Help & privacy
Make your first image
- Click the extension's toolbar icon to open the side panel. Choose a local image or try the bundled sample.
- Alternatively, right-click an image on a webpage and choose Convert image to ASCII. Click Allow image host and load to request access to that image's host.
- Choose a width, then copy the text or download TXT or PNG. Use a monospace font when pasting.
The extension handles still PNG, JPEG, GIF, WebP and uncompressed BMP, up to 10 MiB and 24 megapixels. Animated or multiframe images, SVG and AVIF are not supported. Extremely tall images may need cropping or a narrower output.
When an image will not load
Sites may use redirects, signed-in URLs, browser-only blobs or access controls. The extension does not follow redirects or use login cookies. Save the image and choose the local file instead. Do not bypass a site's restrictions or use images you are not entitled to use.
If Chrome cannot open the panel, click the toolbar icon again. You can also open the converter in this extension tab and choose a local file. Context-menu handoff works in the window where the image was selected.
If clipboard access fails, click Select text, then Ctrl+C (Command+C on macOS), or download TXT. A PNG size or encoding error does not prevent text export.
Extension privacy
Version 0.1.0 converts images on your device. It has no analytics, advertising, accounts, remote executable code, page scanning or browsing-history collection. Images, generated text and filenames are not uploaded to ASCII Art Generator.
A selected webpage image is downloaded directly from its image host only after you click the load button and grant Chrome's host permission. The request includes the selected image URL, including its path and query, but omits cookies and the referring page. Image requests use no-store, so the extension does not add a browser HTTP-cache copy. The image host can still see your IP address and request. Local files require no image-host access.
Chrome may retain site permissions until you remove them. Use Remove image-site access in the panel, or Chrome's extension settings. Chrome host permissions cover that hostname, including its ports; they are not limited to one image path. The extension itself requests only the image you select.
The selected image URL is temporarily handed off using Chrome's in-memory session storage, scoped to the current window, and removed when received by the panel or when that window closes. Unread selections expire for use after one minute; Chrome's service worker may suspend before cleanup, so unread values can remain in session memory until the next cleanup or browser shutdown. Images and results stay in panel memory, not saved history. Use Clear image to remove the working image and text. Working state also resets when the converter document unloads; closing the visible panel is not a guarantee of immediate memory release. Downloads you choose are ordinary files on your device.
Website links are optional, open separately, and do not include your image or generated text. The website has its own analytics and privacy policy.
Support
Extension support and public privacy notice
Report a problem on GitHub. Include your Chrome version and the action that failed. Do not attach private images, signed image URLs, personal data or permission-screen details.