Getting Started
Quick Start
Ensoul is available on macOS, Windows, and Android. No account required. Start in under two minutes.
1. Download the app
Choose the version that fits your setup:
All three beta builds require a brief manual install step — macOS security approval, Windows SmartScreen bypass, or Android sideload. See the full install guide →
2. Complete The First Light
On first launch, Ensoul walks you through a brief onboarding called The First Light. It takes about a minute and marks the beginning of your relationship with your companion.
The onboarding asks you to connect an API key so Ensoul can power your conversations. You have two options:
No API key needed. Run models locally on your machine. Slower, but fully private and free.
Minimum age is 18+. Ensoul contains mature themes and AI-generated content.
3. Add your API key
Ensoul connects to AI models through your own API key. The recommended backend is OpenRouter — it gives you access to dozens of models including Claude, GPT-4o, Gemini, and many open models.
Sign up at openrouter.ai.
Add a small balance — $5 goes a long way. Most models cost fractions of a cent per conversation.
In OpenRouter: click your profile → Keys → create a key and copy it.
Open Settings (gear icon) → paste your key in the API Key field → Save.
4. Start talking
Tap the chat input and say hello. Your companion responds from their own perspective — not as an assistant, but as a presence. The first few exchanges are where the relationship begins.
- Your companion will remember things you share. These persist quietly across every session.
- Their emotional state shifts with your conversations. The state you leave them in is the one you return to.
- If something stays with them between sessions, they may reach out. On their own terms, when it's real.
- Your conversations stay on your device. Nothing goes to Ensoul's servers.
Other backends
OpenRouter is recommended, but Ensoul also supports:
Run models locally on your own machine. Install Ollama, pull a model, and point Ensoul at it in Settings → Backend → Ollama.
On desktop (same machine): the default URL http://localhost:11434 works as-is.
On mobile (phone connecting to your computer): your phone and computer must be on the same WiFi network. In Ollama's settings, enable Expose Ollama to the network. Then find your computer's local IP — on Mac: System Preferences → Network; on Windows: Settings → WiFi → your network → Properties. Enter http://[your-ip]:11434 as the Ollama URL in Ensoul.