> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://elephas.app/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Where Elephas Stores Your Documents and Data

> 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.

Elephas stores your documents, what it reads from them, its search index and your chats on your computer. The extracted text, the index and your chats are kept in an encrypted database, and its keys are kept in your operating system's secure credential store: Keychain on Mac, Credential Manager on Windows.

## Where the folder is

<Tabs>
  <Tab title="Mac">
    Your data folder:

    ```
    ~/Library/Application Support/Elephas Next
    ```

    To open it, in Finder choose **Go › Go to Folder**, paste the path, and press Return.

    Downloaded models (search, private-information, OCR and Local AI models) are kept in the same folder.
  </Tab>

  <Tab title="Windows">
    Your data folder:

    ```
    %APPDATA%\Elephas Next
    ```

    Downloaded models (search, private-information, OCR and Local AI models) are kept separately, because they are large and can be downloaded again:

    ```
    %LOCALAPPDATA%\Elephas Next
    ```

    To open either one, press Windows + R, paste the path, and press Enter.
  </Tab>
</Tabs>

The folder is named "Elephas Next" on both systems. You do not need to open it in normal use. Moving or editing files inside it can break your Brains.

## What is inside

| Item | What it holds | Encrypted |
| - | - | - |
| `global.sqlite` | App-wide records | Yes, encrypted database |
| `workspaces/` database files | Your Brains, the text Elephas extracted from your documents, the search index, and your chat history, one database per workspace | Yes, encrypted database |
| `workspaces/<id>/documents/` | The copies of the files you added | No, see below |
| `settings.json` | Your preferences, such as theme and AI choice. No keys or passwords. | No |
| `elephas.log` | A record of what the app did, with no document text in it | No |
| `reporting/` | Usage and error reports waiting to be sent, if you allow them | No |
| `models/`, `local-llm/` | Downloaded models | No |

### The copies of your files

When you add a file, Elephas keeps its own copy, so your Brain still works if you move or delete the original. These copies are stored in your data folder as ordinary files. Elephas does not encrypt them: like your originals, they are protected by your computer's user account and by disk encryption if you turn it on (FileVault on Mac, BitLocker or Device Encryption on Windows). The extracted text, the index and your chats live in the encrypted database.

## How it works

### Indexing happens on your computer. Always.

Reading your files, extracting text, OCR, building the search index and finding the passages that answer your question all run on your computer, whatever AI you choose. Your documents are not uploaded to be indexed. If you turn on sync, your files are encrypted on your computer before they are uploaded, and each of your other computers builds its own search index. See [What syncs](/docs/sync-and-devices/what-syncs).

What happens when you ask a question depends on the AI you chose. See [What data is sent to AI](/docs/privacy-and-security/what-data-is-sent-to-ai).

### Encrypted database

Elephas stores its databases with SQLCipher, an encrypted form of SQLite. Each database has its own random 256-bit key. Without the key, the file cannot be read.

### Keys in your operating system's credential store

The database keys are stored in:

* **Mac:** Keychain
* **Windows:** Credential Manager

Entries appear under the name "Elephas Next". The same store holds your sign-in session, any API keys you add for [your own API key](/docs/ai-options/use-your-own-api-key), and, if you use Personal Sync, your device's sync keys. None of these are written to `settings.json` or to the log.

<Warning>
  Deleting the "Elephas Next" entries from Keychain or Credential Manager makes your local Elephas databases unreadable. Only do this if you intend to delete your data.
</Warning>

### Logs

The log file is designed to contain event names, IDs, counts and technical error details, never the text of your documents, questions or answers. You can open it from **Settings › Support › Log file** with **Show in Finder** (Mac) or **Show in Explorer** (Windows), and you choose whether to attach it when you email support.

### Uninstalling does not delete your data

Removing the app leaves the data folder and the credential store entries in place. See [Delete your data and account](/docs/privacy-and-security/delete-your-data-and-account).

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Elephas cannot write to its data folder">
    Check that your user account can write to the folder listed above, and that your disk is not full. Then restart Elephas. See [Elephas won't start](/docs/troubleshooting/elephas-wont-start).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="I can't find the folder on Mac">
    The Library folder is hidden by default. Use **Go › Go to Folder** in Finder and paste the full path.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I put my data folder on another drive?">
    There is no setting to move the data folder today.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related articles

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="What data is sent to AI" href="/docs/privacy-and-security/what-data-is-sent-to-ai" />

  <Card title="Privacy overview" href="/docs/privacy-and-security/privacy-overview" />

  <Card title="What syncs" href="/docs/sync-and-devices/what-syncs" />

  <Card title="Delete your data and account" href="/docs/privacy-and-security/delete-your-data-and-account" />
</CardGroup>


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