Jack Wallen/ZDNETZDNET key takeaways
- PocketPal AI offers local AI on your smartphone.
- This app is free to use and contains no ads.
- You can install it on Android and iOS.
AI is being pushed into all areas of technological development. That’s certainly true with Android, where Gemini has become the default digital assistant and AI chat tool.
Also: 5 reasons I use local AI on my desktop – instead of ChatGPT, Gemini, or Claude
However, if you’d rather swerve Google’s AI, the good news is you now have an alternative that is truly a local-only solution: PocketPal AI. This solution works on Apple devices, too.
On the rare occasions I use AI, locally installed AI is best for me. This local installation means my information isn’t sent to a third party (or anyone, for that matter). Working locally also doesn’t strain the power grid or require a data center to power its processes.
Local AI is simple, reasonable, and private.
For a while, running local AI was a challenge for mobile devices because the models were too large and the resources required to run them were too demanding. That’s all changed now, and open-source PocketPal AI offers AI on a mobile device that functions well and never sends any information to a third party. Even better, I’ve found PocketPal AI to be the easiest way to get locally installed AI on a mobile device.
Also: Portable Computer is Perplexity’s new local AI agent – why it’s a game changer
With PocketPal AI, you decide what it will be used for, such as chats, coding, education, roleplaying, creative writing, or something completely different. The app is free, with no ads and a simple UI. This app is so easy that anyone can use it. All you do is install the tool (from either the Google Play Store or the Apple App Store), download a model, and start using it.
Pals
PocketPal AI includes what it calls Pals, an experimental feature that doesn’t require a palshub.ai account. Pals are agents that are designed for specific purposes, such as coding, translation, education, learning coaches, video analysis, and more.
Also: I gave Perplexity’s agentic AI 5 complex tasks to run on my Mac – and I’ll do it again
While a palshub.ai account is free, some of the more advanced Pals do have an associated cost. Search for Pals by tapping the three-line menu button in the PocketPal AI app, and then tapping Pals.
Downloading a model
After you’ve installed the app, the main window includes a button labeled Download Model.
Jack Wallen/ZDNETTap that button and then tap to expand the available models.
You should then see a list of models for download and use.
Jack Wallen/ZDNETYou can also tap + and then select to add models from Hugging Face, a local model, or a remote model. Keep in mind that each model requires different local storage. If you know that your device is limited, select a smaller model.
I also recommend holding off on downloading a model until you’re on a Wi-Fi network.
Also: I tested a Debian Linux loaded with local AI – see if it’s right for you
I opted for the Gemma 3 4B model. To download your selected model, tap Download and wait for it to finish. The Gemma 3 4B model took roughly eight minutes to download on my wireless network.
Once the model has finished downloading, tap Load to load it.
Jack Wallen/ZDNETThere is a caveat here. Some models exceed your device’s available memory. When I tried to load the Gemma 3 4B model, I received a warning on my Pixel 9 Pro. I restarted my device to see if that worked.
Jack Wallen/ZDNETNope. Even after a restart, with zero apps running, my Pixel 9 Pro wasn’t powerful enough. I then tried Gemma 3 1B, which was a significantly smaller model. Once that model downloaded, I tapped Load, and I was good to go. I asked the usual first question, “What is Linux?” and was pleased with the answer.
I then loaded the general Pip Pal and asked it, “What is your purpose?” The answer was acceptable. I then asked Pip Pal to name the chronological order in which I should watch the Star Trek series. Unfortunately, the AI couldn’t answer the question (it suggested the order in which the series was released).
Also: My two favorite AI apps on Linux – and how I use them to get more done
As you can see, AI can get things wrong. Even so, PocketPal AI was easy to use and usually answered my questions effectively (so long as the proper model was used).
If you’re looking for a pocket-sized AI tool to use on the go (even without a network connection), PocketPal AI is the one you want. It’s simple to use, has a clean UI, and it’s easy to load models.
