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Desktop App

Process documents locally with the secure vault

The anonymize.today Desktop App lets you process documents locally on your computer. It includes a secure encrypted vault for storing sensitive data and supports batch processing of multiple files.


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System Requirements

  • Windows: Windows 10 or later (64-bit)
  • macOS: macOS 11 Big Sur or later
  • Linux: Ubuntu 20.04+, Fedora 34+, or equivalent
  • RAM: 4 GB minimum, 8 GB recommended
  • Disk: 500 MB for installation

Installation

Windows

  1. Download the .msi installer
  2. Double-click to run the installer
  3. Follow the installation wizard
  4. Launch from Start Menu or Desktop shortcut

macOS

  1. Download the .dmg file
  2. Double-click to mount the disk image
  3. Drag anonymize.today to the Applications folder
  4. Right-click and select "Open" on first launch (Gatekeeper)

Linux

  1. Download the .AppImage or .deb file
  2. For AppImage: Make executable and run directly
  3. For .deb: Install with sudo dpkg -i anonymize-today.deb
  4. Launch from your application menu

Key Features

Secure Vault

Your encryption keys and sensitive data are stored in a local encrypted vault protected by a 24-word recovery phrase.

Multi-Format Support

Process PDF, DOCX, TXT, CSV, JSON, XML, and XLSX files. Text is extracted, anonymized, and reconstructed.

Batch Processing

Process multiple files at once. Drag and drop a folder or select multiple files to anonymize in batch.

Local Processing

Your documents are processed locally. Only text excerpts are sent to the API for PII detection - never entire files.


Vault Setup

On first launch, you'll set up your secure vault:

  1. Click Create New Vault
  2. A 24-word recovery phrase is generated
  3. Write down the recovery phrase and store it securely
  4. Confirm the phrase to complete setup

Critical Security Warning

Your recovery phrase is the only way to recover your vault. If you lose it, your encrypted data cannot be recovered. Store it in a safe place (not on your computer).

Recovering Your Vault

If you need to restore your vault on a new device:

  1. Install the Desktop App
  2. Click Restore Existing Vault
  3. Enter your 24-word recovery phrase
  4. Your vault and encryption keys are restored

Using the App

Processing Files

  1. Drag and drop files into the app, or click Select Files
  2. Choose a preset or select entity types manually
  3. Select the anonymization method
  4. Click Anonymize
  5. Review results and save anonymized files

Supported Formats

FormatExtensionReconstruction
PDF.pdfFull
Word Document.docxFull
Plain Text.txtFull
CSV.csvFull
JSON.jsonFull
XML.xmlFull
Excel.xlsxFull

Batch Processing

  1. Select multiple files or drop a folder
  2. Configure settings (applies to all files)
  3. Click Process All
  4. Progress is shown for each file
  5. All anonymized files are saved to the output folder

Signing In

Connect your anonymize.today account to sync presets and use tokens:

  1. Click Sign In in the app
  2. A browser window opens to anonymize.today
  3. Sign in with your account (including 2FA if enabled)
  4. Authorize the Desktop App
  5. Return to the app - you're signed in

When signed in:

  • Your presets and custom entities sync from the cloud
  • Operations consume tokens from your account
  • Your session persists for 30 days

Auto-Updates

The Desktop App checks for updates automatically:

  • Notification appears when an update is available
  • Click to download and install the update
  • Restart to complete the update

You can also check manually: Settings → About → Check for Updates


Troubleshooting

App won't launch on macOS

If you see "cannot be opened because the developer cannot be verified":

  1. Right-click the app and select Open
  2. Click Open in the dialog

Vault locked unexpectedly

If your vault locks and you have the recovery phrase:

  1. Close and reopen the app
  2. Enter your recovery phrase to unlock

Files not processing

  • Check the file format is supported
  • Ensure you're signed in (for token-based operations)
  • Check your token balance
  • Try processing a smaller file first

Related Documentation

Last Updated: February 2026