FAQ

Windows 10 or 11, macOS 13 or later (Apple Silicon and Intel), and 64-bit Linux (Ubuntu, Debian, Linux Mint, and similar). More Linux packages, for Fedora, Arch, and other distributions, are on the way. There's no phone or tablet version yet.

On Windows, the installer is best for most people: it adds the app to the Start menu and updates itself. The portable version runs without installing, even from a USB drive, and keeps its settings in a folder next to it.

On Windows and Mac, updates download and install by themselves. On Linux, the app tells you when a new version is out, and you install the new .deb.

The articles are regular Wikipedia, written for a general audience, so some cover grown-up topics. The activities and games are fine for all ages.

Open Tools → Offline Library (on a Mac, Encyclopedia 2000 → Offline Library) and download a library. Then you can read, search, and explore Wikipedia with no connection. Videos, sounds, and a few live features still need the internet.

Essentials has the best 220,000 articles with pictures, in about 7 GB, and is right for most people. Everything has all 7 million articles. Both also come without pictures, which makes them much smaller. Each size is shown before you download.

From Kiwix, a nonprofit that packages Wikipedia for offline use. Encyclopedia 2000 downloads their files straight from Kiwix and its mirror servers, and checks for new editions.

Not yet; it's coming in the next update. For now, the app downloads its own copy.

Yes. In the Offline Library window, use Change… to save it to any folder, including an external drive. If the drive is unplugged, the library opens again on its own when you plug it back in.

Not yet. Encyclopedia 2000 reads the English Wikipedia for now.

No. There are no accounts, ads, analytics, or tracking, and your favorites and settings stay on your computer. Read the privacy policy.

Windows SmartScreen warns about apps it hasn't seen many people download yet, which happens with each new version for its first days. Encyclopedia 2000 is signed by its publisher. If you see "Windows protected your PC", click More info → Run anyway. The warning goes away as more people download the new version.

Encyclopedia 2000 is free and made by one developer. If you enjoy it, you can leave a tip on Ko-fi. Telling a friend or reporting a bug helps too.

Every article in the app is written by Wikipedia's volunteers, and the Wikimedia Foundation keeps Wikipedia running. You can donate to the Wikimedia Foundation.

Kiwix, a nonprofit, makes the offline libraries the app downloads. You can donate to Kiwix.

Use Help → Send Feedback in the app, join the Discord, or use the feedback form.

Open Help → About Encyclopedia 2000 (on a Mac, Encyclopedia 2000 → About Encyclopedia 2000). The newest version and its release notes are on GitHub.