TotalRecalls

Help

Everything you need to install TotalRecalls, run your first download, and get unstuck when something goes wrong. If you don't find your answer here, email [email protected] — a person answers.

Getting Started (5 minutes)

  1. Download the Free Tier ZIP from the Download page and unzip it to any folder (e.g. Desktop\TotalRecalls). No installer — the archive contains TotalRecalls.exe and README.txt.
  2. Run TotalRecalls.exe. On first launch, Windows SmartScreen may show a warning — that's normal for a small, unsigned app. Click More info → Run anyway. Step-by-step: SmartScreen instructions.
  3. Pick a provider and sign in in the window the app opens. Your session token is read from that window and stays on your machine. (Gemini is different — point the app at your Google Takeout folder instead.)
  4. Choose an output folder — anywhere on your PC — and click Download.
  5. Open the folder when it finishes. Every conversation is a Markdown file plus a JSON file. Grep it, version it, move it — it's yours.

The See It Work page walks through a real download on screen, start to finish.

Free Tier vs. Pro

The app you download is the full app. The Free Tier limits you to 3 providers (Perplexity, ChatGPT, Claude) and 5 conversations per download — enough to verify it works on your own chats before paying. Pro unlocks all 8 providers and unlimited conversations for a one-time $24USD (launch price). See Pricing.

Activating Pro

  • Buy through the buy page — payment is handled by Paddle, and the license key arrives in your Paddle purchase email.
  • In the app, enter the license key to unlock Pro. The key covers up to 3 activations (desktop, laptop, mobile) so you can use it on more than one machine.
  • Lost your key? It's in your purchase email — if you can't find it, email [email protected] and we'll re-send it.

Per-Provider Guides

Each provider has its own walkthrough — sign-in quirks, what the export contains, and provider-specific fixes. Find them all on the Guides page:

  • Perplexity — backup conversations and searches
  • ChatGPT — export conversations
  • Claude — export chat history and Projects
  • Gemini — Google Takeout setup and import
  • Grok — export conversations
  • DeepSeek — export conversations
  • Mistral — export conversations
  • Qwen Chat — export chats

Troubleshooting

Download fails or returns empty

  • The app reads the live session from its own sign-in window — not from your default browser. Make sure the sign-in window completed a real login.
  • Provider servers are occasionally slow. If you see "servers are busy — retrying", let it finish: it keeps going, and large accounts take longer.
  • If the sign-in window opens blank and never loads, close the app and launch it again — the app clears leftover browser processes on startup.
  • Use the provider's Disconnect, then Connect again, to force a fresh login window.

SmartScreen blocks the app

  • Click More info → Run anyway on the warning. Full instructions: SmartScreen Help.
  • Windows 11 Smart App Control is stricter and has no per-app override. If you have it on, see the same guide for your options (code-signing is on the roadmap).

Gemini (Takeout) import fails

  • Download the full ZIP from takeout.google.com — a partial export has no conversations.
  • Extract the ZIP first. TotalRecalls reads the extracted folder, not the ZIP itself. Step-by-step: Gemini Takeout guide.

Files look wrong or are missing

  • Downloads land in the folder you chose at download time — check that folder before assuming anything failed. New downloads don't overwrite old ones; each run writes its own set of files.
  • Chat text and code blocks come as Markdown; attachment references are preserved alongside (e.g. sources.json). The binary attachments themselves stay in your provider account.

More symptoms and fixes on the Troubleshooting guide.

Where Your Data Lives

  • All files land in the folder you pick — there is no cloud locker and no TotalRecalls account to sync to.
  • Your AI session tokens are read from the app's sign-in window and stay on your machine; we never host your chats, downloads, or credentials.
  • No telemetry, no analytics, no background services. Full details in the Privacy Policy.

Still Stuck?

  • FAQ — pricing, providers, privacy, refunds, how downloads work.
  • Support page — contact details and pricing/free-tier answers.
  • Email [email protected]. Include the provider you were downloading, what you saw on screen, and your Windows version — it speeds things up a lot.