# Elephas Help Center

> Guides for Elephas, the knowledge workspace for Mac and Windows that answers from your documents with citations.

- [Elephas Help Center](https://elephas.app/docs/index.md): Guides for Elephas on Mac and Windows. Add your documents, ask questions with citations, choose where AI runs, and manage your plan and team.
- [What Is Elephas? A Private AI Workspace for Your Documents](https://elephas.app/docs/getting-started/what-is-elephas.md): Elephas is a knowledge workspace for Mac and Windows that answers from your own documents and cites the exact page. Learn what it does and who it is for.
- [Elephas System Requirements for Mac and Windows](https://elephas.app/docs/getting-started/system-requirements.md): Elephas runs on Apple Silicon Macs with macOS 14 Sonoma or later and on 64-bit Windows 10 22H2 or Windows 11. See memory and disk guidance for Local AI.
- [How to Download and Install Elephas on Mac](https://elephas.app/docs/getting-started/install-elephas-on-mac.md): Download the Elephas DMG, drag Elephas to your Applications folder and open it for the first time. A step-by-step install guide for Apple Silicon Macs.
- [How to Install Elephas on Windows](https://elephas.app/docs/getting-started/install-elephas-on-windows.md): Install Elephas on Windows 10 or 11 with the MSI installer. No administrator rights needed. Covers the Start menu shortcut, SmartScreen and first launch.
- [Create Your Elephas Account and Sign In](https://elephas.app/docs/getting-started/create-account-and-sign-in.md): Create your Elephas account and sign in through your browser, with no license key. See how sign-in returns you to the app and how to sign out on Mac or Windows.
- [Elephas Quick Start: Add Documents and Ask Your First Question](https://elephas.app/docs/getting-started/quick-start.md): Get started with Elephas in four steps: add your documents, let them get ready on your computer, ask your first question and open the cited source.
- [What Elephas Downloads on First Run (and Why)](https://elephas.app/docs/getting-started/first-run-downloads.md): On first launch Elephas downloads about 50 MB of on-device components for personal information protection, search, language detection and scanned pages.
- [Elephas Key Concepts: Brains, Documents, Chats and Citations](https://elephas.app/docs/getting-started/key-concepts.md): A short tour of the ideas behind Elephas: workspaces, Brains, documents, Ask, chats, citations and AI options. Start here to see how the app fits together.
- [How to Update Elephas to the Latest Version](https://elephas.app/docs/getting-started/update-elephas.md): Elephas checks for updates on its own and installs a verified update only when you click. How to check manually, what Restart now does, and fixes.
- [Moving from Classic Elephas to Elephas Next](https://elephas.app/docs/getting-started/moving-from-classic-elephas.md): What changes when you move from classic Elephas to Elephas Next, what does and does not carry over, and how to bring your documents into the new app.
- [Uninstall Elephas from Mac or Windows](https://elephas.app/docs/getting-started/uninstall-elephas.md): Remove Elephas from your Mac or Windows PC. Learn what uninstalling leaves behind: your data folder and the keys in Keychain or Windows Credential Manager.
- [How to Create and Manage Brains in Elephas](https://elephas.app/docs/brains-and-documents/create-and-manage-brains.md): Create a Brain to keep your documents for one client, case or project together, then rename, pin, sort or delete it. Shortcuts for Mac and Windows.
- [How to Add Files and Folders to a Brain](https://elephas.app/docs/brains-and-documents/add-files-and-folders.md): Add your PDFs, Word files, spreadsheets and whole folders to an Elephas Brain by choosing or dragging them in, then follow each file until it is Ready.
- [How to Add a Web Page to a Brain](https://elephas.app/docs/brains-and-documents/add-web-pages.md): Add a web page to an Elephas Brain by its address and ask about it next to your documents. Elephas saves a copy once. Limits and pages that cannot be read.
- [Supported File Types and Size Limits](https://elephas.app/docs/brains-and-documents/supported-file-types.md): Elephas reads your PDFs, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, CSV, Markdown, text, RTF, HTML, EPUB and image files. See every extension, what is read, and size limits.
- [Search Scanned PDFs and Images with On-Device OCR](https://elephas.app/docs/brains-and-documents/scanned-pdfs-and-images-ocr.md): Elephas reads the text in your scanned PDFs, screenshots and photos of pages with OCR that runs on your computer. How it works, its limits, and scan tips.
- [Add Password-Protected PDFs](https://elephas.app/docs/brains-and-documents/password-protected-pdfs.md): How Elephas handles password-protected PDFs, what the messages mean, how to add an unlocked copy, and why Elephas never stores the password to your PDFs.
- [Update a Document and Keep Older Answers Accurate](https://elephas.app/docs/brains-and-documents/update-documents-and-versions.md): Add a newer version of your document to Elephas by adding the same file again. Earlier answers keep citing the exact version they used, so history stays true.
- [Remove Documents from a Brain](https://elephas.app/docs/brains-and-documents/remove-documents.md): Remove a document from an Elephas Brain. What happens to your original file, past chats and citations, your other synced devices, and your disk space.
- [Protected Names: Hide Client and Project Names from Cloud AI](https://elephas.app/docs/brains-and-documents/protected-names.md): Add client names, matter numbers and project code names to a Brain's Protected Names so Elephas swaps them for placeholders before cloud AI sees them.
- [How Many Documents Can Elephas Handle? Performance Tips](https://elephas.app/docs/brains-and-documents/performance-and-large-libraries.md): Use Elephas with thousands of your documents: limits per folder and per question, how long indexing takes, disk usage, and how to organize your Brains.
- [How to Ask Questions About Your Documents](https://elephas.app/docs/ask/ask-questions-about-your-documents.md): Ask Elephas a question about your documents and get an answer that cites them. Choose Brains, send your question, follow up, and stop an answer at any time.
- [Check Every Answer with Citations](https://elephas.app/docs/ask/citations-and-sources.md): Every Elephas answer cites your documents. Click a numbered citation to read the exact passage, and use the Sources panel to see what was searched and used.
- [Ask About Specific Documents Only](https://elephas.app/docs/ask/ask-specific-documents.md): Narrow an Elephas question to the documents you pick instead of a whole Brain, so the answer comes only from those files. Start from a file or from the Ask box.
- [Why Elephas Says an Answer Isn't in Your Documents](https://elephas.app/docs/ask/answer-not-in-your-documents.md): Elephas answers only from the documents you choose and never browses the web. Learn why it says it found nothing, and how to rephrase, rescope or add sources.
- [Manage Your Chat History](https://elephas.app/docs/ask/manage-chat-history.md): Start new chats, rename or delete old ones, and learn where Elephas keeps your chat history, who can see it, and how it syncs between your own computers.
- [Tips for Getting Better Answers from Your Documents](https://elephas.app/docs/ask/tips-for-better-answers.md): Practical question patterns for Elephas: compare documents, summarize, extract facts, find every mention and build timelines from your files, with scope tips.
- [Elephas Keyboard Shortcuts for Mac and Windows](https://elephas.app/docs/ask/keyboard-shortcuts.md): Every Elephas keyboard shortcut in one place, with the Mac and Windows keys side by side for Brains, adding files, Ask, navigation, text size and windows.
- [Elephas AI, Own API Key or Local AI: Which Should You Use?](https://elephas.app/docs/ai-options/choose-how-elephas-answers.md): Compare the three ways Elephas can answer: Elephas AI, your own API key, or Local AI on your computer. Where your data goes, cost, quality, speed and plans.
- [Using Elephas AI (Included Cloud AI)](https://elephas.app/docs/ai-options/elephas-ai.md): Elephas AI is the cloud AI included with your plan. What it sends, how requests go through the Elephas gateway, what is stored, and how your allowance works.
- [Use Your Own OpenAI, Anthropic or Gemini API Key](https://elephas.app/docs/ai-options/use-your-own-api-key.md): Connect your own OpenAI, Anthropic, Gemini, Groq, Mistral, xAI, DeepSeek, OpenRouter or Together AI key to Elephas. Setup, models, and where keys are stored.
- [Connect a Custom OpenAI-Compatible Endpoint](https://elephas.app/docs/ai-options/custom-api-endpoint.md): Connect Elephas to any OpenAI-compatible API with a custom base URL, model name and key. Setup steps, the connection test, and the mistakes that break it.
- [Run AI Locally on Your Computer with Elephas](https://elephas.app/docs/ai-options/run-local-ai.md): Run a local AI model on your Mac or PC with Elephas. Download a model once, then ask your documents without sending your questions or files to an AI provider.
- [Which Local AI Model Should You Choose?](https://elephas.app/docs/ai-options/choose-a-local-model.md): Pick the right Local AI model in Elephas for your computer's memory. Compare Qwen 2B, 4B and 9B on speed and quality, switch models, and manage the downloads.
- [How Elephas Protects Your Privacy](https://elephas.app/docs/privacy-and-security/privacy-overview.md): How Elephas keeps you in control of your documents: local indexing, encrypted storage, the AI mode you choose, personal detail protection and encrypted sync.
- [Where Elephas Stores Your Documents and Data](https://elephas.app/docs/privacy-and-security/where-your-data-is-stored.md): Elephas keeps your documents on your computer, and your chats and search index in an encrypted database keyed in Keychain or Credential Manager. Mac and Windows paths.
- [What Data Elephas Sends to AI (Elephas AI, Own Key and Local)](https://elephas.app/docs/privacy-and-security/what-data-is-sent-to-ai.md): Exactly what Elephas sends when you ask a question with Elephas AI, your own API key or Local AI, where it goes, and what stays on your computer in every mode.
- [Personal Information Protection for Cloud AI](https://elephas.app/docs/privacy-and-security/personal-information-protection.md): Elephas hides many common personal details on your computer before your question and sources go to cloud AI. See the types it hides, its limits, and the switch.
- [See What Was Hidden in an Answer (Privacy Shield)](https://elephas.app/docs/privacy-and-security/review-hidden-details.md): Use the shield under an Elephas answer to see which personal details were replaced with placeholders before your question and sources went to cloud AI.
- [Use Elephas Without Sending Anything to the Cloud](https://elephas.app/docs/privacy-and-security/use-elephas-offline.md): Set up Elephas so your documents and questions stay on your computer: Local AI with Sync off. Plus exactly what still goes online in that setup, and why.
- [Using Elephas for Confidential Client Work](https://elephas.app/docs/privacy-and-security/confidential-client-work.md): A practical Elephas setup for lawyers, accountants and consultants: one Brain per client, Protected Names, Local AI for the most sensitive files, team policy.
- [How Personal Sync Encryption Works](https://elephas.app/docs/privacy-and-security/sync-encryption.md): Personal Sync encrypts your Elephas data end to end. Keys stay on your devices, new devices are approved with five words, and there is no recovery service.
- [Anonymous Usage Reports: What We Collect and How to Turn Them Off](https://elephas.app/docs/privacy-and-security/usage-reports.md): What anonymous usage and error reports Elephas sends, what they never include, where they are processed, and how to turn them off in Settings › Privacy.
- [Elephas Security Overview](https://elephas.app/docs/privacy-and-security/security-overview.md): Elephas security: encrypted local storage, keys in Keychain or Credential Manager, browser sign-in, signed updates, encrypted sync and Team recovery.
- [How to Delete Your Data and Elephas Account](https://elephas.app/docs/privacy-and-security/delete-your-data-and-account.md): Delete your Elephas data from your Mac or Windows PC, including the data folder and stored keys, and learn how synced data and account deletion requests work.
- [Export Your Data from Elephas](https://elephas.app/docs/privacy-and-security/export-your-data.md): Elephas has no export feature yet. Here is what you can do today to keep your files, answers and chats: your originals, Copy, and moving to a new computer.
- [Elephas Privacy FAQ](https://elephas.app/docs/privacy-and-security/privacy-faq.md): Answers to common Elephas privacy questions: training on your data, what is stored and for how long, which AI providers are used, where data goes, and GDPR.
- [Personal Sync: Keep Elephas in Sync Across Your Computers](https://elephas.app/docs/sync-and-devices/personal-sync-overview.md): Personal Sync keeps your Elephas Brains, documents and chats in step across your Macs and PCs, end-to-end encrypted on your devices. Included with Professional.
- [How to Turn On Personal Sync](https://elephas.app/docs/sync-and-devices/turn-on-sync.md): Turn on Personal Sync in Elephas on your first computer, step by step, and understand the no-recovery acknowledgement before your data leaves this device.
- [Add Another Computer to Personal Sync](https://elephas.app/docs/sync-and-devices/add-a-device-to-sync.md): Add a second Mac or Windows PC to Elephas Personal Sync. Sign in, compare five words on both screens, approve the new computer and let it download your Brains.
- [What Syncs and What Stays on Each Computer](https://elephas.app/docs/sync-and-devices/what-syncs.md): See which Elephas data Personal Sync moves between your computers (Brains, documents, chats) and what stays on each one (search indexes, AI keys, settings).
- [Resolve Sync Conflicts](https://elephas.app/docs/sync-and-devices/sync-conflicts.md): How Elephas handles the same thing edited on two computers. The newer edit wins, and the Sync Conflicts list keeps the replaced value until you dismiss it.
- [Using Elephas Offline with Sync](https://elephas.app/docs/sync-and-devices/sync-offline.md): Keep working in Elephas when your computer is offline. Changes wait on your computer and Personal Sync catches up on its own as soon as you reconnect.
- [Remove a Device or Handle a Lost or Stolen Computer](https://elephas.app/docs/sync-and-devices/remove-a-device.md): Remove a computer from Elephas Personal Sync or your account, and what to do if it was lost or stolen. Learn what revoking stops and what it cannot erase.
- [Move Elephas to a New Computer](https://elephas.app/docs/sync-and-devices/move-to-a-new-computer.md): Move Elephas to a new Mac or PC. With Personal Sync your Brains come with you. Without it, use Use This Device Instead and add your files again.
- [Turn Off Personal Sync](https://elephas.app/docs/sync-and-devices/turn-off-sync.md): Stop Personal Sync on a computer with Pause Sync. Your data stays on your computer. Learn what pausing keeps, what stays on the sync server, and how to resume.
- [Why Synced Data Can't Be Recovered (and How to Stay Safe)](https://elephas.app/docs/sync-and-devices/sync-recovery.md): Elephas cannot recover your synced data, because only your own devices hold the keys. How to stay safe: keep Sync on two computers and keep your original files.
- [Elephas for Teams: Overview](https://elephas.app/docs/teams/teams-overview.md): Elephas Team workspaces give your firm shared Brains, roles, an AI policy, an audit log and device approval. See how a Team workspace differs from Personal.
- [Set Up Your Team Workspace (Owners)](https://elephas.app/docs/teams/set-up-a-team-workspace.md): Set up an Elephas Team workspace as the Owner: buy the Team plan in your browser, finish setup in the app, and save the recovery kit before you invite anyone.
- [Save and Use Your Team Recovery Kit](https://elephas.app/docs/teams/team-recovery-kit.md): The Team recovery kit is your only way back into your Elephas Team's documents if every approved computer is lost. How to store it, replace it, and use it.
- [Invite People to Your Team](https://elephas.app/docs/teams/invite-team-members.md): Invite people to your Elephas Team workspace by email as a Member or Admin. A pending invite holds a seat for 7 days. How to revoke an invite or send it again.
- [Join a Team You Were Invited To](https://elephas.app/docs/teams/join-a-team.md): Join an Elephas Team workspace you were invited to: sign in with the invited email, name this computer, show the five confirmation words, and wait for approval.
- [Team Roles and Permissions Explained](https://elephas.app/docs/teams/team-roles-and-permissions.md): What Owners, Admins and Members can do in an Elephas Team workspace, plus the Team Brain roles Manager, Contributor and Reader, in one permission table.
- [Share Knowledge with Team Brains](https://elephas.app/docs/teams/team-brains.md): Create Team Brains to share your firm's documents in Elephas, pick who opens each one as Manager, Contributor or Reader, and compare them to Personal Brains.
- [Control How Your Team Uses AI (AI Policy)](https://elephas.app/docs/teams/team-ai-policy.md): Set your Elephas Team AI policy: turn cloud AI off, allow it, or allow it only with redaction. Set usage caps per member. Personal API keys never apply here.
- [Approve and Manage Team Devices](https://elephas.app/docs/teams/manage-team-devices.md): Approve new computers for your Elephas Team workspace, block a lost or replaced computer, and allow it again. Blocking applies to this Team only, not Personal.
- [Review Team Activity with the Audit Log](https://elephas.app/docs/teams/team-audit-log.md): Use the Elephas Team audit log to review membership, role, device, Brain access and AI policy changes. What is logged, what is never logged, and who can see it.
- [Remove a Member from Your Team](https://elephas.app/docs/teams/remove-a-team-member.md): Remove someone from your Elephas Team workspace, or from one Team Brain. What happens to their access, their computers, the Team data on them, and their seat.
- [Manage Team Seats and Billing](https://elephas.app/docs/teams/team-seats-and-billing.md): How Elephas Team seats work: the Owner and pending invites each take a seat. How to add seats, where billing is managed, and how the AI allowance is pooled.
- [Elephas Enterprise: Deployment and Security Review](https://elephas.app/docs/teams/enterprise.md): Elephas Enterprise is a contract plan for larger organizations. What it covers, how to request a security review or questionnaire, and what to prepare first.
- [Elephas Plans and Pricing Explained](https://elephas.app/docs/plans-and-billing/plans-and-pricing.md): Compare Elephas Personal, Professional, Team and Enterprise: monthly and annual prices, device limits, Personal Sync and the Elephas AI usage in each plan.
- [Elephas Free Trial: What's Included](https://elephas.app/docs/plans-and-billing/free-trial.md): The Elephas free trial gives you 7 days on one computer with no card required. See what is included, the AI usage limit, and what happens when the trial ends.
- [How AI Usage and Credits Work](https://elephas.app/docs/plans-and-billing/ai-usage-and-credits.md): How the Elephas AI usage in your plan works: what uses it, what never does, where to check it, when it resets, and how to keep asking when it runs out.
- [How to Upgrade Your Elephas Plan](https://elephas.app/docs/plans-and-billing/upgrade-your-plan.md): Upgrade from the Elephas free trial to a paid plan in your browser, or move from Personal to Professional. See how checkout works and what carries over.
- [Change or Downgrade Your Plan](https://elephas.app/docs/plans-and-billing/change-or-downgrade-plan.md): How to change or downgrade your Elephas plan, for example Professional to Personal, when the change takes effect, and what happens to your devices and Sync.
- [Switch Between Monthly and Annual Billing](https://elephas.app/docs/plans-and-billing/monthly-vs-annual-billing.md): Compare monthly and annual billing for Elephas, see how much an annual plan saves you, and how to switch between them for your Personal or Professional plan.
- [Device Limits on Each Plan](https://elephas.app/docs/plans-and-billing/device-limits.md): How many computers you can use Elephas on with each plan, what This account is in use on another device means, and how to move your plan to another computer.
- [Restore Your Plan After Reinstalling or on a New Computer](https://elephas.app/docs/plans-and-billing/restore-your-plan.md): Reinstalled Elephas or got a new computer? Sign in to your Elephas account to restore your plan. There is no license key to enter and nothing to buy again.
- [Find Invoices and Update Your Payment Method](https://elephas.app/docs/plans-and-billing/invoices-and-payment-method.md): Where to find receipts and invoices for your Elephas plan, how to get a tax or VAT invoice, update your payment method, and what to do when a payment fails.
- [What Happens When Your Trial or Plan Ends](https://elephas.app/docs/plans-and-billing/when-your-plan-ends.md): When your Elephas trial or plan ends, nothing on your computer is deleted. See what keeps working, what pauses, and how to pick up again by choosing a plan.
- [Elephas Refund Policy](https://elephas.app/docs/plans-and-billing/refund-policy.md): How to ask for a refund on your Elephas plan, what to include in your request, and what a refund never does to the Brains, documents and chats on your computer.
- [How to Cancel Your Elephas Subscription](https://elephas.app/docs/plans-and-billing/cancel-subscription.md): How to cancel your Elephas subscription, when the cancellation takes effect, and what happens to your documents. Your Brains and chats stay on your computer.
- [Cancel a Team Subscription](https://elephas.app/docs/plans-and-billing/cancel-team-subscription.md): How a Team Owner cancels an Elephas Team subscription, when it takes effect, and what happens to members, Team Brains and the documents on each computer.
- [What Happens to Your Data After You Cancel](https://elephas.app/docs/plans-and-billing/after-you-cancel.md): After you cancel Elephas, your documents, Brains and chats stay on your computer. Learn what keeps working, what happens to Personal Sync, and how to come back.
- [Elephas Settings: A Complete Guide](https://elephas.app/docs/settings/settings-overview.md): A guide to every Elephas settings pane: Appearance, AI, Plan & Billing, Sync, Updates, Downloads, Privacy and Support, and what each one controls.
- [Customize Appearance: Theme, Accent Color and Text Size](https://elephas.app/docs/settings/appearance.md): Change the Elephas theme, accent color and text size, and turn on reduced motion. Includes keyboard shortcuts for bigger or smaller text on Mac and Windows.
- [Manage and Repair Downloaded Components](https://elephas.app/docs/settings/manage-downloads.md): See the on-device components Elephas needs in Settings › Downloads, repair one that is missing or damaged, and see why cloud AI waits for privacy models.
- [Fix "Elephas Can't Be Opened" on Mac and Windows SmartScreen Warnings](https://elephas.app/docs/troubleshooting/app-wont-open-on-install.md): Fix macOS messages that Elephas can't be opened or is not supported, and Windows SmartScreen or installer warnings when you first install and open Elephas.
- [Elephas Won't Start: Database, Keychain and "Newer Version" Errors](https://elephas.app/docs/troubleshooting/elephas-wont-start.md): Fix Elephas startup errors on Mac and Windows: local database, local storage, Keychain or Credential Manager, and newer version messages, with a fix for each.
- [First-Run Download Failed: Offline, Proxy, Disk Full](https://elephas.app/docs/troubleshooting/first-run-download-failed.md): Fix a failed Elephas first-run download: no connection, Wi-Fi that needs sign-in, a proxy or firewall, a full disk, folder permissions or a second copy running.
- [Fix File Import Errors](https://elephas.app/docs/troubleshooting/file-import-errors.md): Every Elephas file import error mapped to a fix: unsupported type, too large, no readable text, permissions, PDF passwords, text recognition and web pages.
- [Fix API Key Errors (Invalid Key, Out of Credit, Rate Limits)](https://elephas.app/docs/troubleshooting/api-key-errors.md): Fix errors when using your own API key in Elephas: rejected key, provider out of credit, rate limits, free plans too small for a question, and removed models.
- [You've Used Your AI Allowance: What to Do](https://elephas.app/docs/troubleshooting/ai-allowance-used-up.md): Used up your Elephas AI allowance? See the messages, when your allowance resets, and how to keep asking with Local AI, your own API key or a bigger plan.
- [Local AI Not Working: Memory, Download and Startup Errors](https://elephas.app/docs/troubleshooting/local-ai-troubleshooting.md): Fix Local AI problems in Elephas: not enough memory, a paused or damaged model download, a full disk, the local engine failing to start, and slow answers.
- [Fix Personal Sync Errors](https://elephas.app/docs/troubleshooting/sync-troubleshooting.md): Fix Elephas Personal Sync errors: device waiting for approval or revoked, app too old, plan required, keys not delivered, and data that could not be decrypted.
- [Fix Team Errors: No Seat Available and Permission Issues](https://elephas.app/docs/troubleshooting/team-troubleshooting.md): Fix common Elephas Team errors: no seat available, invitations that do not arrive, joining and device approval problems, role limits and Team AI refusals.
- [Find Your Elephas Log File and Contact Support](https://elephas.app/docs/troubleshooting/contact-support.md): Find your Elephas log file and version in Settings › Support, then email support@elephas.app with the details that help us fix your problem fast.
- [Elephas FAQ](https://elephas.app/docs/resources/faq.md): Short answers to the 20 most common Elephas questions: computers, file types, AI options, privacy, offline use, Personal Sync, Teams, the free trial and plans.
- [Elephas Glossary](https://elephas.app/docs/resources/glossary.md): Plain definitions of the terms used in Elephas and these docs, from Answered by and Brain to Personal Sync, Protected Names, Team Brain and Team workspace.
- [Elephas Release Notes](https://elephas.app/docs/resources/release-notes.md): What is new in each Elephas release for Mac and Windows: new features, improvements and fixes, newest first. Elephas checks for updates for you.
- [Elephas Next vs Classic Elephas](https://elephas.app/docs/resources/elephas-next-vs-classic.md): Compare Elephas Next with classic Elephas side by side: platforms, plans, payments, account, sync, features and teams, and how to choose the right one for you.


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