anytype-docs-features-storage-location.md
For the complete documentation index, see llms.txt. This page is also available as Markdown.
The Storage Location is the folder on your hard drive where Anytype keeps your Vault data — every Object, every encrypted block, every file you've uploaded, plus the indexes Anytype uses to make search fast.
By default, Anytype picks a standard location based on your operating system, you can change this to any folder you choose — useful for moving data to a larger drive, an encrypted partition, or a different filesystem.
When you first create a Vault, the install screen offers an option to choose the storage location. Click the gear icon at the bottom of the welcome screen, browse to the folder you want, and Anytype will create the Vault there.
If you skip this step, Anytype uses the default location. You can always move it later.
Moving an existing Vault requires logging out, choosing a new location on the login screen, and re-authenticating. Anytype will then redownload your Vault data to the new location from the network.
Make sure you have your Key. This is critical. Without your 12-word Key you cannot log back in. Go to Vault Settings > Vault & Key > Login Key and copy or write it down before you continue.
Log out of Anytype. Click your profile icon at the bottom of the Vault sidebar > Log out.
On the login screen , click the gear icon (⚙) in the corner. This opens the storage location options.
Choose a new folder. Browse to where you want the Vault to live, or paste the path directly.
Click I already have a Key and enter your Key (or scan the QR code from another logged-in device).
Anytype redownloads your Vault from the network to the new location. The time depends on Vault size and your connection speed.
After this completes, you're back to your normal Vault — same Channels, same Objects, same data — just stored in a different folder.
The data in the old folder isn't automatically deleted. Once you've confirmed the new Vault is working correctly:
Open the old folder.
Verify it contains the old Anytype data files (you'll see encrypted blobs, an index/ folder, etc.).
Delete the folder manually.
This recovers the disk space.
Do not delete the old folder until you've verified the new location is fully synced.
To store your Vault on an external drive:
Mount the drive before logging in. Anytype needs the drive to be available at the path you specify.
Pick the drive's folder during the storage location selection.
Log in normally.
This works fine for stationary external drives (a desktop external SSD, a NAS mounted as a local volume). It works less well for drives that connect and disconnect often, since:
If the drive isn't mounted when Anytype starts, the app can't find your Vault and shows a connection error
Sync is paused while the drive is unavailable
Some operations may write to the default location if the external drive disappears mid-operation
For a portable Vault, consider using a fast USB-C SSD that you keep mounted while Anytype is running.
You can put your Vault on:
macOS FileVault — works transparently; no special setup
Windows BitLocker — works transparently
Linux LUKS / dm-crypt — works transparently
VeraCrypt containers — supported, but you must mount the container before launching Anytype
Anytype's data is already encrypted at rest (via the Vault's master key derived from your 12-word phrase), so volume-level encryption is an additional layer rather than a substitute. It's useful if you want defense-in-depth or if you're worried about other apps on the device reading filenames or sync metadata.
If you choose Local-only network mode (in Vault Settings > Networks & Backup), your Vault never syncs to any remote server. Your data lives only at the storage location you've chosen, plus any other devices you sync with via local peer-to-peer. Please see here for more details.
In Local-only mode, your storage location is the only copy of your data. Treat the folder like a precious original — back it up regularly, and never let it live somewhere ephemeral (like a temp directory or unmounted drive).
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