Sam
Support
Answers to common questions, and how to reach us.
What is Sam?
Sam is a personal assistant that lives on your Mac and runs recurring chores for you on a schedule: a morning brief from your calendar and watched pages, on-device web research, and watch tasks you approve. It uses local, on-device models. The iPhone app is Sam’s companion: send Sam a direction from your pocket, see what it has done, and approve or reject what it proposes.
What does the iPhone app do?
Three things. Directions: write a task and Sam picks it up on your Mac. Status: every run Sam completes shows up with its outcome. Approvals: when Sam proposes remembering a fact about you or adding a new chore, the request appears here, and nothing happens until you approve it.
Do I need the Mac app?
Yes. The iPhone app is a remote for Sam on your Mac. The macOS app is being prepared for release; until your Mac runs Sam, the iPhone app shows empty status and directions wait safely in your iCloud until a Mac picks them up.
How do the iPhone and Mac stay in sync?
Through your own iCloud private database. Sign in with the same Apple Account on both devices and they find each other automatically. There is no Studio AM server, no account to create, and no pairing code, only your iCloud, which Studio AM cannot read.
Is my data private?
Yes. Your notes, calendar, files, and Sam’s notebook stay on your Mac. The iPhone app sees only run summaries, approval requests, and the directions you write. Everything travels through your private iCloud database. There are no Studio AM accounts, ads, tracking, or third-party analytics.
What does Sam need to run?
The iPhone app requires iOS 26 and an iCloud account. Sam on the Mac requires macOS 26; its smart features use Apple Intelligence when available and always fall back to deterministic output when it is not.
Why is a chore waiting for my approval?
By design, Sam proposes and you decide. New chores and new remembered facts always enter an approval queue first, shown on the Mac panel and mirrored to your iPhone. Nothing runs and nothing is saved until you say yes.
How much does Sam cost?
The iPhone companion is free: directions, the status board, and approvals stay free. Sam Pro is an optional subscription ($4.99 per month or $29.99 per year, after a 3-day free trial) that turns on the scheduled chores on your Mac: the morning brief, evening prep, research, and the watches. Apple shows localized prices and handles the payment. The macOS app itself is being prepared for release.
Still stuck, or found a bug?
Write directly to support@studioam.art. Tell us your device and OS version and we will help.