FAQ

Is Gisti free?

Yes. No subscription, no license, no locked features. If it helps you, support it.

Where is my data?

In a local SwiftData database inside Gisti’s sandboxed container, under ~/Library/Containers/com.gisti.app/Data/Library/Application Support/com.gisti.app/. Settings → Storage → Location opens it directly in Finder. It never leaves your Mac – see Privacy.

Does Gisti need the internet?

No. Everything works offline. Network is used only if you configure a cloud AI provider – Gisti itself never checks for updates or phones home; the App Store handles updates.

Can AI run fully locally?

Yes – Ollama, LM Studio, or any MLX/OpenAI-compatible server. Topics and semantic search are always local (MLX embeddings), regardless of the chat provider. See Semantic search.

Which Macs are supported?

macOS 15 (Sequoia) and newer, Apple Silicon only.

Is there an iPhone / iPad / Windows version?

No. Gisti is a Mac app by design.

What permissions does Gisti need?

None to start – the global hotkey (⌥+Space) works out of the box. The only permission is Screen Recording, asked once, the first time you take a screenshot (⇧⌘X). Details.

The browser extension shows an error / “Specified native messaging host not found”

The extension in Chrome-family browsers talks to Gisti through a native messaging host that must be registered once – in Gisti, open Settings → Browser Extensions → Chromium browsers → Connect and grant access when macOS asks. Then restart the browser – it reads the registration at launch. Details: Browser extensions.

Can I exclude my password manager from clipboard history?

Yes – Settings → Clipboard → Ignored apps. Copies from those apps are never stored. Clipboard.

Can I change the ⌥+Space hotkey?

Yes, in Settings → General. The screenshot hotkey is configurable too.

How do I back up my data?

Settings → Storage → Export, or copy the folder that Settings → Storage → Location opens in Finder. Restoring is copying it back.

Is Gisti open source?

No. Privacy is enforced by architecture (local database, no telemetry code, keys in Keychain) rather than by audit. See Privacy.

How do I uninstall?

Quit Gisti, then delete it like any App Store app (Launchpad → press and hold → Remove App, or delete it from Applications). Its data lives inside Gisti’s sandboxed container, so it’s removed along with the app.