Chinput privacy, data use, and limitations
Chinput is a browser-based Chinese input tool. Core typing is free and requires no account. This page describes the current deployment at chinput.net.
Typing and handwriting
Pinyin conversion and handwriting matching run in your browser. Chinput does not send editor text to its application server simply because you type or draw. Browser storage remembers preferences and candidate choices; use your browser’s site-data controls to remove them.
Public visitor statistics
The page shows total visitors, visitors today (Australia/Melbourne), and visitors during the rolling last 24 hours. Counting begins when this feature is enabled; older visits are not reconstructed. A first-party HttpOnly cookie named chinput_visitor lasts up to one year and helps count repeat visits from one browser once. The server stores a hash of that random identifier and its latest visit timestamp. No IP address, editor text, audio, or browser fingerprint is stored by this counter. Clearing cookies, using another browser/device, or automated visits can change the totals, so these are estimated browsers rather than exact people. Clearing the cookie removes the browser identifier but does not undo earlier aggregate counts.
Voice and other external services
Voice recognition uses your browser’s speech service and may send audio to that provider. Search and translation actions open external services with the text you choose. Stroke-order data is fetched from jsDelivr. These providers have their own data practices.
Website hosting
The site is served through Cloudflare and an AWS server. These infrastructure providers process network requests, including IP addresses and ordinary request metadata. Do not treat this site as a confidential document editor.
Optional AI helpers
AI helpers are currently disabled. If enabled later, using an AI button sends its relevant text or drawing to the server and the configured AI provider. Pinyin typing does not require AI. This page and the interface should be updated when that configuration changes.
Accuracy and accessibility
Candidate ranking, proofreading, character conversion, speech recognition, and stroke matching can make mistakes. Review outputs before using them in medical, legal, financial, or other important documents. Browser support varies; core pinyin typing is the fallback when voice is unavailable.
Feedback
Report reproducible problems through the project’s GitHub issues, if accessible to your account. Do not include private editor text, audio, credentials, or personal information in reports.