AppJuice User Guide

Apps are the center of AppJuice.

AppJuice treats an app as the durable result: an interface, local data, runtime behavior, and optional AI that remain available after the building session ends.

Build and run in one platform: Describe the workflow, build the app, and run it immediately. AppJuice supplies the runtime instead of leaving the result as a project that still needs to be deployed elsewhere.
Connect AI at the platform level: Apps can use configured AI providers, built-in AI capabilities, or a Runtime Agent without managing provider credentials in each app.
Combine capabilities by task: One app can use different providers and models for text, images, speech, media, search, extraction, or multi-step agent work.
Augment the user's workflow: The app keeps its data, controls, and decisions visible while AI assists with the parts that benefit from generation, analysis, or automation.
Use, Tweak, and keep: Run the app for normal work, improve it in context, and continue with the same app and saved state.

AppJuice desktop app in Cards view — **Cards view.** See app descriptions and open Use or Tweak directly from each card.

AppJuice desktop app in Compact view — **Compact view.** Scan and open apps quickly when the library grows.

AppJuice desktop app in List view — **List view.** Review app status, descriptions, and actions in a denser layout.

Platform features

AppJuice supplies the runtime and controls that apps share. Each app keeps its own interface and workflow.

Local app runtime: Apps, sessions, private data, and generated files are stored on your computer by default.
Use and Tweak: The working app and its editing workflow stay together.
AI service routing: Configure cloud providers, gateways, and supported local model servers once for use by apps.
Built-in AI capabilities: Apps can request text, image, speech, music, video, search, and extraction features through shared platform APIs.
Building skills: Builder uses AppJuice's built-in instructions, optional global skills, and skills installed only for one app.
Agent Runtime: Apps can run multi-step agent sessions with approved tools, files, and generated artifacts.
Controlled system access: Folder approvals, sandboxed commands, native bridges, and app permissions limit what an app can reach.
Platform Vault: App backends can use saved service credentials without placing secret values in the browser interface.
Remote Access: Selected apps can be opened from an approved browser on your network or through Tailscale.

Choose how AppJuice looks

Open Settings → Appearance to use the system theme, choose Light or Dark, and adjust the interface text size.

The same preference is used across the AppJuice desktop interface and Builder workspaces.

Appearance settings with System, Light, Dark, and UI text size controls

Set up your first app

Open Help → Getting Started for the shortest setup path, then begin with one task that has a clear input and result.

Connect an AI service
Open Settings and connect a cloud provider, model gateway, or supported local model server.
Open One Shot or add an app
Use the bundled One Shot app for a quick agent task, describe a workflow to Brew, import an app, or install one from Juicery.
Use the app
Add the files or information it needs, review the result, and save or export your work.
Make a change
Switch to Tweak and describe the improvement you want.

Note: The standard workflow does not require a terminal, repository, deployment step, or code review.

Create an app with Brew

Start by describing the problem in your own words. Brew takes the role of a product designer: it asks focused follow-up questions, often with a few clear options, so you can work through the audience, workflow, outputs, and important boundaries together.

When the idea is clear enough, Brew summarizes what you agreed and prepares an initial product plan for you to review before Builder starts.

Brew product-design conversation with selected and available workflow choices

Use skills while building an app

Skills give Builder extra guidance while it creates or changes an app. This section is about building skills; skills used by an app after it is running are configured separately.

Built-in skills that come with AppJuice

Builder uses the relevant guidance automatically.

App specification: Apply the correct AppJuice files, manifest, routes, and runtime structure.
Direct AI integration: Add focused AI, web, or fixed automation without a full agent.
Runtime Agent integration: Add agent sessions, tools, skills, approvals, and conversation UI.
Native host capabilities: Use notifications, file and folder pickers, and other host actions.
Experience validation: Check usability, accessibility, errors, and real-device behavior.
App adaptation: Recreate or port an existing product as an AppJuice app.
Find skills: Search for and evaluate extra skills that could help build the app.
App icon design: Design and validate a readable icon for the current app.

Building settings listing all eight built-in AppJuice skills

Skills you add for every app

If you want Builder to follow the same specialized guidance across many apps, install the skill once in Settings → Building. It will then be available whenever you create a new app or Tweak an existing one.

Search Global Skills dialog with design skills available to install for every app

Skills you add for one app

Some guidance is useful for only one app. Open that app in Tweak, choose Skills, and install it there. Builder will use it while working on that app without adding it to every other app you build.

Skills for Building This App dialog with global skills and an app-only skill search field

Use and edit the same app

Use mode is the normal working interface. Tweak mode changes that app without moving the work to a separate development tool.

Work in Use mode

Use your own records, files, controls, and saved app state. Note any missing filter, export, approval step, or unclear result while doing the task.

Describe the change in Tweak mode

State what should change and any behavior that must stay the same. After reviewing the update, return to Use mode.

Nectra reading app with Tweak mode open beside the running app

Configure AI services

Provider connections, platform capabilities, and model preference are configured separately.

Connect providers and local models

AI Services can contain several cloud providers, compatible gateways, and supported Ollama or LM Studio servers. Credentials remain in platform-managed storage.

AI Services settings with connected providers, local model servers, and recommended model coverage

Use built-in AI capability routes

AppJuice connects common AI and web tasks to suitable models from the services you configure. An app can make a direct call, give a capability to its Runtime Agent, or let Builder use it while changing the app.

Web Search can return source links and image results. Web Extract starts from a URL and returns readable page content for an app or agent.

A route is ready when a suitable provider or backend is connected.

Builder / Runtime Agent
Text
Image understanding
Image generation
Speech to text
Text to speech
Music generation
Video generation
Web search
Web extraction

AI Capabilities settings showing direct call, Runtime Agent, and App Builder availability

Set the model order for each capability

Each capability has its own ordered list of ready models. Drag models into the order you prefer; AppJuice uses that order when an app or agent does not request a specific model. You can reset the list to the platform default at any time.

Image Generation capability with ready models in a configurable order

Capabilities added to one app

Browser Use: Let an app work with websites when its workflow needs browser interaction.
Computer Use: Let an app use the local screen or desktop under the platform's permission controls.
Scheduled Tasks: Let an app run a defined task on a schedule.

Run agents inside an app

Agent Runtime supports multi-step work with reusable sessions, approved tools, selected context, files, and generated artifacts.

Agent Conversation UI component

Apps embed this ready-made component and adapt it to their own workflow. The four sections below are all features of Agent Conversation.

Conversation and input

Sessions and input
In-message choices
Attachments and voice

One Shot Agent Conversation asking the user to choose a follow-up activity for a solar eclipse lesson

Rich answer rendering

Markdown and tables
Math formulas
Sources and images

One Shot research answer explaining aurora colors with a formula, comparison table, generated document, and cited sources

Files and previews

Generated artifacts
Context & Files
In-panel preview

Agent Conversation with a formula and table beside a DOCX preview containing an equation and process diagram

Agent Conversation beside a DOCX preview containing an aurora color chart, altitude diagram, and aurora image

App-owned controls

Header buttons
App commands and navigation
Mobile-aware layout

Trippu mobile app with chat, map, and more navigation in its header — Trippu app

Agent Conversation embedded in Trippu with app-owned itinerary and map buttons plus New trip, Settings, and My Trips commands — Embedded Agent Conversation

Choose the integration shape

Full conversation UI — AgentConversation
Expandable chat bubble — AgentChatWidget
Custom Agent APIs

App-defined agent orchestration (Testing)

An app can coordinate several Runtime Agents through its own code. The app defines who does each part of the work, when agents run in sequence or in parallel, how results are passed between them, and how the final answer is assembled.

AppJuice also provides an Agent Collaboration View component that apps can use to show the agent organization, working relationships, and live progress without building that interface from scratch.

All Minds app with four specialist agents and a Decision Chair

Other backend APIs

Direct AI helpers: Direct text, image, speech, music, video, search, and extraction helpers for tasks that do not need an agent.
provider-access: Server-side access to configured providers or Platform Vault credentials.

Store service credentials in Platform Vault

Platform Vault stores credentials for services used by an app backend. AI model providers remain in AI Services.

Vault values are encrypted locally, are not shown again in Settings, and are not sent directly to the app's browser interface. An app requests a saved credential through the platform runtime when it needs to call that service.

Reset the vault only when it can no longer be read. Resetting removes every saved credential and replaces the encryption key.

Platform Vault settings with secure storage, templates, saved credentials, and reset control

Files, permissions, and recovery

Apps and their private runtime data are local by default. A cloud AI request still sends the context required for that request to the provider you selected.

Approved paths: You choose the folders an app can read or write.
Controlled system actions: Local commands and native features run through platform controls, app permissions, and sandboxing.
Local inference: Supported Ollama or LM Studio models can keep model inference on the same machine.
Install checks: Imported and shared apps are scanned so capability and security findings can be reviewed.
Private sharing boundary: Normal app sharing excludes provider keys, private runtime data, sessions, and local files.
Snapshots: You can inspect saved source snapshots and restore an earlier one when a Tweak does not work as intended.

Open selected apps from another device

Remote Access makes selected apps available to approved browsers. Use the local network nearby or a private Tailscale connection while away.

Per-app access: Only apps you select are available remotely.
Browser approval: Approve each browser and choose Use only or Use and Tweak access.
Direct connection: AppJuice does not relay the app through an AppJuice cloud service.

Remote Access settings with approved browsers and Use only or Use and Tweak access

Install and share apps

Install from Juicery: Review an app, install it locally, and connect it to your own AI setup.
Install on another device: Add the AppJuice portal or an individual shared app to the Home Screen, Dock, or app launcher when the browser supports it.
Share or remix: Share the reusable app source and recipe without including your keys, files, or private sessions.

Common questions

Which AI provider can I use?

Open Settings, then AI Services. You can connect supported cloud accounts and APIs, compatible model gateways, or supported local servers. Available models depend on the services you configure.

Can I keep model inference local?

Yes, when the app's workflow and capability are supported by a connected local model such as Ollama or LM Studio. A workflow that uses a cloud service sends the required request context to that service.

Does every app need an agent?

No. A simple action can call a built-in AI capability directly. Runtime Agent is intended for multi-step work, tool use, files, or generated artifacts.

What is the difference between Builder skills and Runtime Agent skills?

Builder skills guide AppJuice while it creates or changes an app. Runtime Agent skills belong to an app's agent and are available when that app performs user tasks. Installing a global or app-only Builder skill does not automatically add it to a Runtime Agent.

Can one app use several Runtime Agents?

Yes. The platform runs each configured agent while the app defines the collaboration pattern and failure handling.

Can I open an app from my phone?

Yes. Enable Remote Access, select the app, and approve the phone's browser. Use the same local network or a configured Tailscale connection.

Will sharing include my keys and files?

Normal app sharing carries the reusable app, not provider credentials, private runtime data, sessions, or local files. The recipient connects the app to their own services.

AppJuice user guide