diff --git a/R/download.R b/R/download.R
index aaf5ff2f..963e534d 100644
--- a/R/download.R
+++ b/R/download.R
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@
 #' user acknowledges that the data downloaded using this function may be very
 #' large and use lots of machine storage and memory.
 #' @param hash logical(1). By setting \code{TRUE} the function will return
-#' an \code{rlang::hash_file()} hash character corresponding to the
+#' a combined MD5 hash string for the
 #' downloaded files. Default is \code{FALSE}.
 #' @param nasa_earth_data_token character(1) or NULL. NASA EarthData
 #' authentication token. Required for NASA datasets (`"geos"`, `"merra2"`,
@@ -52,7 +52,7 @@
 #' * \code{\link{download_edgar}}: `"edgar"`
 #' @return
 #' * For \code{hash = FALSE}, NULL
-#' * For \code{hash = TRUE}, an \code{rlang::hash_file} character.
+#' * For \code{hash = TRUE}, a combined MD5 hash string.
 #' * Data files will be downloaded and stored in respective
 #' sub-directories within \code{directory_to_save}. File format and
 #' sub-directory names depend on data source and dataset of interest.
@@ -886,7 +886,7 @@ download_gmted <- function(
 #' @param download logical(1). DEPRECATED. Downloads happen automatically.
 #' @param remove_command logical(1). Deprecated, ignored.
 #' @param hash logical(1). By setting \code{TRUE} the function will return
-#' an \code{rlang::hash_file()} hash character corresponding to the
+#' a combined MD5 hash string for the
 #' downloaded files. Default is \code{FALSE}.
 #' @param show_progress logical(1). Show download progress (default TRUE)
 #' @param max_tries integer(1). Maximum retry attempts (default 20)
@@ -3699,7 +3699,7 @@ download_terraclimate <- function(
 #' Default is \code{FALSE}. Not working for this function since HUC data
 #' is in 7z format.
 #' @param hash logical(1). By setting \code{TRUE} the function will return
-#' an \code{rlang::hash_file()} hash character corresponding to the
+#' a combined MD5 hash string for the
 #' downloaded files. Default is \code{FALSE}.
 #' @param show_progress logical(1). Show download progress.
 #'   Default is \code{TRUE}.
@@ -3709,7 +3709,7 @@ download_terraclimate <- function(
 #'   Default is \code{2}.
 #' @return
 #' * For \code{hash = FALSE}, NULL
-#' * For \code{hash = TRUE}, an \code{rlang::hash_file} character.
+#' * For \code{hash = TRUE}, a combined MD5 hash string.
 #' * Downloaded files will be stored in \code{directory_to_save}.
 #' @author Insang Song
 #' @importFrom Rdpack reprompt
@@ -3890,7 +3890,7 @@ download_huc <-
 #' @param remove_zip logical(1). Remove zip file from directory_to_download.
 #'  Default is \code{FALSE}.
 #' @param hash logical(1). By setting \code{TRUE} the function will return
-#'  an \code{rlang::hash_file()} hash character corresponding to the
+#'  a combined MD5 hash string for the
 #'  downloaded files. Default is \code{FALSE}.
 #' @param show_progress logical(1). Show download progress.
 #'   Default is \code{TRUE}.
@@ -3901,7 +3901,7 @@ download_huc <-
 #' @author Mariana Alifa Kassien
 #' @return
 #' * For \code{hash = FALSE}, NULL
-#' * For \code{hash = TRUE}, an \code{rlang::hash_file} character.
+#' * For \code{hash = TRUE}, a combined MD5 hash string.
 #' * Zip and/or data files will be downloaded and stored in
 #' \code{directory_to_save}.
 #' @importFrom Rdpack reprompt
@@ -4359,7 +4359,7 @@ download_edgar <- function(
 #' @param remove_zip logical(1). Remove the zip file after unzipping.
 #'   Default is \code{FALSE}. Only applies when \code{unzip = TRUE}.
 #' @param hash logical(1). By setting \code{TRUE} the function will return
-#'   an \code{rlang::hash_file()} hash character corresponding to the
+#'   a combined MD5 hash string for the
 #'   downloaded files. Default is \code{FALSE}.
 #' @param show_progress logical(1). Show download progress.
 #'   Default is \code{TRUE}.
@@ -4370,7 +4370,7 @@ download_edgar <- function(
 #' @author Insang Song
 #' @return
 #' * For \code{hash = FALSE}, NULL
-#' * For \code{hash = TRUE}, an \code{rlang::hash_file} character.
+#' * For \code{hash = TRUE}, a combined MD5 hash string.
 #' * .bil (normals) or single grid files depending on the format
 #' choice will be stored in \code{directory_to_save}.
 #' @importFrom Rdpack reprompt
@@ -4562,7 +4562,7 @@ download_prism <- function(
 #' @param unzip logical(1). Unzip the downloaded compressed files.
 #' Default is \code{FALSE}.
 #' @param hash logical(1). By setting \code{TRUE} the function will return
-#' an \code{rlang::hash_file()} hash character corresponding to the
+#' a combined MD5 hash string for the
 #' downloaded files. Default is \code{FALSE}.
 #' @param show_progress logical(1). Show download progress.
 #'   Default is \code{TRUE}.
@@ -4574,7 +4574,7 @@ download_prism <- function(
 #' @note JSON files should be found at STAC catalog of OpenLandMap
 #' @return
 #' * For \code{hash = FALSE}, NULL
-#' * For \code{hash = TRUE}, an \code{rlang::hash_file} character.
+#' * For \code{hash = TRUE}, a combined MD5 hash string.
 #' * Yearly comma-separated value (CSV) files will be stored in
 #' \code{directory_to_save}.
 #' @examples
diff --git a/vignettes/epa_download.Rmd b/vignettes/epa_download.Rmd
index dbb6f97a..626d2f3d 100644
--- a/vignettes/epa_download.Rmd
+++ b/vignettes/epa_download.Rmd
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ Start by downloading the AQS data files with `download_data`.
 * `acknowledgement = TRUE`: acknowledge that data files may consume local
   storage.
 * `unzip = TRUE`: unzip downloaded zip files (default).
-* `hash = TRUE`: generate unique SHA-1 hash for the downloaded files.
+* `hash = TRUE`: generate unique MD5 hash for the downloaded files.
 
 ```{r, eval = FALSE}
 dir <- tempdir()
diff --git a/vignettes/gridmet_workflow.Rmd b/vignettes/gridmet_workflow.Rmd
index 73bf0c68..1556afc5 100644
--- a/vignettes/gridmet_workflow.Rmd
+++ b/vignettes/gridmet_workflow.Rmd
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ Start by downloading the netCDF data files with `download_data`.
 * `year = c(2019, 2020)`: years of interest.
 * `directory_to_save = dir`: directory to save the downloaded files.
 * `acknowledgement = TRUE`: acknowledge that the raw data files are large and may consume lots of local storage.
-* `hash = TRUE`: generate unique SHA-1 hash for the downloaded files.
+* `hash = TRUE`: generate unique MD5 hash for the downloaded files.
 
 ```{r, eval = FALSE}
 dir <- tempdir()
diff --git a/vignettes/modis_workflow.Rmd b/vignettes/modis_workflow.Rmd
index b5e14879..6391de16 100644
--- a/vignettes/modis_workflow.Rmd
+++ b/vignettes/modis_workflow.Rmd
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ Downloaded data files are Hierarchical Data Format (HDF), with the extension `.h
 * `nasa_earth_data_token = Sys.getenv("NASA_EARTHDATA_TOKEN")`: User-specific NASA credentials.
 * `directory_to_save = dir_mod11a1`: directory to save the downloaded files.
 * `acknowledgement = TRUE`: acknowledge that the raw data files are large and may consume lots of local storage.
-* `hash = TRUE`: generate unique SHA-1 hash for the downloaded files.
+* `hash = TRUE`: generate unique MD5 hash for the downloaded files.
 
 ```{r, eval = FALSE}
 dir_mod11a1 <- file.path(tempdir(), "mod11a1")
@@ -309,7 +309,7 @@ Downloaded data files are Hierarchical Data Format version 5 (HDF5), with the ex
 * `nasa_earth_data_token = Sys.getenv("NASA_EARTHDATA_TOKEN")`: User-specific NASA credentials.
 * `directory_to_save = dir_vnp46a2`: directory to save the downloaded files.
 * `acknowledgement = TRUE`: acknowledge that the raw data files are large and may consume lots of local storage.
-* `hash = TRUE`: generate unique SHA-1 hash for the downloaded files.
+* `hash = TRUE`: generate unique MD5 hash for the downloaded files.
 
 ```{r, eval = FALSE}
 dir_vnp46a2 <- file.path(tempdir(), "vnp46a2")
@@ -547,7 +547,7 @@ cat("[1] \"vignettes/data/LAADS_query.2025-08-12T14_29.csv\"\n")
 * `mod06_links = "vignettes/data/LAADS_query.2025-08-12T14_29.csv"`: Manually downloaded CSV file with MOD06_L2 links.
 * `directory_to_save = dir_mod06l2`: directory to save the downloaded files.
 * `acknowledgement = TRUE`: acknowledge that the raw data files are large and may consume lots of local storage.
-* `hash = TRUE`: generate unique SHA-1 hash for the downloaded files.
+* `hash = TRUE`: generate unique MD5 hash for the downloaded files.
 
 ```{r, eval = FALSE}
 dir_mod06l2 <- file.path(tempdir(), "mod06l2")
diff --git a/vignettes/narr_workflow.Rmd b/vignettes/narr_workflow.Rmd
index 10344fcb..cb4664ff 100644
--- a/vignettes/narr_workflow.Rmd
+++ b/vignettes/narr_workflow.Rmd
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ Start by downloading the netCDF data files with `download_data`.
 * `year = c(2021, 2022)`: years of interest.
 * `directory_to_save = dir`: directory to save the downloaded files.
 * `acknowledgement = TRUE`: acknowledge that the raw data files are large and may consume lots of local storage.
-* `hash = TRUE`: generate unique SHA-1 hash for the downloaded files.
+* `hash = TRUE`: generate unique MD5 hash for the downloaded files.
 
 ```{r, eval = FALSE}
 dir <- tempdir()
diff --git a/vignettes/terraclimate_workflow.Rmd b/vignettes/terraclimate_workflow.Rmd
index 10c8d5b5..1e07dee0 100644
--- a/vignettes/terraclimate_workflow.Rmd
+++ b/vignettes/terraclimate_workflow.Rmd
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@ Start by downloading the netCDF data files with `download_data`.
 * `year = c(2021, 2022)`: years of interest.
 * `directory_to_save = dir`: directory to save the downloaded files.
 * `acknowledgement = TRUE`: acknowledge that the raw data files are large and may consume lots of local storage.
-* `hash = TRUE`: generate unique SHA-1 hash for the downloaded files.
+* `hash = TRUE`: generate unique MD5 hash for the downloaded files.
 
 ```{r, eval = FALSE}
 dir <- tempdir()