Your privacy is important. This Privacy Policy explains how the Orbit for Instagram browser extension (“Orbit” or “the Extension”) handles information.

In short: Orbit has no servers. It does not send your data to the developer or to anyone else. Everything Orbit stores stays in your browser, and everything it reads on Instagram is processed on your device.

Data Collection

Orbit does not collect, transmit or store personal information on any server operated by the developer. Orbit has no servers. We do not use analytics, tracking, telemetry, advertising or fingerprinting.

Data Stored on Your Device

Orbit stores the following data locally in your browser using the Chrome Storage API:

- Your favorites: the Instagram usernames you add (up to 300), up to 5 pinned “super favorites” and the order you arrange them in.

- Instagram user IDs and profile picture links of your favorites, and a cache of user IDs of accounts you open in Orbit (up to 3,000), so they don’t have to be looked up again.

- Small copies (96 × 96 px) of your favorites’ profile pictures, so they stay visible in the side panel.

- Story status for your favorites: the time of their latest story, when it was last checked and when you last viewed their stories, so Orbit can show who has new stories.

- For up to 48 hours: which stories you watched in anonymous mode (the account and the time of the newest story you watched), so their story rings can turn gray and appear at the end of the stories row on your screen.

- For a few seconds: when you open an Instagram story link, the account it belongs to, so Orbit’s anonymous story player can open it after the page loads. It is deleted as soon as the player opens.

- Extension settings, such as anonymous stories, hiding “Seen” in messages, story ring style, download buttons, light or dark theme, side panel width, favorites row lock and player volume.

- Technical data used to protect your account and keep Orbit working: the times of Orbit’s requests to Instagram during the last hour, any pause that Instagram requested, the time of the last refresh, and technical identifiers describing how Instagram’s website requests stories, profiles and posts (Orbit reuses this format so its requests match the website). These identifiers may include the ID of the last profile, post or story the website loaded.

Data Kept in Instagram’s Site Storage

So that anonymous mode works from the very first moment an Instagram page loads, Orbit also keeps two small values in your browser’s storage for instagram.com: whether anonymous stories and hiding “Seen” in messages are turned on, and the selected theme (light or dark).

No usernames, favorites or watched stories are kept there. Like anything stored for instagram.com, these values can technically be read by Instagram’s own website. They are removed when you clear site data for instagram.com in your browser.

How Long Data Is Kept and How to Delete It

Watched stories are kept for 48 hours and the request log for one hour. Other data is kept until you remove it. You can remove favorites in the side panel, clear the Extension’s data, or uninstall the Extension, which removes the data stored by the Extension. The two values in Instagram’s site storage are removed when you clear site data for instagram.com.

Backup Files

You can save your favorites list (usernames, user IDs, profile picture links and pinned favorites) to a .json file and load it again later. The file is created only on your device, at your request, and is read only when you choose it. Orbit can also read favorites backup files exported from some other story viewer extensions.

Sync Across Your Devices

If you are signed in to Chrome and Chrome sync is turned on, your favorites list (usernames and the matching user IDs) and your pinned favorites sync to your other computers through your own Google account, using Chrome Storage Sync. This syncing is handled by Google as part of Chrome sync, in the same way as your other browser data. The developer has no access to your synced data. Settings, story status, watched stories and profile picture copies are not synced. If Chrome sync is off, your favorites stay only on this computer.

How Orbit Works With Instagram

Anonymous mode. When enabled, Orbit stops the “seen” notices for stories and the “Seen” (read) notices for messages from being sent to Instagram. To do this, Orbit checks the requests your browser sends to Instagram while you use the site and blocks or removes only these notices. For messages this includes your outgoing message traffic; Orbit does not read the content of your messages for any other purpose, does not store it and does not send it anywhere. Orbit does not send anything extra to Instagram.

Story player. Stories you open from the stories row, a profile picture or a story link play in Orbit’s own anonymous player on the Instagram page, so Instagram’s viewer never marks them as seen.

Data already on the page. Orbit reads information that Instagram has already loaded in your browser – such as media links, usernames, user IDs, profile pictures and story times – to let you download photos and videos, show who has new stories and turn the rings of watched stories gray. Watched stories are moved to the end of the stories row only visually, on your screen; the data Instagram’s website receives is not changed. This processing happens only on your device and nothing is sent anywhere.

Your Instagram session. When you ask Orbit to load something, it sends the request from your browser with your existing Instagram login, using the same security tokens Instagram’s website uses. Orbit never stores your login or these tokens and never sends them anywhere other than Instagram.

Requests only when you use Orbit. Orbit contacts Instagram only in response to what you do – for example when you open the side panel or someone’s stories, refresh the favorites row, load a profile picture or download media. While you watch stories in the player, Orbit also loads the next few people in the row in advance, so the stories play without waiting. These requests are rate-limited to protect your account (at most 15 per minute and 100 per hour, the refresh at most once every 5 minutes) and pause automatically when Instagram asks to slow down or when you switch to another tab. Orbit never contacts Instagram in the background on its own.

Media files. Photos, videos and profile pictures are loaded from Instagram’s media servers (cdninstagram.com, fbcdn.net). The small copies of your favorites’ profile pictures are loaded without cookies.

Orbit is not affiliated with, endorsed by or officially connected to Instagram or Meta Platforms, Inc. Your use of Instagram is governed by Instagram’s own Privacy Policy and Terms of Use.

Permissions Used

Orbit requests the following permissions only to provide its features:

- storage – to save your favorites, settings and the data listed above in your browser, and to sync your favorites list through Chrome sync

- downloads – to save photos and videos you choose to download, and your favorites backup file, to your device

- declarativeNetRequestWithHostAccess – to block Instagram’s “seen” requests for stories and messages as a safety net while anonymous mode is on (only on instagram.com)

- Host permissions for instagram.com, cdninstagram.com and fbcdn.net – to run on Instagram pages and load the stories and media you ask for

Downloaded Content

Orbit lets you download photos and videos from Instagram posts, stories and highlights to your device. The developer does not receive or store downloaded files. You are responsible for how you use downloaded content and for complying with applicable laws, the rights of content owners and Instagram’s Terms of Use.

Data Sharing

We do not sell, share, rent or transfer user data to third parties. Orbit does not send your favorites, settings, browsing or usage information to the developer. Orbit communicates only with Instagram (for the features you use) and, if you use Chrome sync, your favorites are synced by Google through your own account.

Links

The side panel contains links to the developer’s GitHub page and a support page (Buy Me a Coffee). They open only when you click them, and Orbit sends no data to these sites.

Remote Code

Orbit does not use remote code. All of its code is included in the Extension package. It does not load external JavaScript or WebAssembly, and it does not use eval() to run code from strings.

Children’s Privacy

Orbit is not directed at children under the age of 13, and we do not knowingly collect personal information from children.

Chrome Web Store Compliance

Orbit’s use of information complies with the Chrome Web Store Program Policies, including the Limited Use requirements of the User Data Policy.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this page, and the “Last updated” date will be revised.

Contact

If you have any questions about this Privacy Policy, contact us at starfallstudio@email.cz

Website: https://github.com/starfallcz

Disclaimer

Instagram is a trademark of Meta Platforms, Inc. Orbit is not affiliated with, endorsed by or associated with Instagram or Meta Platforms, Inc.