Frequently asked questions

Short answers to the questions people ask most often. Each answer links to the article that goes further.

Filarr in general

How much does Filarr cost?

Using Filarr on your computer with a local profile is free. A cloud account is free too, with 5 GB of synced storage and no time limit. Paid plans add space and features: Solo costs €4 per month and Pro €8 per month, and organizations use the Teams and Enterprise plans. See Plans and limits.

Do I need an account?

No. A local profile works without an account, and your data stays on your computer. You need a cloud account to sync between devices, to share, and to use the web app with your files everywhere. You can create one later and turn on sync for an existing profile. See Local profile or cloud account?.

Is there a Mac version?

Not yet. Filarr runs on Windows and Linux, and in your browser at app.filarr.com. On the download page of the website (https://filarr.com/en/download), you can leave your email address to hear when the Mac version ships.

Is there a mobile app?

A mobile app for iOS and Android is in progress. Until it ships, you can open app.filarr.com in your phone's browser, but the web app is designed for a larger screen and some pages feel cramped on a phone.

Does Filarr use AI on my files or notes?

No. Filarr has no AI feature and sends nothing to an AI service. The tags suggested for a note come from a count of the words in the note, done on your device.

Which languages does Filarr speak?

English and French. Change the language in Settings → Language. The change applies right away. See Change the language.

Privacy and security

Where are my files stored?

In the desktop app, on your computer. With a cloud account, an encrypted copy also goes to Filarr's servers, or to your own storage if you set it up. In the web app, a profile without an account keeps its data in the browser. See Install Filarr and Use your own storage.

Can Filarr read my files?

No. Filarr encrypts your files and notes on your device before they leave it, with a key that only your password or recovery phrase can open. The servers keep encrypted data they cannot read. They do know your email address, your devices and the size of your stored data. See How Filarr protects your data and Privacy: what leaves your device.

If someone takes my computer, can they open Filarr?

Your files are encrypted on the disk. But unless you turn on Enhanced lock, Filarr keeps its key on your computer so that it opens without your password, and anyone who can use your computer session can open it too. On a laptop or a shared computer, turn on Enhanced lock and Auto-lock in Settings → Security. See Lock Filarr.

What does the PIN protect?

The PIN keeps other people who use the same computer out of your profile. It encrypts nothing: your password is what protects your files. See Lock Filarr.

Passwords and recovery

I forgot my password. What can I do?

It depends on the kind of profile:

Cloud account: on the sign-in screen, click Forgot password?, then enter your email address, your 24-word recovery phrase and a new password. All your devices are then signed out.
Local profile: on the profile's PIN screen, click Forgot PIN?, then Forgot encryption password?, and enter the profile's 12 words. This path only exists on a profile protected by a PIN, with Allow PIN reset turned on.

Without the phrase, nobody can open your data, not even Filarr. See Troubleshooting for the details.

What is the difference between the 12-word and the 24-word phrase?

The 12 words belong to one local profile: they reopen that profile on that computer if you forget its password. The 24 words belong to a cloud account: they give you back your account and all its synced data. The two phrases are not interchangeable. See Passwords and recovery.

Can Filarr reset my password by email?

No. Filarr does not keep what opens your data, so an email link could not give it back to you. The 24-word recovery phrase replaces the email reset. See Passwords and recovery.

At the code prompt, choose Use a backup code and type one of the codes you saved when you turned on two-factor authentication. Each code works once. Once signed in, regenerate your codes or set up the app again. See Two-factor authentication and passkeys.

I forgot my PIN.

On the PIN screen, click Forgot PIN? and enter the profile's encryption password to set a new PIN. This link only appears if Allow PIN reset was turned on for the profile. Otherwise, Filarr cannot reset the PIN. See Troubleshooting.

Sync and devices

Can I use Filarr offline?

Yes. The desktop app works fully without a network, and your changes sync when the connection comes back. The web app can open offline if you used it before in that browser, and folders you mark Keep offline stay available. See Work offline.

How do I use Filarr on several computers?

Create a cloud account, install Filarr on the other computer, and sign in with the same account. You can also pair the new device with a code from Settings → Account & Sync → Connected devices. Your files and notes then sync between them. See Devices and pairing.

Can I choose which folders go to each computer?

Not yet. The desktop app keeps a full copy of your synced files on each computer. In the web app, only the folders you mark Keep offline are kept in the browser. See How sync works.

Can I use the desktop app and the web app together?

Yes, with the same cloud account. A few features exist on one side only, such as full backups on the desktop and passkeys on the web. See Desktop and web: what differs.

Is there a size limit for files?

A single file can weigh up to 5 TB in the desktop app, and 500 MB in the web app. In practice, your cloud quota is the limit for synced files: 5 GB on the free plan, 25 GB on Solo, 150 GB on Pro. A file added to a shared vault can weigh up to 500 MB. See Supported file formats.

What happens if I stop paying?

Nothing is deleted. Your account goes back to the free plan and its 5 GB. If you use more than that, Filarr stops sending new files to the cloud until you free space. Shared vaults you own become read-only for their members until the plan is renewed. See Plans and limits.

Yes. Right-click the file and choose Share via link: the person downloads it in their browser, without an account. You can also send files through send.filarr.com, or publish a note as a web page. Sharing needs a cloud account on your side. See Share a file by link and Send files with Filarr Send.

Can I work on the same files with other people?

Yes, in a shared vault. Everyone you invite gets their own access, and notes in a shared vault can be edited together live. Creating a shared vault needs a paid plan; anyone with a free account can join one. See Shared vaults.

Files, notes and leaving

Can I import my notes from Notion, Obsidian or Evernote?

From Obsidian and Notion, yes, in the desktop app: Import from Obsidian, Notion, Evernote... in Notes. Evernote files cannot be imported yet. Single Markdown, HTML or text files import in both the desktop and the web app. See Import from Obsidian, Notion or Markdown.

Does the trash empty itself?

No. Deleted files stay in the trash until you restore them or delete them for good. The only exception is an organization that set a retention rule for its members. See Trash and restore.

Is my data backed up?

Sync is not a backup: a file you delete on one device is deleted on the others too. Version history keeps earlier states of your notes, and of your files in the desktop app. For a real backup, use Settings → Storage & Data → Export all in the desktop app, and keep the archive somewhere safe. See Export and back up everything.

If I leave Filarr, can I take my data with me?

Yes. In the desktop app, Export all saves your files, notes and their details in one archive, encrypted or plain. Each note can also be exported as Markdown, HTML, PDF or Word, and any file can be downloaded. See Export and back up everything.

Can I change the keyboard shortcuts?

No, except the two system-wide shortcuts of the desktop app, in Settings → Desktop protection. See Keyboard shortcuts.

How do I update Filarr?

The desktop app checks for updates on its own, downloads them in the background and installs them when you quit. You can also click Check for updates in Settings → About. The web app shows a banner when a new version is ready: click Reload. See Install Filarr.