What does Elemental do?
It organizes personal health records: intake history, reports, originals, wellbeing and personal context. Optional Metis can retrieve records, organize information and continue when you reopen a conversation. It does not diagnose, recommend doses or treatment, or assess medication safety.
Can I use it without AI?
Yes. Product profiles, daily records, reminders, inventory, local originals, manual report entry, local report comparisons and optional Apple Health readings work without an AI provider. Ordinary product-label camera recognition runs on device.
How do I set up Metis?
Open model service and API key in Settings, or Metis connection settings. Enter a compatible HTTPS endpoint, your API key and model. Loading the model list contacts the provider without sending health records. Provider charges may apply. For failed requests, check the address, key, supported model and account quota. Never email your key to the developer. For an exact DeepSeek chat endpoint, optional web search can be turned on; it is off by default.
What can be sent to AI?
With your permission, your question, current conversation history, prepared chat attachments and relevant records may be sent to your provider, including health, fitness and clinical data. Before sending, a confirmation lists the provider, address, model, the data classes that may be sent and this question; approve once or explicitly remember the exact address. Continuing may resend earlier context. Remembered permission covers only that exact HTTPS address and can be revoked on the model service page. Send permission is separate from tool permission.
Does importing a photo or PDF upload it?
Saving an original photo or PDF in Records does not send it to AI; product-label and report recognition run on device and results are saved only after you review them. In Metis you can add photos, take a photo, or select a PDF, image or UTF-8 text file; CSV and JSON files are not accepted. Photos and PDF pages are masked on device (identity text, faces and barcodes) and text files are redacted; you can inspect prepared attachments before sending, and masking may miss personal information. Keeping selected originals on this device is optional and off by default; originals are never sent.
Does Metis search the web?
Web search is off by default and appears only for an exact DeepSeek chat endpoint. When it is on and a search is allowed, the app sends the model-composed query to the fixed address https://api.deepseek.com/v1/tools/search using your DeepSeek API key; the query may include conversation content. Only public page titles, URLs and summaries are returned, with no page bodies fetched; results may be outdated, wrong or malicious, so they are not your records or medical advice. Searches are billed by DeepSeek and its search terms, retention and region apply. With Require approval, each search asks first.
Can AI change records?
Tool permissions has two modes. The default “Require approval” pauses before every tool call, including reads and writes. “Full access” allows supported tools to read and send relevant records and write local Elemental records without asking each time; changes apply at the next tool call. Send permission is separate, and AI never writes to Apple Health.
How do I continue a conversation?
Open recent conversations or conversation history in Metis. Current conversations can be searched, archived and deleted. Long conversations may have their model context compacted, so this is not a promise of permanent verbatim memory.
How does Apple Health work?
Connect or refresh in Settings > Body metrics. Elemental reads authorized sleep, heart-rate variability, resting heart rate, body mass, steps and active energy only. Health permission does not authorize AI transmission. Revoking access does not erase cached readings; clear the local cache separately without changing Apple Health originals.
Why did a reminder not appear?
Check the product's routine or inventory reminder and iOS notification permission. These reminders support routines; they are not background health monitoring or emergency alerts.
What is in an export?
Settings exports a portable ZIP package with saved records, source relationships, questions and current work checkpoints in records.json. You can include available original photos and PDFs; files that cannot be included are listed individually. Full conversations, HealthKit caches, unconfirmed drafts and pending actions are excluded. The package is not a restorable backup.
How do I delete data?
Use the available record delete controls or local reset in Settings. Archiving a product preserves history; deleting it removes related ingredients, intake and reminders as described in its confirmation. Local deletion, revocation and Stop cannot erase provider copies. Delete saved keys in model settings or revoke them with the provider.
Are there accounts, sync or subscriptions?
There is no Elemental account, in-app subscription, advertising or tracking SDK. Elemental operates no cloud sync or backup service. Device backups may include app data. Third-party AI charges and data policies depend on your provider.
How can I get support?
Contact Hu Shiye at hushiyebrady@gmail.com with the app version, iOS version, reproduction steps and redacted screenshots. Do not send API keys or personal health originals. Contact a qualified healthcare professional for medical questions.
Camera and Health permissions
Review camera access in iOS Settings and Health access in the Health app. Manual entry remains available after declining permission.
Contact
For help with reminders or local records, contact Hu Shiye: hushiyebrady@gmail.com