> ## 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.

# Personal Sync: Keep Elephas in Sync Across Your Computers

> 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.

Personal Sync keeps your Brains, your documents and your chat history the same on up to three of your own computers, Mac or Windows in any mix. Everything is encrypted on your computer before it leaves, and only your approved devices can read it.

<Info>
  Personal Sync is part of the Professional plan. It is not included with Personal or the free trial. See [Plans and pricing](/docs/plans-and-billing/plans-and-pricing).
</Info>

## Before you start

* You need the Professional plan and to be signed in to your Elephas account in **Settings › Plan & Billing**. See [Create your account and sign in](/docs/getting-started/create-account-and-sign-in).
* Professional works on up to 3 devices. Each computer that syncs takes one of them. See [Device limits](/docs/plans-and-billing/device-limits).
* Sync is off until you turn it on. Nothing about your Brains, files or chats goes to the sync server before then.

## Steps

Setting up Sync takes two short jobs:

1. **On your first computer**, open **Settings › Sync**, choose **This is my first device**, and click **Turn On Sync**. See [Turn on Sync](/docs/sync-and-devices/turn-on-sync).
2. **On each other computer**, sign in with the same account, choose **I already use Sync on another device**, and approve it from your first computer by comparing five words. See [Add a computer](/docs/sync-and-devices/add-a-device-to-sync).

To open Settings, choose **Elephas › Settings…** (⌘,) on Mac, or **File › Settings…** (Ctrl+,) on Windows.

## How it works

### What moves, and what stays

| Synced between your computers | Stays on each computer |
| - | - |
| Your Brains and their settings | Search indexes (each computer builds its own) |
| Your files and the text Elephas read from them | API keys for your own API key |
| Your chat history | App settings, such as theme and AI choice |
| | Downloaded models, including Local AI |

Full list: [What syncs](/docs/sync-and-devices/what-syncs).

### End-to-end encrypted, on your devices

Each Brain has its own encryption key, and your chats have their own. Your computer encrypts each change before sending it. The sync server stores only encrypted data it cannot read, and the keys stay on your approved devices. Your Elephas account alone cannot unlock your data. See [Sync encryption](/docs/privacy-and-security/sync-encryption).

### The Elephas sync service, not iCloud or OneDrive

Personal Sync runs on Elephas's own sync service. It does not use iCloud, OneDrive, Dropbox or a shared folder, and you do not need to set up any of them. That is also why a Mac and a Windows PC can sync with each other.

Elephas never copies its database file between computers. It sends individual changes, such as "a document was added to this Brain", so two computers can work at the same time without corrupting each other.

### Indexing still happens on each computer

When a document arrives from another computer, Elephas indexes it locally. Indexing happens on your computer. Always. The status reads **Indexing synced documents** while it works.

### Sync is not AI

Sync moves your knowledge between your own devices. It is separate from the AI that answers your questions, which only receives what you send in a chat. As the Sync pane puts it: "Personal Sync moves your knowledge between your devices as end-to-end encrypted data. It is separate from cloud AI providers, which only ever receive the excerpts you send in a chat." See [What data is sent to AI](/docs/privacy-and-security/what-data-is-sent-to-ai).

### There is no recovery

There is no password reset and no recovery service. If you lose every synced computer, nobody can recover your synced data, including Elephas. Keep Sync on at least two computers and keep your own copies of your original files. See [Sync recovery](/docs/sync-and-devices/sync-recovery).

### Personal Sync and Team workspaces

Personal Sync covers your Personal workspace. Team workspaces sync through the Team itself, under the Team's own access rules. See [Team Brains](/docs/teams/team-brains).

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Sync says it is part of the Professional plan">
    Your account is on Personal or a free trial. The Sync pane shows **Sync is part of the Professional plan.** and "To change your plan, contact Elephas support." See [Upgrade your plan](/docs/plans-and-billing/upgrade-your-plan).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="The Turn On Sync button is greyed out">
    Check that you are signed in, that the computer has a name, and that you ticked **I understand there is no recovery**. See [Turn on Sync](/docs/sync-and-devices/turn-on-sync).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Sync shows Needs attention">
    The line under the status says what went wrong and what to do. See [Sync troubleshooting](/docs/troubleshooting/sync-troubleshooting).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## FAQ

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="Can Elephas read my synced data?">
    No. The sync server stores encrypted data. The keys to read it stay on your approved devices. See [Sync encryption](/docs/privacy-and-security/sync-encryption).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Can I sync a Mac and a Windows PC?">
    Yes. Mac to Mac, Windows to Windows, and Mac to Windows all work.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="Does Sync work on iPhone or iPad?">
    No. Personal Sync works between the Elephas desktop apps for Mac and Windows.
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related articles

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Turn on Sync" href="/docs/sync-and-devices/turn-on-sync" />

  <Card title="Add a computer" href="/docs/sync-and-devices/add-a-device-to-sync" />

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

  <Card title="Sync encryption" href="/docs/privacy-and-security/sync-encryption" />
</CardGroup>


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