Desktop App User Manual

Last Updated: January 30, 2026

Table of Contents#

1. What is the Desktop App?
2. Download and Install
3. First Time Setup
4. Using the App
5. Settings
6. Troubleshooting
7. Tips and Tricks

What is the Desktop App?#

The anonym.legal Desktop App is a program that lives on your computer. It helps you find and hide private information in your documents, like names, email addresses, and phone numbers.

Why Use the Desktop App?#

Think of it like having a super-smart assistant that sits on your computer and helps you protect people's private information. Here's what makes it special:

Works on Any Computer

• Windows - Works on Windows 10 and Windows 11
• Mac - Works on macOS (Apple computers)
• Linux - Works on Ubuntu, Debian, and other Linux systems

Secure Processing

The app keeps your documents on your device. Only the extracted text is sent to our secure API for PII detection. Your original files are never uploaded to any server. This means:

• Original documents never leave your computer
• Only text content is transmitted (encrypted in transit)
• Anonymized documents are reconstructed locally

Looking for complete offline anonymization? If you need a solution that works entirely without an internet connection, with no server dependency, no credits, and unlimited processing, visit cloak.business.

Extra Secure with Encrypted Vault

The app has something called a "vault" - think of it like a super-secure safe that keeps your work protected. The vault uses military-grade AES-256-GCM encryption, with keys derived from a 24-word recovery phrase using Argon2id. Even if someone steals your computer, they can't see what's inside without your vault password AND recovery phrase.

How It Works — Step by Step

Here's exactly what happens when you anonymize a document:

1. You open a file (on your computer) — Drag a PDF, Word, or text file into the app. The file is read from your disk and never uploaded anywhere.
2. Text is extracted locally (on your computer) — The app pulls the raw text out of your document using local code.
3. Text is sent for PII detection (encrypted to our API) — Only the extracted text (not the file itself) is sent over an encrypted connection to our server. It scans for names, emails, phone numbers, and 50+ other entity types.
4. Anonymization is applied (your computer + API) — Detected entities are masked, encrypted, hashed, or replaced based on your settings. Encryption keys stay in your vault — we never see them.
5. Document is rebuilt locally (on your computer) — The anonymized text is put back into the original file format, keeping all the formatting intact.
6. History saved to your vault (on your computer) — A record is stored in your encrypted vault for future reference. Never synced to our servers.

Download and Install#

Where to Download#

Go to: https://anonym.legal/app/download

You'll see three big buttons - one for Windows, one for Mac, and one for Linux. Click the one that matches your computer.

Installing on Windows#

Step 1: Download the Installer

1. Click the Windows download button
2. A file ending in .exe will download (something like anonym-legal-setup.exe)
3. Wait for the download to finish

Step 2: Run the Installer

1. Find the downloaded file (usually in your Downloads folder)
2. Double-click the file to start the installer
3. If Windows asks "Do you want to allow this app to make changes?" - click Yes

Step 3: Follow the Setup Wizard

1. Click Next to start
2. Choose where to install (the default location is usually fine)
3. Click Install
4. Wait for the green progress bar to finish
5. Click Finish

Step 4: Find the App

• Look for "anonym.legal" in your Start menu
• Or find the icon on your desktop (if you chose to create one)

Installing on Mac#

Step 1: Download the Installer

1. Click the Mac download button
2. A file ending in .dmg will download
3. Wait for the download to finish

Step 2: Install the App

1. Find the downloaded file and double-click it
2. A window will open showing the anonym.legal icon and your Applications folder
3. Drag the anonym.legal icon into the Applications folder
4. Wait for the copy to finish

Step 3: Open the App

1. Open your Applications folder (or use Spotlight - press Cmd + Space and type "anonym.legal")
2. Double-click the anonym.legal icon
3. If Mac asks "Are you sure you want to open it?" - click Open

Note for Mac Users: The first time you open the app, you might need to go to System Settings > Privacy & Security and click "Open Anyway" if Mac blocks the app.

Installing on Linux#

Option A: AppImage (Works on Most Linux Systems)

1. Click the Linux download button and choose AppImage
2. Download the .AppImage file
3. Right-click the file and go to Properties > Permissions
4. Check the box that says "Allow executing file as program"
5. Double-click the file to run the app

Option B: Deb Package (For Ubuntu and Debian)

1. Click the Linux download button and choose .deb
2. Download the .deb file
3. Double-click the file to open it in your software center
4. Click Install
5. Enter your password when asked
6. Find "anonym.legal" in your applications menu

First Time Setup#

When you open the app for the first time, you'll set up your secure vault. This is really important, so pay attention!

Step 1: Open the App#

Find the anonym.legal icon and double-click it. The app will open and show you a welcome screen.

Step 2: Create Your Secure Vault#

A vault is like a digital safe that protects all your work. Here's what happens:

1. Click Create New Vault
2. The app will think for a moment while it creates your vault
3. You'll see a screen with 24 special words

Step 3: Write Down Your Recovery Phrase#

This is the MOST IMPORTANT step!

You'll see 24 words on your screen. These words are your recovery phrase - like a master key to your vault.

IMPORTANT - READ THIS CAREFULLY:

• WRITE THESE WORDS DOWN on paper (yes, actual paper!)
• Write them in the exact order shown (1, 2, 3... up to 24)
• Keep the paper somewhere super safe (like with your important documents)
• DO NOT take a screenshot (someone could find it)
• DO NOT save it in a text file on your computer
• DO NOT email it to yourself

Why is this so important?

If you forget your vault password or get a new computer, these 24 words are the ONLY way to get your vault back. Not even we can help you without these words. It's like the only key to a safe - if you lose it, the safe stays locked forever.

Step 4: Confirm Your Recovery Phrase#

The app will ask you to type in some of the words to make sure you wrote them down correctly. For example, it might ask:

• "What is word number 5?"
• "What is word number 12?"
• "What is word number 20?"

Type in the words exactly as you wrote them (with no capital letters, just lowercase).

Step 5: Create Your Vault Password#

Now you'll create a password to unlock your vault on this device:

1. Type a strong password (at least 12 characters)
2. Type it again to confirm
3. Click Create Vault

Tips for a Good Password:

• Use a mix of letters, numbers, and symbols
• Make it something you can remember
• Don't use your name, birthday, or "password123"

Note: This vault password is for LOCAL encryption only - it protects the vault on your computer. It's different from your anonym.legal account password (see Step 6).

Step 6: Log In with Your Account (Zero-Knowledge Authentication)#

Finally, connect the app to your anonym.legal account:

1. Enter your email address
2. Enter your anonym.legal account password
3. Click Sign In

If you don't have an account yet, click "Create Account" to make one.

Zero-Knowledge Security: When you log in with your account password, it NEVER leaves your device! Here's what happens:

1. The app uses your password + email to derive cryptographic keys locally (using Argon2id)
2. Only a hash (a mathematical fingerprint) is sent to verify your identity
3. Our servers NEVER see your actual password - they only verify the hash matches

This is the most secure way to authenticate because even if our servers were compromised, your password remains safe.

Congratulations! Your vault is now set up and you're ready to use the app!

Using the App#

Now let's learn how to actually use the app to find and hide private information.

The Main Screen#

When you open the app, you'll see a few main areas:

• Text Area - A big box where you can type or paste text
• File Area - Where you can drag and drop files
• Controls - Buttons and options on the side

Analyze Text#

Analyzing means finding private information without changing anything yet. It's like using a highlighter to mark important things.

How to Analyze:

1. Get your text into the app

   • Type directly into the text box, OR
   • Copy text from somewhere else (Ctrl+C) and paste it (Ctrl+V)

2. Select what to look for On the right side, you'll see checkboxes for different types of private information:

   • Names (like "John Smith")
   • Email addresses (like "john@email.com")
   • Phone numbers (like "555-123-4567")
   • Addresses (like "123 Main Street")
   • Credit card numbers
   • Social Security numbers
   • And many more!

   Check the boxes for what you want to find.

3. Click the Analyze button The app will send your text to our secure API for analysis and highlight all detected PII.

4. Review the results Each piece of private information will be highlighted in a different color. You'll see a list showing what was found and where.

Anonymize Text#

Anonymizing means actually hiding the private information. You have several ways to hide things:

Anonymization Options:

How to Anonymize:

1. First, analyze your text (see above)
2. Look at the results - each found item shows up in a list
3. For each type of information, choose how you want to hide it
4. Click the Anonymize button
5. Your text will be updated with the private information hidden

Pro Tip: You can choose different hiding methods for different types of information. For example, you might want to replace names but encrypt email addresses.

Process Files#

The desktop app can work with files directly - you don't have to copy and paste!

Supported File Types:

How to Process a Single File:

1. Add your file

   • Drag the file from your computer and drop it into the app, OR
   • Click "Browse" and select your file

2. Choose your settings

   • Select what types of information to find
   • Choose how to hide each type

3. Click Process The app will scan the entire file and create a new version with private information hidden.

Batch Processing: Do Many Files at Once

This is super useful when you have lots of files!

1. Drag and drop multiple files at once (or select several when browsing)
2. All your files appear in a list
3. Set your anonymization preferences (they'll apply to all files)
4. Click Process All
5. Sit back and watch as the app works through each file

Batch Processing Features:

Tip: Use CSV summary to quickly review what personal information was found across all your files!

Export Results#

After anonymizing, you need to save your work!

Saving Your Anonymized Text:

1. Click the Export or Save button
2. Choose where to save the file
3. Give it a name (tip: add "_anonymized" to remember it's been processed)
4. Click Save

Saving Anonymized Files:

When processing files, the app creates new files with your changes. Your original files are NEVER changed - they stay exactly as they were.

Export Options:

• Save as new file - Creates a copy with the changes
• Export summary - Creates a report showing what was found and changed
• Export as ZIP - Bundles multiple files together (great for batch processing)

File Naming:

You can customize how exported files are named using patterns:

Example: {name}_anonymized_{date}.{ext} becomes report_anonymized_2026-01-30.docx

Settings#

The Settings area lets you customize how the app works. Find it by clicking the gear icon.

Language Settings#

The app supports 48 different languages! To change your language:

1. Go to Settings
2. Find "Language" or "Sprache" or whatever it says in your current language
3. Click the dropdown menu
4. Select your preferred language
5. The app will switch immediately

Available Languages Include:

• English, Spanish, French, German, Italian, Portuguese
• Chinese, Japanese, Korean, Arabic, Hindi, Russian
• And 36 more!

Manage Presets#

Presets are saved settings that you can use again and again. Think of them like recipes - you set them up once, then just click to use them.

What a Preset Saves:

• Which types of information to look for
• How to hide each type
• Language settings

Creating a Preset:

1. Set up your preferred settings
2. Click "Save as Preset"
3. Give it a name (like "Legal Documents" or "Customer Emails")
4. Click Save

Using a Preset:

1. Click the Presets dropdown
2. Select your saved preset
3. All settings are instantly applied

Editing or Deleting Presets:

1. Go to Settings > Presets
2. Find the preset you want to change
3. Click Edit to change it, or Delete to remove it

Syncing Presets with Your Account:

If you're logged in, your presets automatically sync with your anonym.legal account!

• Presets you create in the Desktop App appear on the website
• Presets you create on the website appear in the Desktop App
• Works the same for the Office Add-in
• Everything stays in sync across all your devices

Look for the sync icon - a green checkmark means everything is synced!

Encryption Keys#

If you use the "Encrypt" option to hide information, you need encryption keys. Think of keys like passwords that lock and unlock your hidden information.

Creating a New Key:

1. Go to Settings > Encryption Keys
2. Click "Create New Key"
3. Give your key a name (like "Work Documents" or "Medical Files")
4. Choose a key length:
   • 128-bit - Good security
   • 192-bit - Better security
   • 256-bit - Best security (recommended)
5. Click Create

Your new key is now ready to use!

Setting Default Keys for Each Type:

You can tell the app which key to use automatically for each type of information:

1. Go to Settings > Encryption Keys
2. Find the key you want to use
3. Click "Set Defaults"
4. Choose which entity types should use this key:
   • Names (PERSON)
   • Email addresses (EMAIL_ADDRESS)
   • Phone numbers (PHONE_NUMBER)
   • And more...
5. Click Save

Now, when you encrypt those types, the app automatically uses the right key!

Important About Keys:

• Keys are stored safely in your encrypted vault
• If you're logged into your account, keys sync across your devices
• You can see key names but not the actual key values (for security)
• If you share encrypted files, the recipient needs the matching key
• Never lose your keys! Without the key, encrypted data cannot be recovered

Check for Updates#

The app can automatically check for new versions:

1. Go to Settings
2. Find "Updates" or "Check for Updates"
3. Click the button to check now
4. If an update is available, click "Download" or "Install"

Updates include:

• Bug fixes
• New features
• Security improvements
• Better detection of private information

Troubleshooting#

Sometimes things don't work perfectly. Here's how to fix common problems.

App Won't Start#

Try These Steps:

1. Restart your computer Sometimes that's all it takes! Close everything, restart, and try again.

2. Check if another copy is running

   • On Windows: Press Ctrl+Shift+Esc to open Task Manager, look for anonym.legal, and end it
   • On Mac: Press Cmd+Option+Esc to force quit
   • Then try opening the app again

3. Reinstall the app If nothing else works:

   • Uninstall the app
   • Download a fresh copy from https://anonym.legal/app/download
   • Install it again

Can't Log In#

Check These Things:

1. Is your internet working?

   • Try opening a website in your browser
   • If websites don't load, fix your internet first

2. Are you using the right email and password?

   • Make sure caps lock is off
   • Try the "Forgot Password" option if you're not sure

3. Try the web version

   • Go to https://anonym.legal in your browser
   • If you can log in there, the problem might be with the app
   • If you can't log in there either, your password might be wrong

4. Is the service running?

   • Very rarely, our servers might be down for maintenance
   • Try again in a few minutes

Lost Your Vault Recovery Phrase#

This is Serious

If you lost your 24-word recovery phrase AND forgot your vault password, unfortunately there is no way to recover your vault. This is because of the strong security - even we can't break into your vault.

Your Options:

1. Check everywhere for the paper where you wrote it down
2. Try to remember your vault password - if you still know it, you can open the vault and see the recovery phrase again
3. Create a new vault - you'll start fresh, but you'll lose what was in the old vault

How to Create a New Vault:

1. Go to Settings
2. Find "Vault" or "Security"
3. Click "Create New Vault"
4. Follow the setup steps again
5. THIS TIME, store the recovery phrase somewhere super safe!

Files Won't Process#

Try These Fixes:

1. Check the file type

   • Make sure it's one of the supported types (.txt, .docx, .pdf, .csv, .xlsx)
   • The app can't process images, videos, or other file types

2. Check the file size

   • Very large files might take a long time or fail
   • Try processing smaller files first

3. Is the file open somewhere else?

   • Close the file in Word, Excel, or any other program
   • Then try again

4. Is the file corrupted?

   • Try opening the file normally first
   • If you can't open it outside the app, the file might be damaged

App is Running Slowly#

Speed It Up:

1. Close other programs

   • The app needs memory to work, especially with big files
   • Close programs you're not using

2. Process fewer files at once

   • Instead of 50 files, try 10 at a time

3. Reduce what you're looking for

   • Only check the entity types you actually need
   • Looking for fewer things is faster

4. Restart the app

   • Sometimes a fresh start helps

Tips and Tricks#

Here are some helpful tips to get the most out of the app.

Keyboard Shortcuts#

Best Practices#

1. Always test first Before processing important documents, try with a test file to make sure the settings work the way you want.

2. Keep your original files The app creates new files and doesn't change your originals, but it's still smart to keep backups.

3. Use presets for repeated tasks If you often process the same type of document, save your settings as a preset.

4. Update regularly Keep the app updated to get the latest improvements and security fixes.

5. Review before sharing After anonymizing, always review the result to make sure everything was caught.

When to Use Different Hiding Methods#

Getting Help#

If you're stuck:

1. Check this guide - You might find the answer above
2. Visit the website - https://anonym.legal has more help articles
3. Contact support - Look for the "Help" or "Contact" option in the app

Summary#

You now know how to:

• Download and install the app on Windows, Mac, or Linux
• Set up your secure vault with a recovery phrase
• Analyze text to find private information
• Anonymize text using different methods
• Process single files or many files at once
• Export your results
• Customize settings and manage presets
• Fix common problems

The anonym.legal Desktop App is a powerful tool for protecting privacy. It keeps your documents on your device, stores everything securely in an encrypted vault, and only sends extracted text for cloud analysis.

Remember: Always keep your 24-word recovery phrase safe!

Need More Help?

• Website: https://anonym.legal
• Documentation: https://anonym.legal/docs
• Download: https://anonym.legal/app/download

© 2026 anonym.legal. All rights reserved.