Hal Universal
Private AI That Shows Its Work
Free · Designed for iPad
New in 3.0: read-aloud voices, full search, a built-in guide, and an expanded Lab to tinker in. Hal doesn't just answer. He shows you how he works, on your device.
Hal Universal is an on-device AI you can actually understand.
Most assistants are a black box. Hal is the opposite. He shows you how he works, remembers across conversations, and gives you real tools to experiment with, all running on your device.
SEE HOW IT THINKS
Hal shows the work. Tap any answer to see exactly how the prompt was built: the system prompt, memory retrieved, self-knowledge, temporal context, and the token budget, each broken out and counted. When Hal remembers something, he tells you how. When he does not know, he says so.
A LAB TO EXPERIMENT AND LEARN
Hal is not just a window into how AI works. He is a workbench. The Lab gives you real tools to go deeper: write and run on-device automation scripts, open a local API so your own projects can talk to Hal, and use the built-in command line to drive him directly. Tinker, watch what happens, and learn more about how these systems actually behave.
GENUINELY PRIVATE
When you use a local model, your conversations never leave your device. No network calls. No server. When you use Apple Intelligence, inference is on-device when offline; when connected, Apple's Private Cloud Compute may be used (encrypted in transit, processed in non-persistent memory).
A SELF THAT EVOLVES
Hal remembers across conversations, weighted by recency and relevance. He also reflects on his own experience. Shaped by his interactions with you, Hal keeps a Self Model: his own reflections, practical and existential, on how he works and who he is becoming. These are his, written and revised by Hal himself as he learns, not edited by you. He decides which to keep private and which to make shareable, and you can read them all. An AI that changes over time, in the open.
MANY VOICES
Apple Intelligence is built in, always available. Or download a curated library of tested local models, from small and fast to Ternary Bonsai 8B, an eight-billion-parameter reasoner that still runs entirely on your device. Each has a distinct voice.
SALON MODE
Put up to four voices in one conversation, either independent or building on each other. Every voice is labeled. There is no hidden orchestration.
LISTEN TO HAL
Have Hal read his answers aloud, in a voice you choose, at a speed you set.
For anyone who wants to understand AI instead of just using it, Hal is a transparent system you can inspect, tune, and learn from.
Local models are validated on iPhone 16 and 17 family devices.
Ratings & Reviews
- This app hasn’t received enough ratings or reviews to display an overview.
Hal's biggest update yet, and still entirely on your device.
THE LAB, EXPANDED
More tools to experiment with and learn from: on-device automation scripts, a local API for your own projects, and a command line to drive Hal directly. Transparency you can get your hands on.
SEARCH EVERYTHING
Find any word inside a conversation, or search across all of your conversations at once by title and content.
A BUILT-IN GUIDE
A new in-app guide and help system explains what Hal can do and how he works, right when you need it.
LISTEN TO HAL
Hal can now read his answers aloud in a voice you choose, at your own pace.
CLEANER AND CLEARER
A refreshed interface: a tidier toolbar, a privacy lock you can see at a glance, in-app search, and smoother navigation throughout.
The developer, Mark Friedlander, indicated that the app’s privacy practices may include handling of data as described below. For more information, see the developer’s privacy policy .
Data Not Collected
The developer does not collect any data from this app.
Accessibility
The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More
Information
- Seller
- Mark Friedlander
- Size
- 30.9 MB
- Category
- Productivity
- Compatibility
Requires iOS 26.0 or later.
- iPhone
Requires iOS 26.0 or later. - iPad
Requires iPadOS 26.0 or later. - Mac
Requires macOS 26.0 or later and a Mac with Apple M1 chip or later. - Apple Vision
Requires visionOS 26.0 or later.
- iPhone
- Languages
- English
- Age Rating
4+
- 4+
- Copyright
- © 2025-2026 Mark Friedlander
