> ## 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.

# Turn Off Personal Sync

> 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.

<Warning>
  Draft. This article depends on an open product question and is not ready to publish.
</Warning>

To stop syncing on a computer, click **Pause Sync** in **Settings › Sync**. Everything stays on your computer and you keep working as before. Pausing does not delete anything, here or on the sync server.

<Info>
  Applies to Personal Sync, part of the Professional plan.
</Info>

## Before you start

* Pausing applies to the computer you are on. Your other computers keep syncing with each other.
* To stop a computer syncing for good, revoke it from another computer instead. See [Remove a device](/docs/sync-and-devices/remove-a-device).

## Steps

<Steps>
  <Step title="Open Settings › Sync">
    On Mac, choose **Elephas › Settings…** or press **⌘,**. On Windows, choose **File › Settings…** or press **Ctrl+,**. Then choose **Sync**.
  </Step>

  <Step title="Click Pause Sync">
    The status changes to **Sync paused**, with the note: "Encrypted data already synced to your other devices and the cloud remains there."
  </Step>
</Steps>

To start again, click **Resume Sync**. Elephas fetches what changed on your other computers, sends what you changed while paused, and settles any [conflicts](/docs/sync-and-devices/sync-conflicts).

## How it works

### What stays on your computer

Everything. Your Brains, documents, chats and search index stay on this computer and keep working. Indexing happens on your computer. Always. Your AI choice does not change.

### What pausing stops

From the moment the status reads **Sync paused**, this computer makes no more requests to the sync service. Changes you make are kept on your computer, counted in the line "changes have not left this computer yet", and sent only when you resume. They survive restarts.

### What stays on the sync server

Pausing is not deletion and not removal. Encrypted copies already sent stay on the sync service, and your other computers keep their own copies. The server holds them as encrypted data it cannot read. See [Sync encryption](/docs/privacy-and-security/sync-encryption).

There is no option in Elephas today to delete your synced data from the sync service.

### Pausing is per computer

Each computer has its own **Pause Sync**. To stop syncing everywhere, pause each computer. You cannot revoke your last synced computer, because that would leave nothing able to read your synced data.

### Pausing does not free a device place

A paused computer still counts toward your plan's device limit and still shows in the Devices list. To free its place, revoke it from another synced computer. See [Device limits](/docs/plans-and-billing/device-limits).

## Troubleshooting

<AccordionGroup>
  <Accordion title="I don't see Pause Sync">
    Sync is not on for this computer. If the status reads **Sync off**, nothing from this computer has been set up to sync.
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="After resuming, changes take a while to appear">
    Resuming catches up in both directions, then indexes new documents locally. Wait for **Up to date**. See [Sync troubleshooting](/docs/troubleshooting/sync-troubleshooting).
  </Accordion>

  <Accordion title="My plan ended. Does Sync stop?">
    Sync needs a paid plan. When your plan needs attention, the Sync pane says so and nothing on your computer changes. See [When your plan ends](/docs/plans-and-billing/when-your-plan-ends).
  </Accordion>
</AccordionGroup>

## Related articles

<CardGroup cols={2}>
  <Card title="Remove a device" href="/docs/sync-and-devices/remove-a-device" />

  <Card title="Sync while offline" href="/docs/sync-and-devices/sync-offline" />

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

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


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