FAQ

Lokei comes as two apps: Lokei Studio on Mac, which lives in your menu bar, and Lokei AI on iPhone and iPad, a standalone chat app. On supported devices it can use Apple Intelligence for on-device responses, and it also supports local Ollama or LM Studio models plus optional OpenAI-compatible providers you configure.

For Lokei Studio you need a Mac running macOS 13 Ventura or later. Lokei AI installs on any iPhone or iPad running iOS 17 or later, but it needs an AI source: either Apple Intelligence on a capable device (iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 16 and 17 families, or an M-series iPad), or a local server on your network for it to talk to. On an older device without a server, it has nothing to generate answers with.

If you choose the Ollama backend, you also need Ollama installed and running on the machine hosting it.

Lokei works on any Mac running macOS 13 Ventura or later, including both Intel and Apple Silicon Macs. Apple Intelligence is only offered on Macs that support it; other Macs keep the Ollama-first setup flow.

Install Lokei from the Mac App Store, or get Lokei AI for iPhone & iPad free from the App Store, then follow onboarding. Supported devices can start with Apple Intelligence. If you choose Ollama, Lokei shows the download link and model setup steps inline, then lets you manage models from Settings → AI & Models.

Lokei is built around local-first privacy. With Apple Intelligence or local Ollama, processing stays on your Mac. If you configure a remote provider, prompts sent to that provider leave your Mac and are governed by that provider's terms — but Lokei itself still does not collect them. Lokei does not operate chat servers, does not require an account, and does not include analytics or tracking.

Lokei collects zero data on Lokei servers: no conversations, no usage stats, no analytics, nothing. Your chat history, settings, and project context are stored locally on your device. If you enable iCloud sync, that data syncs through your Apple iCloud account — not through Lokei servers.

No Lokei account is required. App Store distribution is handled by Apple. A separate provider account is only relevant if you choose to configure a remote provider yourself.

Yes, with local or on-device backends. Apple Intelligence availability is handled by macOS, and Ollama works offline after Ollama and your models are installed. Remote providers require internet access.

If you use Apple Intelligence, macOS manages the model. If you use Ollama, it depends on your Mac's RAM: smaller 1–3B models are best for 8 GB Macs, while 16 GB+ Macs can usually run larger 7B models. Lokei's Model Library shows RAM requirements for every Ollama model.

No. Apple Intelligence needs no model download inside Lokei. For Ollama, Lokei includes a built-in Model Library where you can browse and download models with a single click. Models are rated by RAM requirement so you know what should run well on your Mac.

Small models (1–3B parameters) are typically 1–2 GB. Medium models (7B) are around 4–5 GB. Lokei's Model Library shows the exact download size for each model before you download it. Models are stored in Ollama's directory, not inside the Lokei app itself.

Yes. Lokei automatically detects all models installed through Ollama and shows them in the model picker. If you've been using Ollama before Lokei, all your existing models are immediately available.

Advisor Mode lets Lokei escalate from a fast model to a stronger model only when needed — for deeper reasoning, confidence checks, complex coding decisions, or high-stakes tradeoffs. Use a fast model for everyday work and escalate when the moment calls for it.

It ships in Lokei AI. Turn it on in Settings → Advisor mode; it needs a Mac on the same Wi-Fi running a larger model. When the on-device model sounds unsure, Lokei quietly asks your Mac for a second opinion and shows that answer instead.

Adaptive Response Mode is a planned feature where Lokei privately detects the kind of help you seem to need and adjusts the response style — whether that's a quick fix, a calm explanation, deep analysis, or a focused next step. All detection happens on your device with no profile built in the cloud. This feature is in development.

Yes. Lokei AI for iPhone & iPad is on the App Store now, free. It's a standalone app, not a remote control for the Mac — you do not need Lokei Studio to use it. It carries the same privacy posture: Apple Intelligence on eligible devices, local-network AI when you point it at your own server, and no Lokei cloud in the middle.

It depends on your device. On an Apple Intelligence–capable one — iPhone 15 Pro, the iPhone 16 and 17 families, or an M-series iPad — no. Lokei AI runs Apple's on-device model with no other hardware involved, and pairing with a Mac is purely optional, for reaching larger open-source models or Mac-hosted tools.

On an older iPhone or iPad, yes — you'll need something to point it at. Lokei AI works as a client for your own hardware: connect it to Ollama, LM Studio, or another local OpenAI-compatible server on your network, or join a Room someone nearby is hosting. What it can't do on a device without Apple Intelligence is generate answers by itself.

Your iPhone connects to Ollama, LM Studio, Lokei Studio, or another local OpenAI-compatible server over your Wi-Fi. Open Settings → Local Server, enter the address (for example http://192.168.1.20:11434), and test the connection. This keeps AI processing on hardware you control without routing through external servers.

By default the address field accepts only local and private network addresses, and rejects public cloud URLs. If you deliberately want to reach a server outside your network, that takes an explicit opt-in — Lokei AI will not do it silently, and Settings → Privacy Audit always shows which mode you're in and where your prompts are going.

Yes. Rooms works both ways on iOS — you can join a Room someone else is hosting, or host one yourself so everyone nearby shares your device's AI over your own Wi-Fi. Mac, iPhone, and iPad can all act as the host.

Lokei AI is free and fully usable as-is. Lokei Pro is an optional one-time $4.99 unlock — not a subscription — that adds Shortcuts and Siri integration, an MCP client for connecting to Model Context Protocol servers on your local network, a saved prompt library for switching system prompts instantly, and advanced exports (Markdown with frontmatter, full JSON, and watermark-free PDF).

There's also an optional tip jar. Tips unlock nothing — they're just gratitude. Restore Purchases is in Settings.

Yes — Lokei is built around ownership, not subscriptions. Lokei Studio for Mac is $14.99, paid once. Lokei AI for iPhone & iPad is free, with an optional one-time $4.99 Lokei Pro unlock. There is no Lokei subscription, on either platform. Current pricing is always shown on the App Store.

Lokei itself has no subscription. Apple Intelligence and Ollama do not add per-message API fees. If you configure a remote provider, that provider may have its own pricing or usage limits. Optional remote providers may have their own pricing.

Apple's App Store policies determine use across Macs, iPhones, and iPads associated with your Apple ID, including any applicable Family Sharing support. The Mac and iOS apps are separate App Store listings, so each is purchased or downloaded on its own.

This only applies if you choose the Ollama backend. Open your Applications folder and launch the Ollama app, or run ollama serve in Terminal. Once Ollama is running, click "Try Again" in Lokei. If you haven't installed Ollama yet, download it from ollama.com.

For Ollama, switch to a smaller model — 3B parameter models are significantly faster than 7B models, especially on 8 GB RAM Macs. Long conversations can slow down over time, so use "Summarize & Compress" in the chat or start a new chat to speed things back up. Remote provider speed depends on the provider and your connection.

Email us at hello@getlokei.com. We're a small team and we read every message.