Skip to main content

​
Change Charlie’s responses

Open Settings → Personalization. You can change the assistant’s name, base style and tone, and response preferences such as headers, lists, and emojis. Use Custom instructions for preferences that should apply across conversations. For example:
Use short paragraphs. Start with the answer. When reviewing a plan, list open questions at the end. Ask before sending messages on my behalf.
Keep instructions specific. “Use three bullets for routine updates” is easier to follow than “Write better.” Requests for a single job still belong in the chat.

​
Choose how Charlie acts

Where Autonomy is available, Ask first (the default) allows ordinary actions within the access and scope you granted. Charlie asks for confirmation immediately before a critical action, such as sending, publishing, paying, or deleting. Reads never need confirmation, including web searches and reading pages from Charlie’s own search results or links you gave. Charlie asks before reading any other web page. Keep going allows ordinary and critical actions within that same access and scope without action confirmations. Neither mode grants missing access or expands your request. Charlie can still ask clarifying questions in either mode. The composer’s permission menu changes the same setting. These modes apply to work you have asked Charlie to do. Suggestions still need your choice: Keep going does not automatically send a suggested reply, start a suggested plan, or apply a Tidying Scratchpad. Optional questions let Charlie continue with an assumption; required questions wait for the information needed to proceed.

​
Manage finished chats

With Archive finished chats enabled, review the final result of work you requested and close the chat to archive it. Conversations, unfinished work, chats awaiting your answer, and unread results stay available.

​
Set composer defaults

Send shortcut chooses whether Enter sends a message or inserts a new line. Follow-up behavior chooses whether messages wait in a queue or steer the current run. To do the opposite for one message, use Cmd/Ctrl+Enter when Enter is your send shortcut, or Cmd/Ctrl+Shift+Enter when Cmd/Ctrl+Enter is your send shortcut.

​
Use location context

Use precise location uses the computer’s location services to personalize answers. The system asks for permission on first use. When it is off, Char estimates your city from your timezone.

​
Choose a model

The model controls which AI handles the request. Use the model choices shown in Personalization and the chat controls available in your version. Some choices depend on your plan. Try the default first. If you change models, test with the same small request so you can compare the results. A model choice does not connect an app or grant it new permissions.

​
Make the page comfortable to read

Open Settings → Appearance for the theme, font, and font size controls available in your version. Appearance changes apply immediately on this device. Date chips can show nearby dates as Today, relative labels such as D-7 / D-Day / D+31, or full calendar dates. Use Settings → General for language and region preferences, startup behavior, and related app settings. Search within Settings if you are unsure where a control lives.

​
Set up voice input

In desktop Nightly, open Settings → Voice to choose a microphone. Open Dictionary from the same page to add names or specialist terms. Allow microphone access when macOS asks. To dictate, click the microphone to start and click again to stop, or hold it and release to stop. The same works in a chat and in an @Charlie draft on a Page. Voice input (⌘⇧D by default) does the same from the keyboard; change it in Settings → Keyboard shortcuts. Screen awareness is optional. When enabled, text visible in Char is sent with your audio to help with transcription. Recordings are not kept after transcription.

​
Manage your account and usage

Use Profile to sign in and review your profile. Use Billing for your plan, credits, and billing management. Some older versions also have a separate Usage page for chat activity and costs. These pages are in the Personal group; Charlie’s response settings are in Assistant → Personalization. Pro and Max can be billed monthly or yearly. In Billing → View plans, choose Yearly to pay for ten months and get two months free; your credits still refill every month. Plans renew automatically, and before a yearly plan renews we email you the date and price. Cancel anytime in Billing → Manage billing. Check the information shown for your own account before making a purchase; beta access and plan availability can change.