Hal Universal

Private, powerful, & personal.

Free · Designed for iPad

A private on device AI assistant with transparent memory and model control. Fast, expressive, and built entirely for your device. Hal Universal Private. Powerful. Personal. Hal Universal is an on-device AI assistant for iOS, iPadOS, and macOS. It combines Apple Foundation Models with the fully local MLX Phi-3 model to deliver fast, expressive, and private conversational intelligence built for Apple platforms. When Hal runs with Apple Foundation Models (AFM), inference can occur entirely on your device when offline, but may occur in Apples Private Cloud Compute when connected to Wi-Fi or cellular. Private Cloud Compute means your prompts are encrypted in transit and processed only in short-lived, non-persistent memory on Apple-controlled servers that meet the same security guarantees as on-device execution. Apple states that no data is retained after processing. For users who prefer complete local operation, AFM runs 100 percent on-device when the device radios are disabled. iPhone / iPad: Turn on Airplane Mode and turn Wi-Fi off Mac: Turn Wi-Fi off and disconnect Ethernet When offline, AFM is fully local. When using Phi (MLX), Hal is always fully on-device, regardless of connectivity. --- Overview Hal Universal was built for two purposes: to be a thoughtful, private companion for reflection and creativity, and to help people understand how modern LLMs actually work. Hal exposes the mechanics of memory, recency, decay, retrieval, and tokens so the black box becomes transparent while keeping everything on your device. --- Key Features Local-First Design Phi-3 always runs fully on-device. AFM is fully local when offline. Timestamp-Aware Memory Hal uses recency, semantic weighting, and optional half-life decay to determine what matters. All memory lives in a private, on-device SQLite database. Power User Controls You can tune how Hal thinks, including memory depth, recency weighting, semantic importance, half-life, retrieval size, similarity settings, and temperature. All setting changes appear directly in the chat for full transparency. Detailed Token View Token usage is displayed for every message in the detailed view. Cross-Platform Parity Hal now behaves and looks the same across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, including a resizable Mac window. Improved Usability Keyboard dismissal is smoother on iPhone and iPad, and document upload status is clearer. --- Troubleshooting and Maintenance Reset (DB Nuke) This clears Hals local SQLite database and all conversation memory. Models remain installed, and nothing leaves your device. Model Removal and Redownload Model caches can be managed in Settings > Manage Models. --- Privacy Policy Hal Universal does not collect, store, or share any personal data. All inference, memory, and processing occur locally on your device. The app does not transmit your data externally.

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What’s New in Version 1.5 This release brings major improvements to transparency, control, and cross-platform consistency. • Clearer On-Device Privacy Updated AFM vs. Phi-3 behavior with precise explanations of when AFM may use Apple’s Private Cloud Compute and how to ensure 100% on-device operation. • Timestamp-Aware Memory Hal now interprets recency using message timestamps, improving what he remembers and how context is weighed. • Expanded Power User Controls Adjust recency weighting, semantic relevance, memory half-life, RAG retrieval size, and temperature — with changes reflected directly in the chat. • Detailed Token View See a full token breakdown for each message in the detailed view. • Cross-Platform Parity Unified layout and behavior across iOS, iPadOS, and macOS, including a resizable Mac window. • Improved Usability Better keyboard dismissal on iPhone/iPad and clearer document upload status. • Restore Defaults One tap to reset all tuning parameters to the original factory settings.

Version 1.5

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.

    Privacy practices may vary, for example, based on the features you use or your age. Learn More

    Accessibility

    The developer has not yet indicated which accessibility features this app supports. Learn More

    Information

    • Seller
      • Mark Friedlander
    • Size
      • 18 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.
    • Languages
      • English
    • Age Rating
      4+
    • Copyright
      • © 2025 Mark Friedlander
  • Privacy Policy

    • More by Mark Friedlander

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