Support for Ask Dave
Need a hand with Ask Dave? Here's everything you need to get going, along with answers to the questions people ask most.
Getting started
Ask Dave needs your own Anthropic API key to work. Without one, the app has nothing to reply with.
To get a key, go to console.anthropic.com, sign in or create a free account, then create a new API key and copy it. Open Ask Dave, press and hold your finger on the title at the top left of the chat screen for about a second, then paste your key into the box near the top of the menu that appears and tap Save.
Common questions
The app isn't replying to me. What's wrong?
This almost always means no API key has been added yet, or the key that was added isn't valid. Press and hold the title to open the settings menu and check the API key section. If it says a key is saved, try removing it and pasting it back in again, in case it was copied with an extra space or a missing character.
Can I change how the app looks?
Yes. In that same hidden settings menu you can change the app's title, the greeting on the first screen, the hint text in the message box, and even upload your own picture to use as the logo.
Does this work with an Apple Watch?
Yes, if you have one paired with your phone. A small companion app runs on the watch and quietly shows information from your chats.
Is my information safe?
Yes. Your API key is stored only on your own device, never on any server we run. Full details are on our privacy page.
Still stuck?
Send us an email and we'll get back to you.
Privacy Policy for Ask Dave
Last updated: [fill in the date you publish this]
Third-party AI data sharing, in full
Ask Dave sends data to Anthropic, a third-party AI company, so that Claude can generate replies. Specifically:
What is sent: the text messages you type, and any photo you choose to attach to a message.
Who it is sent to: Anthropic PBC, using an API key you provide yourself. We do not operate or control Anthropic's servers, and we never see or store this data ourselves at any point.
When it is sent: only when you send a message, and only after you have entered your own API key and agreed to the in-app data disclosure screen shown the first time you open the app. Nothing is sent before that agreement is given.
Anthropic's own protections: Anthropic maintains its own privacy policy and data handling practices for API usage, available at anthropic.com/legal/privacy. We encourage you to review it directly.
If you use the optional photo lookup feature, a short piece of text (whatever you typed) is also sent to Wikipedia's public API to search for a relevant image. If you set up the optional Inject or Firebase connections yourself, a small amount of text is sent to those specific services too, using accounts and addresses you provide yourself. Both of these are entirely optional and switched off or unset by default.
Thank you for using Ask Dave. The rest of this page explains, in plain terms, everything else that happens to your information when you use the app.
The short version
Ask Dave does not collect your personal data itself, does not run any analytics, does not show ads, and never sends anything to servers we control. To generate replies at all, the app sends what you type to Anthropic, using your own API key, which is covered in full detail above. Beyond that, everything you personalise stays on your own device, and any other outside service the app talks to is one you choose to connect yourself, using your own accounts and your own keys.
Your Anthropic API key
Ask Dave needs your own Anthropic API key to work. This key is stored only in your device's secure Keychain, never on any server we run, and never anywhere in the app itself. When you send a message, it goes directly from your device to Anthropic, using your key, so that conversation is between you and Anthropic under their own privacy terms, not something we ever see or store. You can read Anthropic's own privacy policy at their website for details on how they handle that data.
Your settings and preferences
Anything you personalise in the app, such as your chosen name, greeting, custom logo, or wording, is stored only on your own device. We do not receive a copy of any of it, and it is not backed up to any service we control.
Optional connections you set up yourself
Ask Dave includes optional features that let you connect the app to services you may already use, such as Inject or your own Firebase database. If you choose to set these up, you are providing your own account details or your own database address, and the app simply checks that service on your behalf. We do not operate, see, or store anything involved in that connection. Any data flowing through it is between your device and the service you chose to connect, under that service's own privacy terms.
Apple Watch
If you use Ask Dave alongside a paired Apple Watch, information is sent directly between your own iPhone and your own Watch, using Apple's own on-device technology for this. It never leaves your own devices or passes through any server of ours.
Photo lookups
If you leave the photo lookup feature switched on, Ask Dave may check Wikipedia's public service for a relevant image based on what you type. Only the text needed for that search is sent, and no personal information about you is included in that request.
Children's privacy
Ask Dave is not directed at children and requires an account with Anthropic to function, which has its own age requirements. We do not knowingly collect information from children.
Changes to this policy
If anything about how the app works changes in a way that affects this policy, we will update this page.
Contact
If you have any questions about this policy, you can reach us at: