Download the installer from the Buy page or the link in your purchase email, then run ResidenceAI Setup.exe and follow the prompts. The installer bundles everything you need, including the local AI engine, so no separate downloads or accounts are required.

On first launch, ResidenceAI sets up the bundled AI engine and downloads your first model. This can take several minutes depending on your internet connection — the setup screen shows progress the whole way.

ResidenceAI runs best with 16 GB of RAM. On systems with 16 GB or 24 GB installed, 16 GB is the sweet spot for a smooth and responsive experience. ResidenceAI will run on a minimum of 8 GB, but we recommend 16 GB or more for the best results.

Windows 10/11 (64-bit) or macOS. A GPU is optional — ResidenceAI is tuned to run entirely on CPU, which is part of what keeps it private and self-contained.

Yes. The first launch installs the local AI engine and downloads your first AI model (several GB). Subsequent launches are quick because everything stays on your machine. Watch the setup screen for live progress; a progress bar that looks paused is usually just a large chunk downloading.

Only for setup, model downloads, software updates, and license activation. Day-to-day chatting with your AI runs entirely on your own machine — once your models are downloaded, conversations work without an internet connection.

Every copy of ResidenceAI starts with a full-featured 14-day trial beginning the first time you launch the app. No credit card and no signup required — just install and start chatting.

The trial is tied to your machine, so reinstalling the app or moving to a new version will not restart or extend it.

That's by design. Your trial start date is registered with the ResidenceAI license server the first time you run the app, so uninstalling, reinstalling, or upgrading will not reset the trial. Your remaining days continue from where they were.

Purchase from the Buy page. Your personal license key is emailed to you automatically after checkout. In ResidenceAI, open Settings → License, paste your key, and click Activate.

Activation happens online once and binds the key to your machine. After that, ResidenceAI validates the license locally using a signed certificate — you don't need to check in every time you launch.

A license key is bound to the first machine it's activated on. If you replace your computer, contact support@residenceai.ca from your purchase email and we'll release the old binding so you can activate on the new machine.

Your license includes one year of software updates from the date of purchase, verified by your signed license key. The app checks for updates and will always let you know what's available — you never have to hunt for downloads.

After the update window, your installed version keeps working forever. Renewing extends the update window; it never disables your software.

ResidenceAI ships with fourteen specialist personas. The default is ResidenceAI (Core), your AI chief operating officer for general questions and everyday help. Switch personas any time from the sidebar — each keeps its own conversation history.

• ResidenceWEB — live web search
• ResidenceDOCS — QuickBooks, Word, Excel & PDF documents
• ResidenceDATA — spreadsheets, databases & measurements
• ResidenceCODE — programming & debugging
• ResidenceSEO — search engine optimization
• ResidenceSECURE — VPNs, antivirus & network security
• ResidenceMETRO — Zeiss CALYPSO & CMM metrology
• ResidenceASTRO — horoscopes & astrology
• ResidenceTECH — tech support & system operations
• ResidenceLEGAL — legal information & document guidance
• ResidenceFINANCE — budgeting & personal finance
• ResidenceCHEF — recipes & meal planning
• ResidenceVET — pet health & care guidance

Each persona has a detail card in the app with a Learn more link, or see the user manual (PDF).

Each persona is professionally paired with the model best suited to its job, and those pairings are fixed by design. This keeps every persona fast, reliable, and consistently good at its specialty — you pick the persona, ResidenceAI handles the model.

Yes. ResidenceDOCS analyzes PDFs and documents, and ResidenceDATA works with CSV and Excel files — ask questions about your files, request summaries, or have the AI find the numbers you need. Documents are processed locally on your machine and are never uploaded anywhere.

Projects group related conversations across personas in one place — perfect for a renovation, a business launch, or a course you're taking. Create a project, then keep chats from different personas under the same roof. Your chats and settings can also be backed up and restored at any time.

• Voice input & text-to-speech — talk to your AI and hear it talk back
• Quick Ask — a floating mini-window for instant questions anywhere
• Web search — live web results inside your conversation (ResidenceWEB)
• Image analysis — attach an image and ask the AI about it
• Exporting — save conversations as Markdown, HTML, JSON, or plain text
• Scheduled prompts — set a persona to run a prompt on a schedule

ResidenceAI is fully self-hosted. The AI engine runs on your computer, your conversations are stored on your computer, and your documents never leave your machine. There is no cloud chat service and your conversations are never sent to us or anyone else.

ResidenceAI keeps a built-in activity log you can view at any time from the app. If you contact support, the Send to Administration button can share your system logs with us to help diagnose an issue — but only after you explicitly consent, and only when you choose to send them. Nothing is transmitted automatically.

Uninstalling removes the app, the AI engine, and downloaded models to free up disk space. Use Backup & Restore in the app first if you want to keep your conversation history and settings — it saves everything to a file you can restore into a fresh install.

This means the bundled AI engine isn't running. First, simply restart ResidenceAI — on startup the app automatically starts (and, if needed, repairs) the engine itself.

If the message persists after a restart, open the in-app Log viewer to see exactly what happened, and use the contact options there to reach support with your logs.

Local AI uses your system's memory. Close other heavy apps (browsers with many tabs, video editors, games) while using ResidenceAI, and make sure you meet the recommended 16 GB of RAM. If your machine uses an integrated GPU, giving the app a minute after boot before heavy document analysis helps too.

Check that you copied the entire key from your purchase email (it's long — the easiest way is to select all of it, copy, and paste into the activation field). Make sure you're online during activation.

If the key was already activated on another machine, or you've upgraded your hardware, contact support@residenceai.ca with your purchase email and we'll sort it out quickly.

Restart ResidenceAI and let it check for updates again — the updater verifies every download before applying it, so a partial download never leaves the app in a broken state. If an update repeatedly fails, reinstalling the latest full installer over your existing copy keeps all your chats and settings intact.

Update to the latest version — right-click menus (cut, copy, paste, select all, and spelling suggestions) are built into all current releases. You can also use the standard keyboard shortcuts (Ctrl+C / Ctrl+V / Ctrl+X) in any text field.

Email support@residenceai.ca — please send from the email you used to purchase so we can find your license. The full user manual is always available at residenceai.ca/ResidenceAI_Manual.pdf.

For the fastest resolution, include the in-app Log viewer output (you'll be asked to consent before anything is sent).

We want to hear both. Use the in-app bug report feature (it walks you through sending a report with your consent) or email support@residenceai.ca with the details — what you did, what happened, and what you expected.

RAM (Random Access Memory) affects how smoothly your computer runs applications and handles multiple tasks at once.

To check how much RAM is installed on your Windows PC, follow these simple steps:

Using Windows Settings Click the Start button. Select Settings (the gear icon). Click System. Scroll down and select About. Look for Installed RAM under the Device Specifications section.

Example: Installed RAM: 16 GB

RAM requirements:

ResidenceAI runs best with 16 GB of RAM. On systems with 16 GB or 24 GB, that's the sweet spot for a smooth, responsive experience.

ResidenceAI will run on a minimum of 8 GB, but we recommend 16 GB or more for the best results.