> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.tinfoil.sh/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Tinfoil Chat overview

> An AI assistant you can bring your real work to — research, documents, personal questions — without anyone else reading along. Available on web and iOS.

[Tinfoil Chat](https://chat.tinfoil.sh) is an AI assistant for the work and questions you'd rather keep to yourself. Draft sensitive documents, analyze contracts, work through medical or financial questions, or just think out loud — with the same capabilities you'd expect from leading AI apps, minus the part where a company can read everything you type.

It runs in your browser and on [iOS](https://apps.apple.com/app/tinfoil/id6745201750), with encrypted cloud conversations, files, and settings following you across both.

## Why it's different

Most AI chat apps ask you to trust a privacy policy. Tinfoil Chat is built so you don't have to:

* **Nobody reads your conversations — including us.** The AI models run inside secure enclaves: hardware-isolated environments that even Tinfoil's own engineers cannot look into. Your app checks this cryptographically every time it connects, against open-source code anyone can audit. See [how verification works](https://docs.tinfoil.sh/verification/verification-in-tinfoil.md).

* **Your synced content is yours alone.** Chats, uploaded documents, projects, and personalization settings are encrypted with a personal key that only your devices hold. Persistent storage receives ciphertext plus limited operational metadata needed for sync.

* **You decide what gets kept.** Sync chats across devices, pin them to a single device, or use temporary chats that vanish the moment you close them.

This isn't a stripped-down chat box, either. You get file uploads, projects with shared instructions and reference documents, private keyword and semantic search, voice input, and a choice of models.

## Where to go next

> [card] [Cloud sync & encryption](https://docs.tinfoil.sh/chat/cloud-sync.md)
>
> How your encryption key works, setting up passkeys, and backing up your
> key on web and iOS.

> [card] [Features](https://docs.tinfoil.sh/chat/features.md)
>
> Document uploads, projects, encrypted chat search, sharing, and importing
> from other AI apps.

> [card] [Chat settings](https://docs.tinfoil.sh/chat/settings.md)
>
> Web Search, Generative UI, reasoning, personalization, prompts, language,
> and platform-specific preferences.

> [card] [Data controls & deletion](https://docs.tinfoil.sh/chat/data-controls.md)
>
> Local-only chats, temporary chats, exporting your data, and how deletion
> works.

> [card] [Verification center](https://docs.tinfoil.sh/guides/verification-center.md)
>
> The in-app panel that shows live cryptographic proof your session is
> protected.

## Common questions

> [accordion] Can Tinfoil read my saved chats, documents, or settings?
>
> No. All synced content is encrypted with your personal encryption key.
> Tinfoil's storage layer holds ciphertext and limited operational metadata. This applies to chats,
> uploaded documents, project instructions and files, personalization
> settings (including your name and traits), custom system prompts, and
> prompt library entries. The details are in
> [cloud sync and encryption](https://docs.tinfoil.sh/chat/cloud-sync.md).

> [accordion] What happens if I lose my encryption key?
>
> Your data cannot be recovered — not even by Tinfoil. This is a direct
> consequence of the encryption design: without your key, the ciphertext is
> unreadable to everyone. Set up a passkey (recommended) or keep a copy of
> your key somewhere safe. See [key backup options](https://docs.tinfoil.sh/chat/cloud-sync.md#key-backup-options).

> [accordion] Does Tinfoil remember context across conversations?
>
> Chats inside a project share the project's instructions and documents, so
> you don't need to re-upload the same material for each conversation.
> Individual chat histories are not shared between conversations. See
> [projects](https://docs.tinfoil.sh/chat/features.md#projects).

> [accordion] Can I keep some chats off the cloud entirely?
>
> Yes. Local-only chats are never uploaded to cloud storage. Temporary chat
> history is not persisted unless you save or share a snapshot. See
> [data controls](https://docs.tinfoil.sh/chat/data-controls.md).

> [accordion] How do I know these claims are true?
>
> You don't have to take our word for it. The security-critical code is
> open source, and the app verifies at connection time that the servers are
> running exactly that published code. You can watch this happen in the
> in-app [Verification Center](https://docs.tinfoil.sh/guides/verification-center.md).


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