Install and open AppJuice

Choose the appropriate package from the download section. On a Mac, choose Apple Silicon or Intel to match your computer. Open the installed AppJuice application, then use Help → Getting Started for the setup steps.

Standard mode provides the normal app-building interface. You do not need a terminal or a source-code editor for this workflow. Server and command-line use are covered under advanced operation.

Connect an AI service

  1. Open Settings → AI Services.
  2. Choose a supported provider, gateway, or local model server.
  3. Complete the connection method shown for that service and test the connection.
  4. Open AI Capabilities to see which tasks your configuration supports.

Building with AI and using an app's Agent require an appropriate model. Other capabilities, such as speech or image generation, may need a separate service. See AI services and models.

Create your first app

  1. Open Brew and describe a small task you want an app to help with.
  2. Answer the follow-up questions and review the proposed plan.
  3. Start building when the plan describes what you need.
  4. Open the app and try its main task with example data.
  5. Open Tweak and describe anything you want to change.

For example: “I teach small classes. Make an app where I can add students, record attendance for each lesson, and see who missed a class.” Start with the main workflow; add other features after you have tried it. See Build and improve for the full process.

To work on a task directly, open the bundled One Shot app. It can help you work with information and files or prepare a finished document. See Complete tasks with One Shot for the full workflow.

Create or install an app

Brew
Describe what you want the app to do. Brew helps clarify the workflow before Builder creates it.
Starters
Blank Starter provides an initial app structure. Agent Starter includes an embedded Agent conversation and example app interactions. Choose according to the intended first version.
Juicery
Browse an existing app, review its requirements, and install a local copy.
Import
Import an AppJuice app package exported from another installation.

Once you have an app, use it for its normal work. Open Tweak when you want to change its interface or behavior.

Understand what runs locally

The app runs on the computer or server hosting AppJuice. Its AI requests use your configured services. Choosing a cloud model does not move the whole app to that provider, but the model receives the context needed for each request.

For local inference, connect a supported Ollama or LM Studio model and check that it supports the app's tasks. Connecting a local model does not make an app's web searches or other online services work offline.