Set up your AI
Toby needs an AI provider to understand your requests and write answers. Think of the provider as Toby's "brain": you create an account with the provider, and Toby uses it on your behalf. You only need one.
Quickest path: OpenRouter (recommended)#
OpenRouter gives you access to models from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google, and others through one account. You sign in from your browser, so there's no key to copy and paste.
- On Home, find the setup checklist and click Connect next to Configure AI provider. You can also go to Settings → AI → OpenRouter → Guided setup.
- Keep OpenRouter · Recommended selected and click Connect OpenRouter.
- Your browser opens. Sign in or create an OpenRouter account, then approve access for Toby.
- Return to Toby. It sends a short test message, saves the connection securely, and picks a good everyday model for you.
When you see Ready, try asking: "Help me plan my day."
You pay the provider for what you use, usually a fraction of a cent per message for everyday models. Add a few dollars of credit to start. Toby shows your spend under Settings → AI → [provider] → Plan Usage, and tells you if your account runs out of credit.
Other options#
| Provider | Choose it if you… |
|---|---|
| OpenRouter | Want the easiest setup and lots of model choices (recommended) |
| Vercel AI Gateway | Want one key that also unlocks Toby's web search and extra transcription options |
| OpenAI | Already have an OpenAI API account |
| Chutes | Prefer open-source models run in secure hardware |
| Ollama | Want everything to run on your own Mac, with no account (needs a powerful Mac) |
To use one of these, open Settings → AI, click the provider, and paste your key. Each provider's page explains where to get a key. Vercel AI Gateway also has a Guided setup.
Change the model (optional)#
The AI model is part of a persona. To change it, open Settings → Personas, pick a persona (for example Toby), and open the Model tab:
Most people never need to change this. If you want to experiment, a common setup is a fast, inexpensive model for everyday questions and a larger model in a second persona for long writing.