Your Photos & Videos Never Leave Your Device
ThreadRecap processes WhatsApp exports locally and never uploads photos or videos. Only chat text and voice notes are sent for analysis.
When you export a WhatsApp chat with media, the zip can contain photos, videos, and voice notes. Most people assume everything gets uploaded.
ThreadRecap does not work that way.
Photos and videos never leave your device. We do not upload them. We do not process them. They are ignored.
We only send what is required to produce a useful recap. You can read more in our privacy policy. Here is what gets uploaded:
- Chat text from the export.
- Voice notes (audio) if you choose to include media and want transcription.
Everything else stays local.
What is inside a WhatsApp export zip?
A typical export looks like:
- A chat transcript file (often `_chat.txt` or `WhatsApp Chat - ... .txt`).
- Media files (photos, videos, documents).
- Voice notes (commonly `.opus`, sometimes `.m4a`).
ThreadRecap reads the zip locally in your browser, extracts the chat text, identifies voice note files, and ignores photos and videos.
What ThreadRecap uploads (and why)
ThreadRecap uploads only:
1) Chat text
Because summaries, decisions, and action items come from the conversation timeline.
2) Voice notes (audio) only
Because voice notes often contain the most important information, and transcription requires sending audio to a speech-to-text model.
If there are no voice notes, no audio is uploaded.
What ThreadRecap never uploads
ThreadRecap does not upload:
- Photos.
- Videos.
- GIFs.
- Stickers.
- Thumbnails.
- Any other non-audio media.
Even if those files exist in your exported zip, they stay on your device.
Why this matters
1) Smaller risk surface
Photos and videos can include faces, locations, private scenes, screens, and documents. Not uploading them dramatically reduces exposure.
2) Faster processing
Media files are often the largest part of a WhatsApp export. Skipping photos and video keeps the upload lighter and the analysis faster.
3) Better trust
Most tools vaguely say "we respect privacy." The real trust builder is a hard technical constraint: do not upload what you do not need.
How the flow works (simple mental model)
- You upload the WhatsApp zip in your browser.
- The zip is unpacked locally.
- The chat text is parsed locally.
- Photos and videos are ignored locally.
- Only chat text and voice notes are sent for analysis.
- Transcripts (if any) are merged into the chat timeline.
- The AI generates the recap.
The key line: photos and video do not enter the pipeline.
FAQ
If I export with media, are my photos uploaded?
No. Photos stay on your device and are ignored.
If I export with media, are my videos uploaded?
No. Videos stay on your device and are ignored.
What about documents and attachments?
In the MVP, only chat text and voice notes are used. Other attachments are ignored.
Why do voice notes get uploaded?
Because transcription requires sending audio to a speech-to-text model. Without voice notes, the recap often misses decisions and commitments that were spoken.
Can I run ThreadRecap without uploading any media at all?
Yes. Export without media and only the chat text is used.
Want a recap without uploading sensitive media? Export your WhatsApp chat, upload the zip, and generate a structured summary. Photos and videos never leave your device. Only chat text and voice notes are used.