Explainly

Tracking since May 9, 2026.

Changelog

• Jun 1, 2026
  short_description

  Understand anything you read, instantly.

  Select any text anywhere and get an instant context-aware explanation. Meaning, tone, and simpler rewrites — right where you read.

• May 25, 2026
  description

  Explainly is your smart reading companion. Select any word, phrase, or sentence on any webpage and get an instant explanation that understands context — not just dictionary definitions.
  
  Instead of telling you "dreary = dull and bleak," Explainly tells you what the author meant in that specific sentence. It reads like a smart friend who just finished the same paragraph.
  
  ── WHAT IT DOES ──
  
  - Context-aware meaning — explains what the selected text means in this passage, not in general
  - Tone detection — identifies the emotional or stylistic tone (formal, sarcastic, tense, hopeful)
  - Simpler version — rewrites complex sentences in plain, modern language
  - Three depth modes — ELI5 for simple explanations, Normal for everyday reading, Deep for literary analysis
  - Adaptive theme — popup automatically matches light or dark websites
  
  ── WHO IT'S FOR ──
  
  - Students preparing for competitive exams (UPSC, GRE, IELTS, CAT)
  - Non-native English readers
  - Avid readers tackling dense non-fiction, academic papers, or classic literature
  - Anyone who reads on the web daily and wants to understand more, faster
  
  ── HOW IT WORKS ──
  
  1. Install Explainly
  2. Select any text on any webpage
  3. Click the E button that appears
  4. Get an instant explanation — right where you're reading
  
  No tab switching. No copy-pasting into Google. No interrupting your reading flow.
  
  ── FREE ──
  
  Free (no account needed):
  - 5 instant explanations to try immediately
  - Sign in free for unlimited explanations.
  
  ── PRIVACY ──
  
  Explainly does not store the text you select or track the pages you visit. Anonymous users send zero data. Signed-in users store only their email and usage count. Full privacy policy at "https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R0aBYr0qutc0VvdcejpkxXdjc7tgn1T4yOVAwpua84U/edit?usp=sharing"

  Select any text on any webpage. Get an explanation that understands what it means in that sentence — not just what the dictionary says.
  
  Explainly reads the paragraph around your selection and tells you what the author meant, the tone they used, and gives you a simpler version when you need one. Like having a well-read friend sitting beside you who just finished the same paragraph.
  
  Instead of telling you "dreary = dull and bleak," Explainly tells you what that word does to the sentence you're reading.
  
  
  ── WHAT IT DOES ──
  
  → Context-aware meaning — explains what the selected text means in this passage, not in isolation
  → Tone detection — identifies the emotional or stylistic tone: formal, sarcastic, tense, hopeful, ironic
  → Simpler version — rewrites complex or dense sentences in plain, modern language
  → Four depth modes — ELI5 for a quick grasp, Normal for everyday reading, Deep for academic and literary analysis, Why? to understand why a line was written that way
  → Adaptive popup — automatically matches each website's light or dark background; drag it anywhere on screen
  
  
  ── WHO IT'S FOR ──
  
  → Students preparing for competitive exams — UPSC, GRE, IELTS, CAT
  → Non-native English readers who want to grasp nuance, not just translate words
  → Readers tackling dense non-fiction, academic papers, legal documents, or classic literature
  → Anyone who reads on the web daily and wants to understand more, faster — without leaving the page
  
  
  ── HOW IT WORKS ──
  
  1. Install Explainly
  2. Select any word, phrase, or sentence on any webpage
  3. Click the small E button that appears near your selection (or press Alt+E)
  4. Get an instant, context-aware explanation — right where you are reading
  
  No tab switching. No copy-pasting into Google. No interrupting your reading flow.
  
  
  ── FREE ──
  
  No account needed to start:
  → 5 instant explanations to try immediately, no sign-in required
  → Sign in free with Google for unlimited explanations
  
  
  ── PRIVACY ──
  
  Explainly does not store the text you select or track the pages you visit. Anonymous users send zero data to our servers. Signed-in users store only their email address and usage count — nothing else.
  
  Full privacy policy: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R0aBYr0qutc0VvdcejpkxXdjc7tgn1T4yOVAwpua84U/edit?usp=sharing
  
  
  ── PERMISSIONS JUSTIFICATION ──
  
  storage — saves your theme, trigger mode, and sign-in token locally on your device. No data leaves your browser without your action.
  
  identity — used solely to launch Google sign-in via Chrome's built-in OAuth flow (chrome.identity.launchWebAuthFlow). No passwords or credentials are ever handled by the extension.
  
  tabs — used in one place only: to check whether the Library page is already open in a tab before creating a new one, so you never see duplicate tabs.
  
  host permissions (<all_urls>) — the content script that shows the explanation popup must run on every page you choose to use it on. Explainly never reads page content unless you actively select text and request an explanation.

• May 25, 2026
  permissions

  storage, identity, declarativeNetRequest

  storage, identity, tabs

• May 19, 2026
  host_permissions

  https://explainly-backend.vercel.app/*, https://*.supabase.co/*

  <all_urls>

• May 19, 2026
  permissions

  storage, identity

  storage, identity, declarativeNetRequest

Permissions & access

Permissions

storageidentitytabs

Host access

<all_urls>

Screenshots