Troubleshooting

A stuck download, a slow Mac, the background service, the Mail extension and more.

The model download is stuck

Homeling keeps working with Apple's on-device model while its own model downloads. If the bar at the top says “Download paused · Retry”:

The download bar paused, with Retry. — A paused download.

Click Retry. It picks up where it stopped, and checks every file when it's done; a file that doesn't check out downloads again by itself.
Not enough space? The message says how much it needs and how much is free. Make room and click Retry.
Offline? “Your Mac isn't connected to the internet.” Reconnect and click Retry.
If setup itself couldn't download, it offers Try again, or “Chat with the on-device model for now”.

Your Mac feels slow

In Homeling: Settings → General → Daytime share of your Mac

Pick Light. It keeps Homeling out of the way during the day.
It steps back by itself. Background work switches to Light when you've used your Mac in the last half minute, another app is using a lot of the graphics chip, Low Power Mode is on, or the Mac is warm. Your own chats are never slowed.
On battery, Homeling's AI rests after 10 minutes of quiet to save power, and wakes up when you ask.
Overnight work runs only on power, while you're away and the Mac is cool.
The sandbox uses about 2 GB of memory while it runs; pick another browser in Settings → Browser if that's too much.

Homeling stops when the window is closed

In Homeling: Settings → General → Keep working when the window is closed

To keep overnight work, your iPhone and texts going with the window closed, Homeling runs a background service at login. Turn it on from the card in the chat or in Settings → General, then allow it once in System Settings → General → Login Items (Open Login Items… takes you there; then click I've allowed it).

A card in the chat: Keep Homeling working when the window is closed?, with Turn on and Not now. — The card a new Mac shows.

“Waiting for your OK”: macOS hasn't been told yes yet; allow Homeling under Login Items.
“This copy of Homeling has no background service to turn on”: the Mac App Store version works only while it's open, so leave it open overnight.
To stop it, click Turn off in Settings → General.

The Mail extension

The Homeling Mail extension hands each new message to Homeling on your Mac, so it can catch you up on mail. It doesn't move, change or send anything, and it doesn't go online.

Open Mail → Settings → Extensions, and turn on Homeling Mail.
In Homeling, turn on Mail in Settings → Overnight.

New mail reaches Homeling from then on. In the download from homeling.ai, Homeling can also read your inbox through Apple Mail; Settings → Messages & Mail → Check Mail access tests that.

Homeling can't read your texts

Reading Messages needs the download from homeling.ai, and Full Disk Access for Homeling's Messages helper: open System Settings → Privacy & Security → Full Disk Access and turn on Homeling's helper (homebody-messages). Settings → Messages & Mail checks it for you.

Homeling says it can't see your calendar or contacts

You (or macOS) said no earlier. The card offers Open System Settings; or go to System Settings → Privacy & Security → Calendars, Reminders or Contacts and switch Homeling on (permissions).