What is Tails?

Here's everything you need to know about the Tails operating system

Have you heard of Tails? No, not Sonic's buddy. We're talking about the Linux-based operating system known for its privacy features, focus on anonymity, and deep adaptability. While PC and Android users may be familiar with browsers like Tor as the pinnacle of online privacy, Tails extends Tor's anonymity to the entire system, keeping it encapsulated and transferrable while steadfastly refusing to acknowledge who you are or if you've ever used it before.

While you may not be directly acquainted with Tales, you probably know about its claims to fame. For example, Edward Snowden used it to hide from the NSA. If you want to block unwanted surveillance or avoid censorship in your region, Tails is one of the go-to choices. Here's how it works.

Tails (The Amnesic Incognito Live System) is a computer operating system made with Linux and based on Debian. It's designed to be as anonymous as possible, preventing all manner of tracking and surveillance while being extra-portable. It's also a bit mysterious, with obscure origins deep within the Tor community and no one claiming to be a creator. While that sounds like a conspiracist's dream, it's not all X-Files. Tails really does work, and it's been verified by independent security researchers to make sure everything works as they say. Plus, it's open source, so users are constantly digging into the details with every update that addresses vulnerabilities or concerns.

The result is a computer-in-a-stick, an OS that can fit on a USB drive in your pocket and let you securely access PC capabilities on any computer you run into (with the right ports). It can even work on a DVD if you can access a compatible drive.

When you plug Tails into a computer with a USB stick, it runs everything from its own USB drive, logging in and opening your session. It uses the computer's memory but leaves no trace and doesn't access the PC's hard disk. When you're finished, unplug Tails. Then, other users can access the computer's OS with no way to tell if anything happened. Tails can't contract any malware or spyware from its host computer.

This approach prevents any form of tracking, analysis, or chance to intercept data on a hardware level. Human-based security still depends on you, but Tails helps here, too. Every Tails session is unique, and no data is transferred. When you end a Tails session, it automatically deletes all associated data. The next time you pop in Tails, it won't recognize you at all (the Amnesic part of the name is quite serious). There's nothing for hackers to find or trace.

Tails enables a section of its USB drive/DVD with persistent storage. The storage is optional but allows you to encrypt and save data that you can access in the following sessions. That introduces a slight cybersecurity risk for the particularly paranoid but allows you to work on documents in as safe an environment as possible.

Tails is deeply integrated with the TOR browser and search engine. It enables TOR automatically when you boot up the OS. The TOR network encrypts all incoming and outgoing online data like an earnest VPN, so your activity can't be tracked. It also relays your connection through secure nodes and uses MAC address spoofing so no one can tell where you are or what device you're using.

The TOR web browser is the top pick for those evading restrictive government actions or avoiding nosy ISPs (internet service providers). With Tails, you get all those benefits automatically.

Debian-based Tails is a jack-of-all-trades designed to be a computer in a capsule for all kinds of important tasks, whether you're on the go or at home. It includes a variety of applications like OpenOffice to create documents, instant messaging capabilities, and task-oriented software.

Only what the TOR browser allows. You can't access cloud storage like OneDrive directly from Tails, but you may be able to visit its web-based equivalent to pull data. Tor doesn't support your favorite apps and generally discourages using anything that requires logins or tracks activity. It supports many basic tasks but nothing more complex that could risk revealing your location or identity. Plus, it doesn't have the hardware to handle any complicated programs. That makes it a poor everyday computer but an excellent security supplement, a bit like using a burner phone.

Yes. You can install Tails for free. There is no cost associated with using it.

Visit the Tails download page at boum.org to get started. You can download Tails directly onto specific operating systems like Windows, macOS, and Linux, allowing you to switch to a Tails session whenever you want. The on-the-go or international traveler types will prefer the download-only option for flash drives or the choice to burn the OS onto a DVD.

If you already use Tails, you can clone it for a new installation. You can also use it with a virtual machine.

No. Tails doesn't work on smartphones or tablets. It's a Linux distribution, and that creates difficulties with mobile devices like these. Normally, Tails doesn't work on Chromebooks, although users have developed some hacks to enable it.

You may not be an Edward Snowden-level whistleblower, but anonymity is still important. If you want the capability to create one-off computer sessions where everything is encrypted and nothing is saved unless you want it to be, Tails is the operating system for you. There's nothing to register, sign up for, or initialize outside the first download. You just connect and start using it. Keep in mind, the Linux framework may take a little getting used to if you aren't familiar with it.

Tyler Lacoma has spent more than 10 years testing tech and studying the latest web tool to help keep readers current. He's here for you when you need a how-to guide, explainer, review, or list of the best solutions for your Android life.