Settings

1. ^41

   Open Settings

   tested

   Cmd+, · Ace menu → Settings… · account menu → Settings
2. ^42

   Switch sections

   tested

   General, Providers, Team, Beta; then This Mac: Ace Helper, Computer use, Updates. A browser shows This host → Host only.

1. ^44

   Pick a theme

   tested

   Settings → General → Theme

   System, Light or Dark.

2. ^45

   Set the projects folder

   tested

   Settings → General → Projects folder

   Where Clone from URL puts repositories (default ~/code). Saved to the host's settings.

   apps/app/src/settings.tsx:480
3. ^46

   Set the default model for new chats

   partial

   Settings → General → Default model

   Saved to the host's settings.json and shown after a reload. ACE_MODEL in Ace Helper's environment overrides it, and the row says so.

   1 The list doesn't mark providers without a key, and the Dashboard composer shows no model.

   apps/app/src/settings.tsx:231#618

Anthropic and OpenAI keys live in Keychain and are never sent back to the UI. Running workers read a change on their next model request.

1. ^48

   Add a key

   partial

   Settings → Providers → Add key

   Paste the key, then Check and save.

   Connection verified. and Saved in Keychain.

   2 Form opened; not saved in this pass (no Keychain write without a prompt on the smoke host).

   
2. ^49

   Replace a key

   untested

   Settings → Providers → Replace

   3 Canary 0.0.51.85: reached the form and Cancel; nothing saved, since the rig keeps the real keys.

3. ^50

   Remove a key

   untested

   Settings → Providers → Remove key…

   4 Canary 0.0.51.85: reached the confirmation and Cancel; nothing removed.

4. ^51

   Check a connection

   tested

   Settings → Providers → Check

   Connection verified. under the provider.

   5 Tested on Canary 0.0.51.85 (2026-10-22 study).

5. ^52

   See an environment override

   visual

   ANTHROPIC_API_KEY overrides Keychain when Ace Helper's environment has the key (also ACE_ prefixed).

   6 Blocked in the 2026-10-22 study: needs Ace Helper started with a provider key in its environment.

6. ^53

   Refresh after unlocking Keychain

   partial

   Settings → Providers → Refresh

   Re-reads keys after Keychain unlocks or the environment changes outside Ace.

   7 A key the provider rejects still reads Saved in Keychain (rest of githubnext/ace#626).

   #626

1. ^55

   Turn Run in cloud on or off

   tested

   Settings → Beta → Cloud compute → Run in cloud

   Offers cloud containers when starting a channel in a GitHub project. Defaults on when the directory names COMPUTE.

   
2. ^56

   Set the compute service URL

   tested

   Settings → Beta → Service URL

   Saves to compute.url in the host's settings.json; clearing the field removes it.

   #623

1. ^58

   See Ace Helper's status and stop it

   tested

   Settings → Ace Helper → Status → Stop

   8 Canary 0.0.51.85, desktop app: Running. Starts at login. with Restart and Stop… (Stop reached its warning). The browser's Settings → Host has none of this and doesn't say so.

   ^17
2. ^59

   Read Ace Helper's log

   tested

   Settings → Ace Helper → Log

   9 Canary 0.0.51.85, desktop app: Log → Show reveals helper.log in Finder. The browser's Host page has no log.

3. ^60

   Open Ace on your phone

   tested

   Settings → Host → Phone

   A QR code and Copy address for https://<machine>.<tailnet>.ts.net:<port+1000>. Without tailnet HTTPS it says to turn it on in the Tailscale admin console.

   10 Tested on Canary 0.0.51.85 (2026-10-22 study).

   apps/app/src/host-settings.tsx:259
4. ^61

   Check tools

   tested

   Settings → Host → Tools → Refresh

   Shell environment (login shell), Git version and path, shell.

   11 Tested on Canary 0.0.51.85 (2026-10-22 study).

5. ^62

   Install or remove the command line tool

   tested

   Settings → Ace Helper → Command line tool

   12 Canary 0.0.51.85, desktop app: Install put ~/.local/bin/ace-canary in place with a Remove button. The browser's Host page doesn't offer it.

   ^4

Desktop only. Lets agents use this Mac while Ace is open.

1. ^64

   See whether agents can use this Mac

   tested

   Settings → Computer use → Status

   13 Tested on Canary 0.0.51.85 (2026-10-22 study).

2. ^65

   Grant macOS permissions

   untested

   Settings → Computer use → macOS permissions

   Grant Accessibility, Screen Recording and Keyboard input; each opens the matching System Settings pane.

   14 Blocked in the 2026-10-22 study: needs a Mac with a permission not yet granted.

3. ^66

   See clipboard access

   tested

   Settings → Computer use → Clipboard

   15 Tested on Canary 0.0.51.85 (2026-10-22 study).

Desktop only; see ^12.