, recordings, audio, OCR and transcript content, keystrokes, clipboard contents, authorization tokens, Google credentials, and complete private paths. Users should review any package and optional sample before sending it to support.
When a user emails support, the publisher processes the sender address, message, attachments, and technical details to answer the request, investigate a problem, protect users, and maintain the product. Support email is retained as reasonably needed for those purposes and legal obligations.
11. Local automation
The command-line companion communicates through an authenticated per-user Windows named pipe. Commands and parameters are validated by the application. The betterscreenshot:// protocol requires visible approval for externally initiated capture requests where required.
Google Drive upload is deliberately unavailable through the automation protocol.
12. Website
This product website does not use behavioral advertising or product analytics. The hosting provider may process normal server request data such as IP address, requested URL, timestamp, browser information, and security events to deliver and protect the website.
The product walkthrough uses a privacy-enhanced YouTube embed that loads only after the visitor presses Play. Microsoft Store, Chrome Web Store, Google policy, email, and other external links take the visitor to third-party services governed by their own policies.
13. Third-party processing and disclosure
BetterScreenShot does not sell personal data. Information is disclosed only as needed for a user-requested third-party integration, support and hosting operations, security, legal obligations, protection of rights, or a business transfer subject to applicable safeguards.
Third parties can include Microsoft, Google, supported browser marketplaces, the user's chosen Windows Share destination, website hosting providers, email providers, and recipients selected by the user.
14. Retention and deletion
- Local application data remains according to user actions, History retention, cleanup, Recovery Center, backup, and uninstall behavior.
- Normal saved and exported files remain until the user moves or deletes them.
- Google Drive files and permissions remain until the user removes them in BetterScreenShot or Google Drive. Disconnecting alone does not remove them.
- Support messages remain as reasonably needed to resolve the request, maintain security, and meet legal obligations.
- Website server logs are retained according to the hosting provider's operational and security settings.
15. User controls and requests
Users control sources, inputs, post-capture actions, History retention, saved files, projects, backups, Recovery Center, browser integration, diagnostic export, Google Drive connection, each Drive upload, managed link privacy, and Google access revocation.
For privacy requests relating to information held by the publisher, email bss@guneykaragoz.com. The publisher may need enough information to verify the request without collecting unnecessary identity data.
16. Security
BetterScreenShot uses local isolation, validation, restricted protocols, narrow preload bridges, Windows-backed credential protection, privacy-reduced diagnostics, and scoped third-party permissions. No software or storage method can guarantee absolute security. Users should keep Windows, browsers, BetterScreenShot, and account security current.
17. Children
BetterScreenShot is a general-purpose productivity tool and is not directed to children under the age required for independent consent in their jurisdiction. The publisher does not knowingly use the product or website to collect children's personal data for advertising or profiling.
18. Changes
This policy may change when features, integrations, law, or publishing requirements change. The effective date identifies the current version. Material changes will be reflected on this page.
19. Contact
Email bss@guneykaragoz.com with the subject Privacy question - BetterScreenShot. Do not send passwords, authorization tokens, or confidential captures.
Related pages: Google Drive Data Use, Terms of Use, and Privacy and Security Guide.