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How I Use Aori Every Day

One of the most common questions we get is: “What do you actually use Aori for?”

It’s one thing to read a list of features, but another to see how a personal agent actually fits into the messy, unpredictable flow of a real day. Here is a typical day for me with Aori v1.3.

My day doesn’t start with me checking my phone; it starts with Aori checking in with me. I have a Routine set up that fires every weekday morning at 8:00 AM.

Aori sends a message to my private Telegram bot. It summarizes my Google Calendar for the day, highlights three news headlines based on my specific interests (currently “Edge AI” and “Sustainable Architecture”), and reminds me of follow-ups I asked it to track. Thanks to TTS (Text-to-Speech), I can listen to this briefing while I’m making coffee—no screen time required.

While I’m out for a walk, I remember I need to reschedule a meeting. I don’t stop and pull up my calendar app. Instead, I send a quick voice message to my Aori bot on Telegram:

“Aori, can you move my 2 PM sync with Robert to tomorrow at 10 AM and send him an email letting him know?”

Because of the v1.3 Google Integration, Aori handles the whole thing. It transcribes my voice message (using Groq Whisper), updates my Google Calendar, and drafts a polite email to Robert in Gmail. Aori then sends me a confirmation: “Done! Moved the meeting to tomorrow at 10 AM and emailed Robert.”

1:00 PM — The “Second Brain” at Work

Section titled “1:00 PM — The “Second Brain” at Work”

During a deep work session on my desktop, I come across an interesting idea. I open the Aori chat and say:

“Aori, make a note: We should explore using vector-based retrieval for the new documentation engine.”

Aori creates a Markdown file in my Obsidian vault (since I’ve pointed its memory path there). Later, if I’m on my phone and I ask Aori, “What were my ideas for the documentation engine?”, it uses its three-layer memory system to retrieve that exact note, even though I’m on a different device.

I have a deadline today at 5:00 PM. Aori knows this because I added it to my to-do list earlier. Around 4:00 PM, I get a push notification on my Android phone:

“Hey, just a heads-up that you have that documentation deadline in an hour. Anything I can help you wrap up?”

This isn’t a generic alarm; it’s a context-aware nudge from my agent. I ask it to quickly summarize the last few emails from the team about the project so I have all the context I need to finish.

As I’m winding down, I ask Aori for a quick summary of my day:

“Aori, what did we get done today?”

Aori lists the calendar changes, the emails it prepared, the notes I made, and the follow-ups we handled. It feels less like a log and more like a brief conversation with a helpful assistant. It’s a great way to close out the day with a sense of accomplishment.

The reason Aori has replaced so many other apps for me is simple: it meets me where I am. I don’t have to go to a specific “productivity app” to get things done. Whether I’m on my laptop, my phone, or just using my voice, my agent is there, it remembers me, and it has the tools (like Smart Routing and Google Integration) to actually be useful.

Everyone’s workflow is different. Aori doesn’t force you into a specific system; it adapts to how you describe your needs.

Ready to build your own workflow? Recommendation for new users: Start with Groq — it’s free, fast, and requires no credit card.

Get Started with Routines

— The Aori Team

Which LLM Should I Use With Aori?

One of Aori’s most powerful features is that it is model-agnostic. You “Bring Your Own Key,” which means you aren’t locked into a single provider’s ecosystem. But with so many options—Groq, OpenAI, Anthropic, DeepSeek, Ollama—how do you choose?

Here’s our guide to the best LLM setups for Aori v1.3.

If you’re just getting started with Aori, there is no better choice than Groq.

Groq offers incredibly fast inference and a generous free tier that is perfect for daily agent use. It supports high-quality open-source models like Llama 3.3 70B, which is more than capable of handling Aori’s routines, memory extraction, and general chat.

Recommendation for new users: Start with Groq — it’s free, fast, and requires no credit card.

When you need the absolute best in reasoning, nuance, and long-context performance, Anthropic’s Claude series is the gold standard.

  • Claude 3.5 Sonnet: The ideal “power user” model. It excels at complex task planning and following intricate instructions.
  • Claude 3.5 Haiku: A faster, more affordable alternative that still maintains high intelligence for daily tasks.

Anthropic typically offers a $5 credit on signup, which can go a long way with Aori.

OpenAI remains a popular choice for its reliability and wide range of features, including native vision support.

  • GPT-5.x (Flagship): The most capable model for highly complex agent tasks and deep reasoning.
  • GPT-4o (Popular): A versatile, high-performance model that balances speed and intelligence perfectly.
  • GPT-4o mini: An extremely cost-effective option for simple queries and high-volume tasks.

If you use Smart Routing in v1.3, Aori can automatically switch between these to save you money.

If you want to run models from your own desktop machine, Ollama is the option to look at.

Ollama runs open-source models (like Llama 3.2 or Mistral) on your computer’s hardware. Aori Desktop connects to your running Ollama server. Aori does not bundle local models or provide mobile local inference in this launch.

DeepSeek has quickly become a favorite for users who want flagship-level performance at a fraction of the cost. Their reasoning models are surprisingly strong, making them an excellent choice for heavy daily use on a budget.

ProviderFree Tier?SpeedQualityBest For
GroqYesExtremeHighGetting started, daily use
Anthropic$5 CreditFastEliteNuance, complex reasoning
OpenAI$5 CreditFastEliteFlagship power (GPT-5.x), vision
DeepSeekYesMediumHighHigh-volume tasks, budget power
OllamaFree local runtimeVariableGoodDesktop local models
OpenRouterNoVariableMixedAccessing niche models

Don’t overthink it. Most users should start with Groq. It’s the easiest way to see what Aori can do without spending a dime.

As your needs grow—if you find yourself needing more nuanced reasoning or longer context windows—you can switch to Claude 3.5 Sonnet or GPT-5.x in seconds via Aori’s settings. Your memory and routines will follow you wherever you go.

View all Provider Guides

— The Aori Team

Aori v1.3 — Memory, Voice, and Smart Routing

Welcome to Aori v1.3! This is our most significant update yet, focusing on making Aori more proactive, more capable, and even easier to use.

Aori v1.3 introduces a sophisticated three-layer memory system.

  • Raw Logs: Every conversation is logged for reference.
  • Extracted Facts: Aori automatically identifies important facts (name, preferences, commitments) with importance scoring.
  • Markdown Category Files: Distilled facts are organized into plain Markdown files on your device. This hybrid approach (BM25 + vector search) ensures Aori always has the right context, and low-importance facts that aren’t accessed for 90 days are automatically demoted.

Take control of your AI costs. Aori v1.3 introduces Smart Routing, which automatically selects the most appropriate model for any given task. Simple questions might be handled by GPT-4o mini or Llama 3.2, while complex reasoning is routed to GPT-5.x or Claude 3.5 Sonnet. You can track your estimated Token Cost in the dashboard to see exactly how your budget is being used.

Speak with Aori hands-free. v1.3 supports high-quality Voice Input (via Groq Whisper or OpenAI Whisper) and Voice Output (TTS) using Edge TTS and ElevenLabs. If you send a voice message on Telegram or WhatsApp, Aori will transcribe it, process it, and can even send a voice note back.

4. Google Integration: Gmail & Calendar Write

Section titled “4. Google Integration: Gmail & Calendar Write”

Aori is no longer read-only. In v1.3, Aori can now read and write to your Gmail and Google Calendar. You can ask Aori to “Schedule a lunch with Mary for Friday at 1 PM” or “Send an email to my team about the new release notes.” Aori handles the drafting and scheduling for you.

Total control is now just a tap away. The STOP control lets you interrupt active work when Aori is processing.

Aori’s knowledge-source story has continued to evolve. The current product uses consumer-friendly Skills such as Local Folder, Obsidian Vault, Notion, and Google Account. See the Skills guide for the current setup flow.

Platform availability has changed since this release note was written. See the download page for current desktop, Android, and iOS status.


Ready to upgrade? Recommendation for new users: Start with Groq — it’s free, fast, and requires no credit card.

Download Aori v1.3

— The Aori Team

Introducing Aori — your personal AI agent

We’re incredibly excited to finally share Aori with you.

Over the last few years, we’ve seen an explosion of powerful large language models. But for most of us, using them still feels like talking to a very smart, but very forgetful, stranger. You go to a website, you ask a question, you get a great answer—and then the conversation vanishes. The next day, you start from zero.

We built Aori because we wanted a truly personal assistant experience that fills the gap between raw AI power and everyday utility. We believe that an AI assistant shouldn’t be a destination you visit; it should be a presence that exists where you are, remembers who you are, and acts on your behalf.

Aori is a cross-platform personal AI agent designed to run on your device. Whether you’re on Android, macOS, Windows, or Linux (with iOS in beta), Aori is your private, proactive companion.

Aori isn’t a cloud service. We don’t have servers that store your chats. Instead, you “Bring Your Own Key” (BYOK) from providers like Groq, Anthropic, or OpenAI. Aori uses that key to talk to the AI—supporting everything from the flagship GPT-5.x to the popular GPT-4o. Everything else—your memory, your routines, your private notes—stays on your hardware.

1. It Actually Remembers Most AI tools are stateless. Aori has a sophisticated three-layer memory system. It extracts facts from your conversations (like your preferences, your commitments, and your recurring topics) and organizes them into a structured “knowledge base” that it uses to provide context in future chats. You don’t have to tell Aori to “remember this”—it just does.

2. It’s Proactive Aori doesn’t just wait for you to ask it something. With its “Routines” system, Aori can show up before you ask. In v1.3, this includes deeper Google integration—Aori can now read and write to your Gmail and Google Calendar. It can send you a morning briefing, draft emails, or schedule meetings automatically.

3. Privacy is Default Because Aori runs locally and uses your own API keys, your data remains yours. There’s no middleman reading your prompts. Your memory files are stored as plain Markdown on your device, giving you full control and portability.

Our latest release, v1.3, brings even more power to your personal agent:

  • Voice Output (TTS): Aori can now speak back to you using high-quality Text-to-Speech (Edge TTS and ElevenLabs).
  • Smart Routing: Aori automatically chooses the best model for the task, balancing performance and token cost.
  • STOP Function: Total control with a single button to halt any agent activity instantly.

Getting started with Aori takes less than five minutes:

  1. Download Aori for your platform.
  2. Get a free API key from Groq. Recommendation for new users: Start with Groq — it’s free, fast, and requires no credit card.
  3. Paste your key into Aori and say “Hello.”

We think the future of AI isn’t just bigger models, but better agents—agents that are personal, private, and proactive. We’d love for you to join us on this journey.

Download Aori or read the current docs to get started.

— The Aori Team