OwAI guides · English
Which OwAI setup should I use?
Choose between free local use, Cloud Access, local or remote MCP, OneDrive and Apple Photos based on where your media lives and where your AI assistant runs.
By Alex Visheratin · Updated:
Read as MarkdownStart with these two decisions
First choose where your library lives: local folders, OneDrive or Apple Photos. Then choose how an AI assistant connects: local MCP on the same computer, or remote MCP through OwAI's authenticated HTTPS endpoint. Storage and assistant connection are separate choices, so a OneDrive library can use either local or remote MCP.
If you only want to organize and search folders on one computer, start with Free Local. Add permanent Cloud Access when you need MCP, a synced cloud index, OneDrive or access across devices. Hosted inference is optional and uses separate prepaid credits; Cloud Access is not a subscription.
- Simplest free setup: local folders with local models in the desktop app.
- Assistant on the same computer: local MCP, with OwAI running.
- Assistant in a browser, phone or cloud service: remote MCP and the cloud index.
- Library already in Microsoft cloud storage: connect OneDrive; originals stay in OneDrive.
- Library managed by Apple Photos: connect Apple Photos on the Mac that owns the System Photo Library.
Choose where OwAI reads your library
These options describe the media source and index, not the assistant connection. You can add more than one source to the same OwAI library, but searches and organization should remain scoped to the intended source.
| Setup | Best for | Not for or current limits | Device and online requirements | Storage and inference | Setup effort and cost model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free Local | Folders on one desktop; private, offline-capable browsing, organization and semantic search with local models. | No MCP, cloud index, cross-device catalog or connected OneDrive library. | OwAI runs on the computer holding the folders. Internet is needed to install and download models; downloaded local search can work offline. | Originals stay in their folders. Models run locally, and no cloud index is required. | Lowest setup effort. Local desktop use is free and does not require a paid account. |
| Local folders with Cloud Access and cloud index | Searching the same indexed catalog from remote assistants or another device while keeping originals in local folders. | The synced index is not a media backup. Fresh indexing, local file actions, remote media reads and queued library changes still depend on the owning computer. | Cloud search can use the last completed sync while the owner is offline. The owner must be online for new scans, local-file mutations and optional remote media relay. | Sync includes searchable metadata, embeddings, organization relationships and device paths, not originals, thumbnails, previews or proxy clips. Inference follows the app's local or hosted settings. | Requires permanent Cloud Access. Hosted indexing and semantic search use separate prepaid credits when selected; metadata-only searches do not run inference. |
| OneDrive connected library | A cloud library that OwAI and remote agents can search and organize without keeping a desktop executor online. | One Microsoft account per OwAI account. SharePoint site browsing and shared-folder shortcuts are not supported; work and school accounts can depend on administrator policy. | Cloud processing can continue with the desktop off when indexing and enabled face detection both use hosted processing. Local processing requires OwAI running and internet access to fetch media. | Originals remain in OneDrive. Thumbnails are cached locally; retaining originals is optional and bounded. Local processing downloads media temporarily, while hosted processing fetches it transiently on the server. | Moderate setup: connect OwAI and Microsoft accounts, select a folder and processing settings. Permanent Cloud Access is required; hosted inference uses separate prepaid credits. |
| Apple Photos | The Mac's System Photo Library, including editable albums, favorites and iCloud-backed media available through PhotoKit. | macOS only. It is not a direct iCloud web connection; Live Photos currently contribute the still image, hidden media is excluded, and people labels stay in OwAI. | The owning Mac needs full Photos permission. It must be available for initial or fresh indexing, uncached iCloud media, native album or favorite changes, deletion and remote media access. | PhotoKit supplies current rendered JPEG or MP4 media and OwAI keeps a bounded cache, not a permanent second library. Inference follows the app's local or hosted settings. | Moderate setup: grant full Photos access, choose the System Photo Library or an album, then finish indexing. Cloud Access is needed for MCP and cloud-index use; hosted inference uses separate prepaid credits when selected. |
Choose how an AI assistant connects
Both MCP choices use OwAI's existing app logic and tool contracts. They do not create a second library implementation. Tool discovery in the connected assistant is authoritative.
| Connection | Best for | Not for or current limits | Device and online requirements | What it reads | Setup effort and cost model |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Local MCP | Codex, Claude Desktop, Gemini CLI or another MCP client running on the same computer as OwAI. | Not a connection for a browser-only or cloud-hosted assistant. It does not make another computer's filesystem local. | Keep the OwAI desktop app running. Its lightweight stdio connector talks to that app; the CLI can provide a headless local server instead. | The local catalog and media available to that computer. Search inference still follows the app's local or hosted settings. | Lower connection effort for a detected desktop client. Permanent Cloud Access is required for MCP; hosted inference credits apply only when hosted processing is used. |
| Remote MCP | ChatGPT, Claude, Muse, Gemini and other clients that accept an authenticated HTTPS MCP server, including assistants used from a phone or another computer. | A synced path is only metadata, not direct filesystem access. Local-folder and Apple Photos mutations or media reads can still require the owning device; the remote index is not an original-media backup. | OAuth sign-in and internet access are required. Read-only inspection can use the last synced index while a desktop is offline. OneDrive operations can run server-side; local-folder and Apple Photos work follows their owner-online rules. | The account's synced catalog. read_media can use OneDrive directly or the optional owner relay for local folders and Apple Photos; the latter is off by default and requires the owner online. | Moderate setup: enable cloud sync where required, add the remote MCP endpoint and authorize it. Permanent Cloud Access is required; hosted semantic searches use prepaid credits. |
Common combinations
Choose a combination based on the source of truth for the media and the location of the assistant. These are starting points, not separate product editions.
| Need | Recommended starting point | Important boundary |
|---|---|---|
| Private desktop library with no agent | Free Local with local folders and local models | No MCP or cross-device cloud index. |
| Desktop assistant on the library computer | Local folders or Apple Photos plus local MCP | OwAI must be running; Apple Photos also needs full Photos access. |
| Browser or mobile assistant searching local folders | Cloud Access, cloud index and remote MCP | Last-synced search can work while the owner is offline, but fresh media and local changes require the owner. |
| Cloud library available while the desktop is off | OneDrive with cloud processing plus remote MCP | Originals remain in OneDrive; provider and inference requirements still apply. |
| Apple Photos with a remote assistant | Apple Photos, cloud index and remote MCP | The owning Mac remains the PhotoKit bridge for fresh media and native changes. |
Set up the option you chose
Install OwAI first and add one small source so you can confirm indexing and search before connecting a large library. For an assistant, begin with a read-only folder listing and metadata search, then try semantic search. Review selected files before any write or deletion request.
- Download OwAI and choose local or hosted processing in App Settings.
- Add a local folder, connect OneDrive, or connect Apple Photos on a supported Mac.
- If you need an assistant, unlock Cloud Access and choose local MCP or remote MCP using the matrix above.
- Wait for indexing and, for remote access to local folders or Apple Photos, the initial cloud-index sync to finish.
- Verify the connection with a read-only request before creating collections, changing favorites or reviewing deletion plans.