Frequently Asked Questions

Connection

Q: OllamaMate can't connect to Ollama. What do I do?

A: OllamaMate shows the connection status in the sidebar. If Ollama isn't running, try restarting OllamaMate — it will attempt to start Ollama automatically. If it still fails, check the endpoint URL in Settings → Ollama Server. The default is http://localhost:11434 — change this if you use a custom port.

Data & Privacy

Q: Is my data stored locally?

A: Yes. All conversations, prompts, and settings are stored on your machine at ~/Library/Application Support/OllamaMate/. Nothing is sent to any server — all API calls go to your local Ollama instance.

Q: How do I export my conversations?

A: Go to Settings → Data & Storage → Export. This saves a JSON file containing all your conversations.

Q: How do I clear all conversation history?

A: Settings → Data & Storage → Clear History. This deletes all conversations from disk.

Updates

Q: How do I update OllamaMate?

A: Download the latest DMG from the releases page and replace the app in your Applications folder. Your data is stored separately and won't be affected.

Q: Will I lose my conversations when I update?

A: No. Conversations are stored in ~/Library/Application Support/OllamaMate/ and persist across app updates.

Troubleshooting

Q: The app won't open (Gatekeeper)

A: Right-click OllamaMate.app in Applications and select Open, then click Open in the dialog. If you already double-clicked and saw "OllamaMate cannot be opened", go to System Settings → Privacy & Security and look for the blocked app message — click Open Anyway.

Q: A model download is stuck

A: Click Cancel on the download progress row and try again. If the issue persists, restart OllamaMate and it will restart Ollama automatically.

Q: The Mini Chat hotkey doesn't work

A: Check that Mini Chat is enabled in Settings → Mini Chat. Verify the hotkey isn't conflicting with another app. Try re-recording the hotkey by clicking the recorder field and pressing your desired key combination.

Reporting Issues

Q: How do I report a bug or request a feature?

A: Use Help → Send Feedback in the app menu, or open an issue on the GitHub repository.

Technical

Q: What permissions does OllamaMate need?

A: OllamaMate only requires network access to localhost:11434 for communicating with Ollama. It is signed with a Developer ID certificate and notarised by Apple.

Q: Is OllamaMate open source?

A: Not currently. The source code is private while the app is in pre-alpha. This may change in the future.