Privacy, models, and offline use
Understand what runs locally, when connections may happen, and what to prepare before working offline.
Guide based on source version 2.0.1-rc.7. Screenshots show the English interface of a prerelease edition; their values illustrate examples, not necessarily defaults. Packages on Downloads may differ: review their release notes and saving options before processing.
On this page
Images are processed on your computer
Modules do their work on your computer without sending images to a remote processing service. Each tool explains where its output is saved.
That does not mean the app never uses the internet. Some features download models, check versions, or open external pages.
| Action | Possible connection |
|---|---|
| Open Yagua or check for updates | GitHub API request. |
| Open OCR for the first time or use another recognition combination | EasyOCR model downloads if missing. |
| Run Remove Background for the first time | Segmentation model download and, if needed, compatibility model download. |
| Click a download, GitHub, or project support link | Opens the browser. |
| Click View on Maps in Metadata | Opens Google Maps with the selected GPS coordinates. |
What a model is
A model is a data file an AI library needs to recognize text or separate an object from its background. It is saved for reuse. It is not a photograph you must provide or a quality setting.
Remove Background currently uses ISNet (isnet-general-use) and can use u2netp for compatibility if the main model cannot initialize. Selection is automatic: the screen has no model selector or manual threshold controls.
OCR models depend on recognition languages. Opening the module can initialize and download models before you load a photograph. Recognition options are Spanish, English, and Spanish/English; other interface languages do not become additional OCR languages.
Prepare for offline work
- While connected, open OCR and wait for loading to finish.
- Try the recognition combinations you will use and process a small image.
- Process an image with Remove Background and check the saved transparent file.
- Close Yagua, disconnect, and repeat those test tasks.
- Check that you can read and write your working folders.
Successful initialization on one PC does not prepare another. Copying the executable alone is not enough. A missing model cannot finish downloading offline.
Where models are stored
Remove Background commonly uses .u2net in your home folder. The code supports a custom location through U2NET_HOME and considers XDG_DATA_HOME; neither is an interface option.
EasyOCR manages its own cache, usually under .EasyOCR in the user profile. Its actual path depends on the library and environment. Model caches are separate from output folders and Yagua’s preferences file.
Changing the interface language does not require deleting models. Before freeing space or repairing a download, identify the actual cache: deleting it means downloading the necessary models again.
Metadata, logs, and links
A photograph can contain author, date, or location data that is not visible on the image. Check View metadata before sharing. EXIF cleaning does not replace checking the image’s visible content.
Logs can contain file paths and names; review them before posting a report. Opening a map shares those coordinates with the map website even though image processing is local.