buff docs › Ask buff in plain words

Don’t remember the command? Start with @buff and say what you want, or tap buff’s face above the box to start one:

@buff what's waiting for me
@buff what did I do last week
@buff show me everything on Atlas
@buff note: met Jane about the redesign

What happens

Your request appears straight away; if it takes a moment, buff is thinking… shows until the answer. buff turns your request into one of its commands and shows it, for example → /todos waiting. That way you learn the commands as you go.

  • Looking things up runs straight away.
  • Changing something (saving a note, closing a todo) puts the command in the box first. Check it and press Send to confirm. Right after, undo appears as tappable text if you change your mind.
  • Housekeeping commands (merging tags, rebuilding files and so on) are only offered: tap the command to put it in the box, then decide.
  • Notes: @buff note: … saves what follows as a note, adding tags for names it recognises. Check it, then Send.
  • If buff isn’t sure, it offers up to three commands to tap: did you mean /week?

What it needs

  • Plain-language requests use Apple’s on-device model, so they work offline and your words stay on your device. This needs a device with Apple Intelligence turned on.
  • The model is used when AI commands is on in Options → AI.
  • Simple look-ups (a day, the week, your todos, a project) are often recognised instantly by matching your words against example requests, without the model. This also works with AI off, and nothing is sent anywhere.
  • Without the model (AI off, or a device without Apple Intelligence), anything buff can’t match offers the closest commands to tap. Simpler, but it handles common requests.
  • A few requests lead to commands that use Claude (like /prep). If you haven’t added a Claude key, buff tells you so.

Questions about your notes

@buff picks a command; it doesn’t read your notes to answer a question. For an answer written from your notes, use /ask (see AI features).