Quick Start Guide
You're almost ready.
Three simple steps to your first conversation with Sal.
Sal v2026.40.62 · Quick StartInstall & Activate
Get Sal onto your Mac and verify your license.
- Download the .dmg installer from your purchase confirmation or download link.
- Install by opening the disk image and dragging Sal into your Applications folder.
- Launch Sal from your Applications folder and paste your license key on the activation screen.
- ✅ Sal will validate your key and activate instantly.
The Download
Sal runs 100% on-device — she needs to download her core "brain" to your Mac.
- What's downloading: Sal's core models for conversation, vision, and speech — about 7 GB. This typically takes just a few minutes on broadband.
- Resilient resume: Downloads automatically resume if your connection drops or if your Mac goes to sleep. Nothing is lost.
- Image generation is separate: Sal's Draw Package (~24 GB) automatically begins downloading in the background once core models are ready. You can cancel it if you prefer — image generation will simply be offline until it finishes.
- ✅ She'll display a "Ready!" screen the moment the core download completes.
Say Hello
Once the download completes, Sal is ready to work.
- Press ⌥ Space (Option + Space) from anywhere to summon Sal's studio window.
- Type your first prompt: "Hi Sal, what can you help me with?"
- Press Return.
Welcome to the future of sovereign on-device AI.
Unlearn the Cloud: How Sal is Different
Sal is designed to be an anchored companion, not a remote web chatbot. Before you start, here are three things that make her fundamentally different:
1. She is anchored to your context
Sal is an Apple-grade 2-Panel Studio app built directly for macOS. Press ⌥ Space to summon her instantly over whatever you're already doing: a contract in Pages, a code repository, a spreadsheet, or a video call. Press it again or ⌘W to tuck her away without losing session memory.
2. Focused Dialogue & Artifacts Inspector
Sal balances a focused dialogue canvas on the left with an extensible Artifacts Inspector (⌘⌥I) on the right. Reference documents, live spreadsheets, audio transcripts, checklists, and background tasks stay pinned side-by-side without cluttering your dialogue.
3. Total Memory Transparency & Receipts
With cloud AI, you never know what is retained or sent to third-party servers. Sal maintains an episodic knowledge graph stored strictly on your local disk. When answering from your files, she provides Source-Verified (Teal) Receipts with exact citations, figures, and dates confirmed directly in your source documents.
What to Try First
Ask Anything
Draft an executive memo, analyze business strategy, review code, or brainstorm ideas with zero cloud telemetry.
See Your Screen
Type a question and press Shift+Cmd+Return instead of regular Return. Sal takes an ephemeral glance at your active window to assist.
Pin a Document
Drag a PDF, Apple Pages document, Excel spreadsheet, or code file directly into Sal. Interrogate 100+ page files in unified RAM.
Check Your Calendar
Sal integrates natively with Apple Calendar and Reminders. Ask "What's on my schedule today?" or add action items.
Search the Web
When live web context is needed, Sal privately queries DuckDuckGo, strips ad trackers, and synthesizes findings.
Deep Research BETA
Start your prompt with "Deep research [your goal]" to run an autonomous, multi-phase investigation that produces a comprehensive dossier.
A note on macOS Permissions
macOS will occasionally prompt you to grant Sal permissions during your first few sessions (such as Screen Recording for optical analysis, Calendar access, and localized folder permissions). Grant them with complete confidence. Because Sal is 100% on-device, your data never leaves your Apple Silicon hardware.
Screen Recording Setup: To enable optical window analysis, grant permission in System Settings → Privacy & Security → Screen Recording. macOS will require you to quit and restart Sal once to finalize.