Key Takeaways
- Free app for iPhone, iPad, and Mac (Apple Silicon) β no ads, no subscription, no feature paywall
- Developer Simon Majar; App Store category Productivity; 4.3/5 from 26 ratings on the U.S. listing as of this review
- 60+ on-device models listed, including Qwen 3, Llama 3.2, Mistral, and Google Gemma β downloaded once, then run offline
- Optional cloud connection to Claude, ChatGPT, or Grok uses your own API key; conversation history is withheld from those providers unless you turn on a separate sharing toggle
- App Store privacy declaration: "The developer does not collect any data from this app"
- Requires iOS 26, iPadOS 26, or macOS 26 (Apple Silicon) or later
π In One Sentence
Solair AI is a free iOS/iPadOS/macOS app that runs 60+ AI models on-device by default, with an opt-in, bring-your-own-key cloud fallback to Claude, ChatGPT, or Grok, and a 4.3/5 rating from 26 App Store ratings as of this review.
π¬ In Plain Terms
Solair AI lets you chat with an AI, talk to it, show it photos, and read your documents entirely on your iPhone or iPad, without an internet connection or an account. If you want a more powerful cloud model instead, you can connect one yourself with your own API key, but that is off by default.
πNote: Solair AI is a general-purpose local AI chat app, the same sub-segment as Liquid Apollo, Noema, and Off Grid AI. See the Local LLM Software Directory for how it fits among other mobile chat apps.
What Is Solair AI?
Solair AI is a free app for iPhone, iPad, and Apple Silicon Mac that runs AI chat, voice conversations, image analysis, and document parsing using models downloaded to the device, with an optional connection to cloud AI providers when the user chooses to enable it.
- Chat: text conversations with an on-device model, or with a connected cloud model if enabled
- Voice: spoken conversations, either fully offline with an on-device model or live through a connected ChatGPT or Grok session
- Vision: camera-based image analysis using an on-device model
- Document analysis: reads PDFs, plain text, and images up to 20 MB per the developer's own product page
- Health Intelligence: analyzes Apple HealthKit metrics (the developer's site lists 15+ metrics) on-device, with explicit permission required
- Web search: an optional search feature the developer describes as anonymous, with sources shown and without tracking
- A "duress code" feature: a secondary passcode that, per the developer's own description, silently wipes app data if entered
How Much Does Solair AI Cost?
Solair AI is free to download and use, with no subscription and no locked features. The App Store listing shows three optional one-time tip amounts that support the developer but do not unlock anything.
Item | Price | What it unlocks |
|---|---|---|
| Solair AI app | Free | Full app β on-device chat, voice, vision, document analysis |
| Coffee tip | $3.99 | Nothing β a voluntary one-time tip |
| Pizza tip | $9.99 | Nothing β a voluntary one-time tip |
| Thank you tip | $19.99 | Nothing β a voluntary one-time tip |
Verified against the Solair AI App Store listing (in-app purchase list) as of September 2026. Using a connected cloud provider (Claude, ChatGPT, or Grok) requires your own API key from that provider, which is billed separately by the provider, not by Solair AI.
Get Solair AI
This review is a companion to Solair AI's entry in the Local LLM Software Directory β check the directory for how it's classified alongside other mobile AI chat apps. Solair AI is distributed only through Apple's App Store; there is no direct-download or sideload option documented by the developer.
Platform | Download |
|---|---|
| iPhone / iPad / Mac / Apple Watch / Vision | apps.apple.com/us/app/solair-local-ai/id6758450823 |
Always install from the official Apple App Store link above β the App Store listing ID (6758450823) is the way to confirm you have the developer's official app rather than an unrelated listing with a similar name.
How Solair AI Handles Your Data
Solair AI is on-device by default and treats any cloud connection as something you must explicitly turn on, not something it does automatically. This section describes exactly what stays local and what can leave the device, based on the developer's own App Store privacy declaration and product documentation.
Platform and Hardware Requirements
Solair AI requires recent Apple hardware and the newest major OS versions across every supported device type.
Device | Minimum OS | Minimum hardware |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone | iOS 26.0 | A14 chip or newer |
| iPad | iPadOS 26.0 | A12 chip or newer |
| Mac | macOS 26.0 | Apple Silicon (no Intel support) |
| Apple Watch | watchOS 26.0 | Per App Store listing |
| Apple Vision | visionOS 26.0 | Per App Store listing |
The base app itself is small (around 48 MB per the developer's site); each on-device model you download afterward adds its own storage footprint, which varies by model size. Verified against the App Store listing as of September 2026.
Who Should Use Solair AI?
Competitors and Alternatives
Solair AI's closest comparisons are other general-purpose local-first chat apps for iOS this site has already reviewed. All four run models on-device by default; they differ in whether and how they let you reach a cloud model, and in platform coverage beyond iOS.
App | Cloud Option | Platforms | Best For |
|---|---|---|---|
| Liquid Apollo | BYOK to multiple providers/routers | iOS/iPadOS, Mac, Android | Users who want the widest choice of connectable cloud backends |
| Noema | Local-first, limited cloud path | iOS/iPadOS, Mac | Apple-only users wanting a focused on-device chat app |
| Off Grid AI | Local-first, built-in engine | iOS, Android, Mac, Windows | Users who also need a non-Apple device covered |
| Private LLM | Local-only, no cloud fallback | iOS/iPadOS, Mac | Users who want no cloud option at all, ever |
Solair AI sits closest to Liquid Apollo in this group because both are local-first apps that let you opt into cloud models with your own API key rather than a bundled subscription. Private LLM is the strictest of the four β it has no cloud fallback at all β while Off Grid AI is the only one with non-Apple platform support.
Common Mistakes When Evaluating Solair AI
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Solair AI free?
Yes. Solair AI is free to download with no subscription and no locked features. The App Store lists three optional one-time tips ($3.99β$19.99) that support the developer but unlock nothing.
Does Solair AI work without an internet connection?
Yes, by default. Chat, voice, vision, and document analysis run on models downloaded to your device. An internet connection is only needed to download those models initially, or to use the optional cloud fallback and web search features.
Does Solair AI collect my data?
Per the app's own App Store privacy declaration, "the developer does not collect any data from this app." If you choose to connect a cloud provider, your message content is then subject to that provider's own data-handling terms, not Solair AI's.
How do I connect Claude, ChatGPT, or Grok to Solair AI?
You supply your own API key for that provider inside the app's settings; Solair AI does not sell or bundle cloud model access itself. Conversation history is withheld from the connected provider unless you separately enable a 'Share memory & past chats' toggle, which is off by default.
What devices does Solair AI support?
iPhone with iOS 26 and an A14 chip or newer, iPad with iPadOS 26 and an A12 chip or newer, Apple Silicon Mac with macOS 26, plus Apple Watch (watchOS 26) and Apple Vision (visionOS 26). Intel Macs and older OS versions are not supported.
What is Solair AI's App Store rating?
Solair AI shows 4.3 out of 5 from 26 ratings on the U.S. App Store, verified directly on the listing as of this review. That is a small sample size and should not be read as a broad popularity indicator.
How many AI models does Solair AI support?
The developer's own site lists 60+ on-device models, including Qwen 3, Llama 3.2, Mistral, and Google Gemma, and states that the app automatically picks a model size to fit the device's available RAM.
How is Solair AI different from Private LLM?
Both run models on-device by default, but Private LLM has no cloud fallback at all, while Solair AI lets you optionally connect Claude, ChatGPT, or Grok with your own API key.