Like a tent, you can carry Tails with you and use it anywhere.
Your secure computer anywhere To use Tails, shut down the computer and start on your Tails USB stick instead of starting on Windows, macOS, or Linux.
You can temporarily turn your own computer into a secure machine. You can also stay safe while using the computer of somebody else.
Tails is a 1.3 GB download and takes ½ hour to install. Tails can be installed on any USB stick of 8 GB minimum. Tails works on most computers less than 10 years old. You can start again on the other operating system after you shut down Tails.
You don't have to worry about the computer having viruses because Tails runs independently from the other operating system and never uses the hard disk. But, Tails cannot always protect you if you install it from a computer with viruses or if you use it on a computer with malicious hardware, like keyloggers.
Amnesia Tails always starts from the same clean state and everything you do disappears automatically when you shut down Tails.
Without Tails, almost everything you do can leave traces on the computer:
Websites that you visited, even in private mode Files that you opened, even if you deleted them Passwords, even if you use a password manager All the devices and Wi-Fi networks that you used
On the contrary, Tails never writes anything to the hard disk and only runs from the memory of the computer. The memory is entirely deleted when you shutdown Tails, erasing all possible traces.
Persistent Storage You can save some of your files and configuration in an encrypted Persistent Storage on the USB stick: your documents, your browser bookmarks, your emails, and even some additional software.
The Persistent Storage is optional and you always decide what is persistent. Everything else is amnesic.
Digital security toolbox Tails includes a selection of applications to work on sensitive documents and communicate securely.
All the applications are ready-to-use and are configured with safe defaults to prevent mistakes.
Tails includes:
Tor Browser with uBlock, a secure browser and an ad-blocker
Thunderbird, for encrypted emails
KeePassXC, to create and store strong passwords
LibreOffice, an office suite
OnionShare, to share files over Tor
Metadata Cleaner, to remove metadata from files and many more!
To prevent mistakes:
Applications are blocked automatically if they try to connect to the Internet without Tor. Everything in the Persistent Storage is encrypted automatically. Tails does not write anything to the hard disk. All the memory is deleted when shutting down.
Warnings: Tails is safe but not magic! Tails is safer than any regular operating system. But Tails, or any software or operating system, cannot protect you from everything—even if they pretend to.
The recommendations below will keep you even safer, especially if you are at high risk.
Tails is designed to hide your identity.
But some of your activities could reveal your identity:
Sharing files with metadata, such as date, time, location, and device information Using Tails for more than one purpose at a time
Tails uses the Tor network because it is the strongest and most popular network to protect from surveillance and censorship.
But Tor has limitations if you are concerned about:
Hiding that you are using Tor and Tails Protecting your online communications from determined, skilled attackers
Tails can safely run on a computer that has a virus.
But Tails cannot always protect you when:
Installing from an infected computer Running Tails on a computer with a compromised BIOS, firmware, or hardware
