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Secure and restrict RetroTxt

For security and performance, RetroTxt will only work on websites and domains you specifically list in the Autorun for websites list. From there you can add or remove the domains of your choosing.

Unfortunately, on installation, RetroTxt requests the permission to Read and change all your data on all websites. It is a limitation of the permission configuration, and in the future, I hope these can be fine-tuned and narrowed.

RetroTxt ignores all websites other than those you tell it to monitor in the background and does not collect or transmit any data. But if you work in a corporate environment or want to limit access, please read on.

Add RetroTxt?

Add extension, broad permission request

Add RetroTxt to its own isolated Profile

Firstly, I'd recommend creating a new Chrome or Edge profile to install RetroTxt. The new profile does not need a Google or Microsoft account when using the Continue without an account option. And importantly RetroTxt will only ever operate within that profile. By switching between profiles, any signed-in accounts and webpages will be isolated from RetroTxt.

Set up your new Chrome profile

Setup a new Chrome profile to isolate RetroTxt

Remove Suggestions

For the fans of ANSI and ASCII art, there are several websites that RetroTxt monitors in the background. Click the RetroTxt settings button (the cog icon) in RetroTxt toolbar popup.

RetroTxt toolbar menu

The popup button (blue) is often hidden behind the Extensions button (red)

RetroTxt popup

RetroTxt settings button in the toolbar popup

Under Feature > Autorun for websites, click the remove button above Suggestions, and now RetroTxt will only monitor retrotxt.com. Read on to also block this.

RetroTxt after remove suggestions

The remove button clears all the included websites

Manage extension

RetroTxt can be further isolated using the Manage extension configuration.

To access this, right-click the RetroTxt toolbar button and select Manage extension.

RetroTxt Managed Extension
The RetroTxt toolbar button is hidden behind the Extensions button

RetroTxt Managed Extension pinned
The RetroTxt button pinned to the toolbar

Scroll down to Site access under Permissions.

Under the Allow this extension to read and change all your data on websites you visit, swap the On all sites to On click.

This setting blocks RetroTxt from being notified of or accessing any tabs.

Chrome Site acess permissions

Permissions, on click site access

Refresh tabs

After permitting access, any open tabs will need reloading.

To test the change,
visit https://retrotxt.com/e/preview_02.ans
and the tab displays an unchanged ANSI document in raw text, as RetroTxt cannot access this and any other tabs.

But the RetroTxt toolbar button is subtly highlighted and embossed to signify it is blocked. Clicking it permits RetroTxt to access retrotxt.com temporarily for the browser session.

Raw ANSI text

The outline and emboss RetroTxt toolbar button.