Skip to content
Cortex Wiki
PTENJA
Contents

Local AI on your computer

Run open models on your PC, offline — Cortex checks your computer, tells you what runs well, and downloads everything for you.

Available on: Windows, macOS, and LinuxUpdated in version 6.75.342

Local AI runs entirely on your computer. Nothing leaves the machine, it works offline, and it doesn't use up your plan's limit. When it's off, nothing keeps running.

Open Local AI

On your computer, tap Local AI in the shortcut rail. The page has the tabs Overview, Models, Catalog, My computer, and Settings.

Local AI page with the computer analysis and the model catalog
The analysis shows memory, graphics card, processor, and disk

Choose and download a model

  1. Open the Catalog tab. Cortex has already analyzed your PC — memory, processor, and graphics card.
  2. At the top you see the model Recommended for your PC. Each model shows its family's official logo and a badge: green runs smoothly, yellow runs slowly, red doesn't fit. The reason appears on one line.
  3. Use the filters for use (Coding, Reasoning, Lightweight), Size and Family, and sort by recommended, smallest, most downloaded or newest. New models from the official families arrive on their own with the New badge. You can also search all of Hugging Face.
  4. Tap Download. The download can pause and resume where it left off, and it's verified at the end.
Local AI catalog with performance badges for this PC
The catalog shows what runs well on your computer

Turn it on and use it in chat

  1. In Overview, turn on Turn on local AI and choose the active model.
  2. In the chat, open the model picker and choose Cortex Local.
  3. Chat as usual — everything is processed on your computer.
Local AI on, with the engine, the active model, and the Use on phone option
Overview: engine status, active model, and Use on phone

ON and OFF in the rail

The Local AI icon in the rail shows its status: green ON (on), gray OFF (off), yellow while loading, and red on error. Hover over it to see the model and the speed.

If you turn off Local AI in the middle of a chat, the chat moves on its own to the Cortex cloud, with the notice "Local AI turned off — continuing on Cortex.", and the local model leaves the picker. If Local AI stops responding, the chat tells you right away and continues in the cloud when Backup cloud is on in Settings; without it, the app asks you to turn it back on or switch models.

Remove models

In the Models tab, tap Remove from PC to free up space. You need to switch away from the model in use first.

Use on your phone

Want to chat with your PC's model from your phone? See My PC's AI.

Real screenshots of the app, with a demo account and fictitious data.