Settings reference

This page walks through the Settings window pane by pane, in the order the app lists them. Each table lists the control’s exact label, its options and default, and what it changes, with a link to the page that explains it in depth.

Open Settings

Settings open in a window over the page you’re on; the page stays as it was underneath.

• Press ⌘ , on a Mac, or Ctrl , on Windows and Linux. Settings opens at the pane you used last, or at the list of panes on a phone.
• Open the account menu at the bottom of the sidebar and select Settings.
• In a chat, select the sliders icon in the composer, then Chat Settings. This opens This chat.
• The account menu’s Billing opens Billing, and Developers opens API keys.
• In the model picker, the ZDR on · Some models hidden banner’s Change link opens Privacy and security.

The window is titled Settings, with the list of panes on the left and the open pane on the right. Panes are grouped under Account, Organizations, Chats, Preferences, Privacy, Connections, Desktop app, and Developer. Under each pane’s title, a short line names its group, or says what the pane applies to, such as “Applies to this device” or “Applies to this chat only”. On a phone the window fills the screen and shows the list or one pane at a time; select Settings at the top of a pane to go back to the list.

Changes save on their own. The header shows Saving…, then Saved. If a save fails it shows Not saved, and hovering shows why. Close Settings with Esc, Close settings, or a click outside the window. It stays open while a change hasn’t saved, so check your connection and try again. For text boxes such as Instructions, click outside the box to save.

Which panes you see

Group	Pane	Shown when
Account	Profile, Billing	Always
Account	Usage	On a paid plan
Organizations	Each organization, and New organization	Organizations are available to you. New organization is hidden when an admin turns off creating organizations
Chats	This chat, New chats, Personalization	When you open Settings from a chat
Chats	Permissions	Always
Chats	Voice	In a chat, when your organization allows voice calls
Chats	Dictation	In a chat, when your organization allows dictation
Chats	Skills	In a chat, when Skills are allowed for you
Preferences	Appearance	Always
Preferences	Phone and SMS	Your organization allows text messages
Privacy	Privacy and security, Devices	Always
Connections	Connectors	Your organization allows connectors
Connections	Chrome extension	In the desktop app
Desktop app	Desktop, Runtime	In the desktop app
Desktop app	Browser	In the desktop app, when Bearly Browser is available to you
Desktop app	Get desktop app	On the web, a phone browser, or the iOS app
Developer	API keys	Your organization allows Developer API access (on unless an admin turns it off)
Developer	Modules	Your organization’s policy turns on Personal remote modules

There’s no notifications pane and no setting for the app’s display language. Reply language is under Language in This chat and New chats.

Account

Profile

Control	What it does
Version	Shows the build you’re running and when it was built
Lock all data	“Lock all password-protected notebooks. You’ll need to re-enter passwords.” Lock, then Lock All, relocks every password-protected project on this device.
Change email	“Move your account to a different email. We confirm both addresses, then finish the change.”
Delete account	“Review what is deleted and retained, then verify this request by email.” Delete opens the deletion steps.
Log out	“Sign out of your Bearly account.” Bearly syncs your recent changes, then clears its data from this device.

See Delete your account.

Billing

Your Current Plan card (Manage billing, Restore, Cancel, or Reactivate), Credit Boost on eligible plans, and the plan picker with Monthly and Yearly (17% off). Seat holders also see their organization seat. See Plans, credits, and limits.

Usage

Paid plans only. Current Period shows the percentage used, when credits reset, Used this month, Monthly limit, Today, and Boost remaining, with a Billing button. Usage by service lists each month’s models and paid tools with Service, Calls, and Cost. See Plans, credits, and limits.

Organizations

Each organization you belong to has a row here. Selecting one closes Settings and opens that organization’s pages; New organization creates one. See Run Bearly for an organization.

Chats

This chat

“Settings for this conversation only. Changes here don’t affect other chats.” The rows are grouped under Model, Responses, and Context. A row disappears when your project or organization locks it. In most chats, if you can only read the chat, the pane reads “You can see this chat’s settings but can’t change them.” See Chat settings.

Control	Options and default	What it does
Model	Models available to you. Default: the chat’s current model.	The model that answers in this chat. See Models.
Reasoning Effort	Default, None, Low, Medium, High, Extra High	How much the model reasons before answering
Language	Default, or a language such as English, English (UK & AU), French, German, Hindi, Japanese, Mandarin Chinese, Portuguese, Spanish, and more	The language replies are written in
Response Style	Normal (default), Classic, No Style, Learning, Concise, Explanatory, Formal	Tone and length of replies
Temperature	Factual (0.5), Default (1), Creative (1.5), or a slider from 0 to 2	How focused or varied replies are. Above 1.5: “High temperatures may produce incoherent output.”
Memories	Off, Auto. Default comes from New chats.	Whether the chat recalls earlier conversations
Web Search	Off, Auto. Default comes from New chats.	Whether the chat searches the web on its own
Instructions	Free text (“Custom instructions for this chat…”)	Standing directions for this chat
Reset all to defaults	Button. Appears once this chat has its own value for any row.	Returns this chat to your New chats settings, then reapplies project and organization rules

New chats

“These settings apply to all new chats by default.” It has the same rows as This chat, plus Recommended under Model, which is the default and lets Bearly choose. Defaults: Response Style Normal, Memories Auto, Web Search Auto. In a project chat this pane reads “Default settings are not available in project chats. Use Project Settings to configure.” Saved to your account. See Projects.

Permissions

Applies to new chats on this device.

Control	Options and default	What it does
Start new chats in Full access	Switch, off by default. This device only.	“New chats on this device use your enabled tools without asking. Not recommended unless you know what you’re doing.” Asks you to confirm first (“Start every new chat in Full access?”). Unavailable when your organization doesn’t allow Full access.

See Permissions.

Personalization

“Tell the AI about yourself so it can tailor responses to your needs.” Saved to your account.

Control	Options and default	What it does
Use in chats	Switch, off by default	“Include your profile context in your chats.”
Name	Text.	“How should the AI address you?”
Occupation	Text	“What do you do?”
About you	Text	“What should the AI know about you?”

“This is shared with AI models in your conversations.” The fields are unavailable while the switch is off. Bearly adds what you enter here to your chats only while the switch is on. See Privacy and security controls.

Voice

“Voice calls use this model to listen, answer, and run actions. Calls use your plan allowance.”

Control	Options and default	What it does
Model	Voice models available on your plan	The model for your next voice call (“Takes effect on your next call.”). On Free it reads “Choosing a voice model needs a paid plan.”

See Voice.

Dictation

“Click the dictation button to start or stop. You can also hold Right Shift while you speak.” and “Live audio is sent through Bearly for transcription.”

Control	Options and default	What it does
Enable dictation	Switch, off by default	Turns dictation on
Keyboard shortcut	Default Right Shift	“Hold while Bearly is focused.” to dictate
After dictation	Fill the composer (default), Send immediately	Whether the transcript waits for you or sends right away
Transcript cleanup	Switch, off by default	“Fix punctuation and phrasing with a fast, low-reasoning model.”
Model	Cleanup models available to you	The model that cleans up the transcript
Instructions	Free text	“Applied after transcription. The original audio is not sent.”
Vocabulary	Free text	“Names, acronyms, and technical terms.” to recognize
Replacements	One pair per line	“One exact spoken → written pair per line.”

If your organization blocks it, the pane reads “Your team has disabled audio transcription.” See Voice.

Skills

On the web, a phone browser, or the iOS app this pane reads “Use Skills in the desktop app” — “Skills install local files and can run approval-gated commands, so they need Bearly for desktop.” with Get Bearly. In the desktop app, this is where you add and manage Skills. See Connectors and Skills.

Preferences

Appearance

Saved on this device only. Theme shows each theme as a card; Font and Font size are under Text.

Control	Options and default	What it does
Theme	System (default, follows your device’s light or dark mode), Light, Dark, Midnight, Dracula, Rose Pine, Synthwave, Nord, Corporate, Coffee, Talin, Funky	“Choose your color scheme.” In the iOS app it also switches the app between light and dark.
Font	Bearly (default), System, Humanist, Neogrotesque, Classic, Industrial	The interface font
Font size	Small (14px), Standard (16px, default), Large (18px), Largest (20px)	Text size across the app

Phone and SMS

Control	What it does
Set up text messages	“Add a US or Canadian mobile number for verification codes and notifications.” Shows Not set up until you do.
Send test text	Sends a test message to your verified number
Change number	Replaces the number
Turn off text messages	“Stops codes and notifications. Same as replying STOP.”
Remove phone number	“Deletes the number from your Bearly account.”

Verify your phone again with Action needed appears when Bearly needs you to confirm the number again. See Email and text.

Privacy

Privacy and security

Control	Options and default	What it does
Zero Data Retention only	Switch, off by default. Saved to your account.	Bearly shows only zero-retention models, and automatic fallbacks stay on them too. Applies to chat models. See Zero Data Retention only.
Unitemized billing	Switch, off by default. Paid plans; on a managed organization, only when its policy allows it.	“A more private way to be billed. Bearly keeps one rounded total per day instead of a record of each request’s model, cost, and time.” How it works opens the guide. Asks you to confirm first. See Turn on unitemized billing.
End-to-end encryption (Beta)	Set up end-to-end encryption, or Approve this device on a new device	Encrypts new chats on your devices. After setup: Encrypt all new chats with this key, Approved devices, Approve a device, and Recovery (passkeys and Replace recovery phrase).

Start new chats in Full access moved to Permissions. See Privacy and security controls.

Devices

“Where your Bearly account is signed in. Sign out of any device you don’t recognize.”

Control	What it does
Sign out all other devices	Signs out everywhere except here. API keys keep working.
Device rows	Name, This device, approximate location, last active (“Active now” within two minutes), and Sign out
Browser extension and API keys	“These have separate access. Remove a key to disconnect anything using it.” Each key shows when it was created and last used, with Remove.

The list refreshes on its own while it’s open.

Connections

Connectors

“Chats using Full access can use connections you add or reconnect here without asking for tool approval.”

Control	What it does
Your connectors	“Connect services and MCP servers to use their tools in chats and Routines.” Servers your organization supplies show “Managed by your team policy”.
Add custom MCP server	Adds a server by HTTPS address, or an npm package in the desktop app
Built-in connectors	“Add a preconfigured service, then connect your account.” Includes Notion, Linear, GitHub, and more, each with Add

See Connectors and Skills.

Chrome extension

Control Chrome from chat: “Use your regular Chrome tabs and signed-in sessions.” Bearly can navigate, read pages, fill forms, and inspect console and network activity, asking for approval in Standard.

Status	What it means
Connected to Chrome	The extension is ready
Chrome extension not connected	Select Install Chrome extension, then keep Chrome and the desktop app open
Finishing secure connection…	Wait a moment
Update Bearly	This desktop version can’t manage the connection. Update the app.
Disabled by your workspace	“Your workspace policy does not allow Chrome control.”

This pane appears only in the desktop app. Chrome control connects on your computer and doesn’t need the extension’s own Bearly sign-in. Bearly Browser is a separate, isolated browser.

Desktop app

Desktop, Runtime, and Browser appear only in the desktop app on Mac, Windows, and Linux; Get desktop app appears everywhere else. See Browser and computer.

Desktop

Control	Options and default	What it does
Keyboard shortcut	Default ⌘ Shift P on a Mac, Ctrl Shift P on Windows and Linux. Set or Change records a new one, then Save or Cancel. Disable clears it.	“Global hotkey to summon Bearly.”
Always on top	Switch	“Keep the window above other apps.”
Auto-hide	Switch	“Hide when Bearly loses focus.” Bring it back with your shortcut.
Launch on boot	Enabled or Disabled (default)	Starts Bearly when you sign in to your computer
Latest version	Read-only	Your installed version and whether an update is available

Runtime

Control	What it does
Managed runtimes	“Desktop tools Bearly installs and verifies for local work.” Each shows Ready, Installing, Not installed, Error, or Verifying, when it installs, and a verify button. Refresh runtimes checks again.
Windows Computer Use helper	Windows only. “Install the helper for reliable control of protected and background windows.” Installing, updating, or removing it asks for administrator approval.
Environment variables	“Inherited by local commands, skills, video downloads, and runtime checks.” Add variable, then Save, or Reset to discard. Values are hidden until you reveal them. Saved on this device only.

Browser

Control	Options and default	What it does
Enable Browser	On by default	“Keep Bearly Browser available to you and your chats. Turning it off does not delete site data.”
Allow chats to use Browser	On by default	Lets chats drive Bearly Browser. In Standard, Bearly asks before new sites. In Full access it doesn’t.
Block ads and trackers	On by default	Blocks ads and trackers in Bearly Browser
Import browser cookies	Choose a Browser profile	“Bring current site sign-ins from Chrome or Edge into Bearly Browser. Cookies only—never passwords, history, bookmarks, or autofill.”
Reset open tabs	Button	“Close tabs and clear workspace history and approvals. Site sign-ins remain.”
Delete browser data	Button	“Delete cookies, cache, and local site storage for this Bearly account on this device.”

Get desktop app

Get Bearly for desktop, with Download for macOS, Windows, or Linux for the computer you’re on and Other platforms. On a phone or the iOS app it lists the computers to choose from. Downloads open in your browser. This pane doesn’t appear inside the desktop app. See Get Bearly.

Developer

API keys

Control	What it does
Create API key	Opens a form with a required Note (up to 50 characters, such as “Production App”), then Create
Key rows	Show or hide the key, Copy, and Delete

“Keep your API keys secure. Never share them publicly.” A key acts as your account until you delete it here or remove it under Devices. See API and agents.

Modules

Appears only when your organization’s policy turns on Personal remote modules. Add Module takes an Endpoint (http or https), a Module Name, and a Secret Key. Each module shows its name and endpoint, with Remove. “Only add modules from trusted sources.”

Settings that live elsewhere

Setting	Where
Web, Scholar, Style, Reasoning, Memories, History for one chat	The sliders icon beside the composer. See Chat settings.
Permissions (Standard or Full access) for one chat	Permissions at the foot of the composer. See Permissions.
Project defaults and skills	The project’s Settings tab. Sharing and passwords are on its Sharing tab, and folder sync on its Files tab. See Projects.
Organization members, policies, seats	Account menu → Organizations, or the organization’s row in Settings. See Run Bearly for an organization.

Where settings are saved

Appearance, Start new chats in Full access, and the desktop panes are saved on each device. New chats, Personalization, Voice, Dictation, and Zero Data Retention only are saved to your account and follow you to every device.