Questions

Do I need a Mac?

Yes. The Mac runs the models and keeps your chats. The iPhone and iPad apps are how you reach it. An iPhone on its own has nothing to talk to.

Does my Mac have to be on all the time?

It has to be awake when you want an answer. A Mac mini or iMac can be set never to sleep. A MacBook can stay awake with the lid closed while plugged in, with Listen mode.

Does it work away from home?

Yes, on any network, including cellular. There’s no port forwarding to set up. See Devices and privacy.

Which models can I use?

Any model your server runs: Qwen, Gemma, Llama, Mistral, gpt-oss, DeepSeek and more. Pallm doesn’t download models; your server does. See Choosing a model.

Is it as good as ChatGPT or Claude?

It depends on the model and your Mac. The best open models on a Mac with plenty of memory handle most everyday questions, writing and coding well. The biggest cloud models are still ahead on the hardest problems. What you get in return is privacy, no usage limits and no subscription to a model provider.

Can I use a cloud model too?

You can add any OpenAI-compatible server in Settings › Advanced › Model servers, including a hosted one. Pallm is built around models you run yourself, though, and nothing else is sent to an AI company.

Can my family use it?

Yes. Each person gets a profile of their own on the same Mac.

Is my data used for training?

No. Your chats stay on your Mac. Pallm has no servers to send them to.

How do I update Pallm?

On a Mac, Pallm updates itself. It checks pallm.app once a day and offers each new version, and Pallm › Check for Updates… looks right away. Settings › Updates can install them without asking. On iPhone and iPad, Pallm updates from the App Store.

Each Mac release comes out on the same day as the iPhone release with the same number. Keep them in step: a phone that’s a version ahead of its Mac says which features need the Mac to update.

Does it work on Android, Windows or Linux?

Not yet. Pallm is for Mac, iPhone and iPad today.

Something else?

See Troubleshooting, or get in touch.