FAQ
Short answers to the questions that come up most. For the product FAQ, see avlok.ai/faq.
Do I need Cloud AI Access to use Avlok with an assistant?
Section titled “Do I need Cloud AI Access to use Avlok with an assistant?”Only for web assistants. Claude Desktop connects locally, with nothing sent to our servers, and that works on every tier including Free. Claude on the web and ChatGPT need Cloud AI Access, which is included with Pro and Family.
Does connecting an assistant send my photos to the cloud?
Section titled “Does connecting an assistant send my photos to the cloud?”With the local Claude Desktop connection, no. With Cloud AI Access, small thumbnails and short descriptions of the folders you choose are stored so a web assistant can search them. Your full-resolution photos never leave your device in either case. See How Avlok handles your data.
Can an assistant change or delete my photos?
Section titled “Can an assistant change or delete my photos?”No. Every tool is read-only. An assistant can find and describe photos, never modify your library.
Which folders can an assistant see?
Section titled “Which folders can an assistant see?”On the local connection, your local library is searchable on your machine, except folders you marked private. On the cloud connection, only the folders you included in Cloud AI Access. Folders you left out stay on your device, and folders marked private are never shared.
Which assistants work with Avlok?
Section titled “Which assistants work with Avlok?”Claude Desktop, Claude on the web, and ChatGPT are verified. Because Avlok speaks standard MCP, other compliant clients can connect too. See Connect other MCP clients.
Can I use the local and cloud connections at the same time?
Section titled “Can I use the local and cloud connections at the same time?”Yes. Use Claude Desktop locally and a web assistant over the cloud at once if you like. They are independent.
How do I disconnect?
Section titled “How do I disconnect?”Remove the Avlok connector in your assistant, or turn off Cloud AI Access in Avlok’s Settings → AI Integration to cut every cloud connection at once. For the local connection, turn off the server in Settings → AI Integration or remove the entry from your assistant’s config.
Is there a cost?
Section titled “Is there a cost?”The local Claude Desktop connection is free. Cloud AI Access is included with Pro ($4.99 a month or $44.99 a year) and with Family ($12.99 a month or $119.99 a year for up to five people). You can try Cloud AI Access free for 7 days before subscribing, one trial per account. See avlok.ai/pricing.
What happens when a subscription ends?
Section titled “What happens when a subscription ends?”Nothing on your computer or phone is deleted. Cloud AI Access keeps working for 14 days, then the copy on Avlok’s servers is removed and assistants stop seeing your library.
For a subscription started in October 2026 or later, including an App Store free trial you do not continue, the free plan searches your newest 750 photos. Your other photos stay on your device, browsing still shows all of them, and subscribing again makes every one searchable at once with nothing to redo. On the free plan Avlok keeps adding new photos, up to 750 a month. Subscriptions that started earlier keep every photo Avlok already knows searchable.
Is there a free trial?
Section titled “Is there a free trial?”When a plan offers an App Store free trial, its button says how long it lasts and what it costs afterward. It renews into the paid plan automatically unless you cancel at least 24 hours before it ends, in your App Store account settings. Each Apple ID can use one free trial across Avlok Pro and Pro Plus.
I am on a Family plan. Do I get Cloud AI Access?
Section titled “I am on a Family plan. Do I get Cloud AI Access?”Yes. Family members each get their own Cloud AI Access on their own private library. Family shares the plan, never the photos: members never see each other’s photos or searches. See the Family plan for the details.
Where is my data stored, and for how long?
Section titled “Where is my data stored, and for how long?”Local connection: nothing about your library is stored on our servers. Cloud AI Access: thumbnails and descriptions for your chosen folders, kept while it is on, and deleted 14 days after you turn it off. Full detail is in How Avlok handles your data.