The Welcome Screen appears after the Boot Loader, but before the GNOME Desktop.

You can use the Welcome Screen to specify startup options that alter some of the basic functioning of Tails.

To start Tails without options, click on the Start Tails button.

Assistive technologies

You can activate assistive technologies, like a screen reader or large text, from the universal access menu (the icon which looks like a person) in the top bar.

Language & region

You can configure Tails depending on your language and location from the Welcome Screen.

• The Language option allows you to change the main language of the interface.

  Text that is not translated yet will appear in English. You can help to translate more text.

• The Keyboard Layout option allows you to change the layout of the keyboard. For example to switch to an AZERTY keyboard which is common in France.

  You will still be able to switch between different keyboard layouts from the desktop after starting Tails.

  

• The Formats option allows you to change the date and time format, first day of the week, measurement units, and default paper size according to the standards in use in a country.

  For example, the USA and the United Kingdom, two English-speaking countries, have different standards:

  	USA	United Kingdom
  Date & time	3/17/2017 3:56 PM	17/03/2017 15:56
  First day of the week	Sunday	Monday
  Unit system	Imperial	Metric
  Paper size	Letter	A4

  With this option you can also display the calendar in a different language than the main language. For example, to display a US calendar, with weeks starting on Sunday, when the main language is Russian.

  

Persistent Storage

If a Persistent Storage is detected on the USB stick, an additional section appears in the Welcome Screen below the Language & Region section:

To unlock the Persistent Storage, enter your passphrase and click Unlock.

To create a Persistent Storage, see our instructions on creating a Persistent Storage. To learn more about the Persistent Storage, see our documentation on the Persistent Storage.

Additional settings

Tails is configured with care to be as safe as possible by default. But, depending on your situation, you can change one of the following settings from the Welcome Screen.

Administration Password

Set an Administration Password to be able to perform administrative tasks like installing additional software or accessing the internal hard disks of the computer.

See our documentation about the administration password and its security implications.

MAC Address Spoofing

Disable MAC Address Spoofing to prevent connectivity problems with your network interfaces.

See our documentation about MAC address spoofing.

Network Configuration

Change the Network Configuration to either:

• Connect directly to the Tor network (default).

• Configure a Tor bridge or local proxy:

  • If you want to use Tor bridges because your Internet connection is censored or you want to hide the fact that you are using Tor.
  • If you need to use a local proxy to access the Internet.

  After starting Tails and connecting to a network, an assistant will guide you through the configuration of Tor.

  See our documentation about Tor bridges.

• Disable all networking if you want to work completely offline with additional security.

Unsafe Browser

Enable the Unsafe Browser to log in to a captive portal before starting Tor.

See our documentation about the Unsafe Browser and its security implications.

Keyboard shortcuts

Alt+L	Language
Alt+K	Keyboard Layout
Alt+F	Formats
Alt+P	Persistent Storage
Alt+A	Additional Settings
Ctrl+Shift+A	Administration Password
Ctrl+Shift+M	MAC Address Spoofing
Ctrl+Shift+N	Network Configuration
Alt+S	Start Tails