# Assistant

> Ask questions about your library in a chat pane on Mac, and get answers that cite the captures they used.

- Page: https://resurf.so/guides/ask-ai
- Section: AI
- Works on: Mac
- Last checked against the app: 2026-10-17
- Open: `⌘J`
- Ask about a capture: `A`

## Open it

The Assistant needs AI features on and a connected provider; see [AI providers](https://resurf.so/guides/ai-providers). If AI features are off, the pane says **Assistant is off**; click **Open AI settings**.

1. Press `⌘J`, click the sparkle button in the window header, or run **Ask Assistant** from the command bar. It opens in the right pane.
2. Press `⌘J` again, or click **Hide Assistant**, to close it.

The Assistant isn't available while the Inbox list is showing. Switch to another view first.

## Ask about a capture

1. Select one capture and press `A`, or right-click it and choose **Ask Assistant**.
2. With a capture open, press `⌘J` to attach it. With a capture open beside the list, click the sparkle button in its header, **Ask about this capture**.
3. Click **Summarize**, **Explain**, **Analyze** or **Find related** above the composer, or type your own question.

`A` acts on the selected capture, not the one under the pointer, and takes one capture at a time. In the Inbox, `A` archives instead.

## Chat

1. In an empty chat, click a starter under **Suggestions**, or type in **Ask anything…** and press `Return`.
2. To change the model, click the button at the left of the composer. Your pick becomes the default for new chats.
3. Click a tile under **Sources** to open a capture the answer used.
4. Hover a reply to **Copy** it or **Save as note**. On the last reply, **Retry** asks again.
5. Click **+** for a new chat, or **History** to reopen or delete past chats.

Video: [The Assistant pane answering what the Braun captures have in common, with source tiles under the reply.](https://resurf.so/guides/clips/clip-assistant.mp4)

Save as note adds the reply to your library as a new note. Chats are kept on this Mac.

## What it reads and sends

To answer, the Assistant searches your library, reads captures in full, finds related ones and lists what you've saved. It never changes your library; the only thing it saves is a reply you choose to **Save as note**.

With each question it sends your provider the conversation so far, the text of attached captures, short summaries of related captures, what its searches and reads return, and attached images, only to models that can see them. See [What AI sends](https://resurf.so/guides/ai-privacy).

## Questions

### Pressing A does nothing.

Select the capture first: A acts on the selection, not the card under the pointer. In the Inbox, A archives instead.

### Is the Assistant on iPhone or iPad?

No. It's on Mac only.

### Does it see my whole library?

Only what its searches, lists and reads return while answering, plus anything you attach.

## More guides

- Previous: [Model and instructions](https://resurf.so/guides/ai-model.md)
- Next: [Voice notes and AI](https://resurf.so/guides/voice-ai.md)
- [AI providers](https://resurf.so/guides/ai-providers.md): Connect your own AI provider with your own key. Resurf's AI features stay off until you do.
- [Use OpenAI](https://resurf.so/guides/use-openai.md): Get an OpenAI API key, connect it to Resurf, and know what to check when the connection test fails.
- [Use Claude](https://resurf.so/guides/use-claude.md): Get an Anthropic API key, connect it to Resurf, and know what to check when the connection test fails.
- [Use Gemini](https://resurf.so/guides/use-gemini.md): Get a Gemini API key from Google AI Studio, connect it to Resurf, and know what to check when the connection test fails.
- [Use OpenRouter](https://resurf.so/guides/use-openrouter.md): Get an OpenRouter key that reaches many models, connect it to Resurf, and know what to check when the connection test fails.
- [Run Ollama on your Mac](https://resurf.so/guides/ollama.md): Run models on your own Mac with Ollama, with no key and nothing sent to the cloud.
- [AI suggestions](https://resurf.so/guides/ai-suggestions.md): When you save something, your AI provider writes a title, a summary and keywords for it, and suggests spaces.
- [Model and instructions](https://resurf.so/guides/ai-model.md): Pick the model that writes your suggestions, give it your own instructions, and run it again over your library.
- [Voice notes and AI](https://resurf.so/guides/voice-ai.md): Transcribe voice notes on your device or with OpenAI, and let your model title them, tidy the transcript and write notes.
- [What AI sends](https://resurf.so/guides/ai-privacy.md): What each AI feature sends to your provider, and when nothing is sent at all.
- [Every guide](https://resurf.so/llms.txt)