Separate the application from the execution location
One program may offer both downloaded and remote models. Ollama, for example, documents local execution as well as a cloud mode. Its Cloud guide explains that this mode processes requests through its service. An installed application’s name therefore does not establish where a document goes. [2]
Before opening a file, describe its journey: where it comes from, which program reads it, which model receives its contents and where the conversation is stored. If you cannot answer one of these questions, begin with test material that contains no personal or workplace information.
Four specific checks
- Selected model. Confirm whether it is downloaded and whether documentation identifies it as local or remote.
- Additional features. Review web search, connectors, extensions and transcription services. Their data routes may differ from the chat’s.
- History and files. Check whether they are saved, where and how to delete them. Also check whether the folder synchronizes to another service.
- Device access. A local file still needs protection from other people or programs with access to the computer.
This is a review method, not a security certification. Do not confuse “the provider does not train on my data” with “the data does not leave my computer”: they answer different questions.
A documented example: Ollama local-only mode
Ollama’s FAQ states that the provider does not see prompts or data when models run locally. It also documents disabling cloud features through a configuration setting or the OLLAMA_NO_CLOUD=1 environment variable, followed by a restart. This disables its remote models and web search. [1]
The scope matters: that setting does not control every extension, other application or synchronization service on the computer. If you use another interface connected to Ollama, review its documentation too. This guide describes vendor documentation; it is not an independent software audit.
An offline trial can help establish that a task works without internet access once required resources have been downloaded. It does not prove that the application never transmits anything when connectivity returns. Avoid turning a limited observation into an absolute guarantee.
Choose according to the document and the result
For learning, use a public text or something you created without sensitive information. Request a specific transformation, such as extracting a task list, and compare the result against the original. Processing location does not guarantee an accurate summary: it can still omit conditions, change names or misinterpret a table.
For workplace documents, follow your organization’s approved tools and rules. For personal use, decide what information you are willing to share before choosing an execution mode. A local approach can be valuable, but it requires reviewing the complete system: input, processing, storage and access. That review provides a more useful basis than relying on a single marketing label.
Use a fictional document before the real one
Create a test document with invented names and a recognizable sentence. Explicitly select a local model and check for cloud features, web search, telemetry or synchronization. A desktop interface can combine multiple services.
After downloading the model, repeating the task offline checks whether that particular feature can run without a connection. It does not prove the absence of logging or later uploads after reconnection. Check conversation folders and operating-system synchronization too.
- Record application, version, model and feature.
- Read which functions run remotely and disable unnecessary ones according to the documentation.
- Locate stored documents, extracted text and answers.
- Decide whether this processing is appropriate before opening the real document.
Do not begin with contracts, records or third-party data. This checks a feature; it does not certify the privacy of the whole computer.
Sources and documentation
Sources consulted on October 7, 2026. Original documentation; linked sources may be in English.
