Recon Local help

Install and verify Recon

The public DMG is Developer ID signed, notarized by Apple, and stapled. A normal install should not require Terminal or a Gatekeeper bypass.

01Download
Use the button above or the stable askrecon.com/download/mac link. It always points to the current verified Mac release.
02Move to Applications
Open the downloaded DMG, then drag Recon into the Applications folder. Launch Recon from Applications, not from inside the DMG.
03Choose a source
Pick one project, folder, or small set of documents first. Review the boundary, confirm access, and let the first update finish.
04Ask one real question
Ask about a decision or something you worked on. Open a source receipt to confirm the answer is grounded in material you selected.

If macOS blocks the app

Do not remove quarantine attributes or bypass Gatekeeper in Terminal. Confirm the app came from askrecon.com, delete that copy, download it again, and verify the checksum below. If it still fails, send support the exact macOS message.

Verify the download

Current file: Recon_0.2.3_aarch64.dmg · 78.0 MB

SHA-256 1004de61a9377d8977653c0e4da146cc61022756885eeb6820d34306174fb16e

Open the machine-readable release manifest

Sources and the first update

Recon reads only what you select. Start with a small, useful source so you can understand the result before adding more.

What it can read

Source code and common work documents, including Markdown, text, JSON, CSV, PDF, and DOCX. Recon shows the exact folder or documents before access is confirmed.

What it skips

Common dependencies, generated build output, secret-looking files, and unsupported formats. A selected folder is a boundary, not permission to read the rest of your Mac.

What happens during an update

Recon reads supported files in bounded batches, saves completed work as it goes, connects related memory, and organizes Knowledge. Progress and failures remain visible in Settings.

When files change

Choose Update now from Settings > Sources. Optional git hooks can refresh changed files after pull, merge, or rebase, but Recon never installs those hooks without your action.

What uses AI, and whose account pays

Recon Local does not include hidden hosted model usage. Model-backed work runs through the Claude Code, Codex, or provider account you choose.

Reading sources

Selected file passages are sent in bounded batches through the AI tool or provider you chose so Recon can form concise, source-linked memory.

Organizing Knowledge

Recon uses that AI connection to give related memory clear names and keep that organization current.

Ask

Recon retrieves bounded local evidence, then sends that context and your question through the AI connection you chose. Follow-ups use a short rolling summary, not the full conversation transcript.

Local browsing

Opening existing Knowledge, Work, sessions, settings, or receipts reads the local store and does not start a fresh model call. An interrupted disclosed background run may resume.

Settings > AI usage shows calls, model, timing, and reported or estimated tokens. Claude Code and Codex subscriptions do not expose a reliable dollar budget, so daily background limits use whole model calls. Completed source and Knowledge work remains saved when a limit pauses the queue.

Connect Claude Code or Codex

The Mac app includes the local runtime. You do not need the public npm package to connect installed AI tools.

01Open AI tools
In Recon, open Settings > AI tools. Automatic prefers an available Claude Code or Codex login; you can choose a specific tool instead.
02Connect installed tools
Choose Connect installed AI tools. Recon registers its local memory connection with the supported tools it finds.
03Install guidance
Choose Install Recon guidance. This gives Claude Code and Codex the instructions for when to read memory and when to capture a decision.
04Optional Terminal access
Choose Install command line tool if you want to run recon from new Terminal windows, git hooks, or other local workflows. This links the signed bundled command; it does not install npm.

Privacy and anonymous diagnostics

Local storage and model-provider calls are separate. Your work stays out of Recon’s servers, but passages must reach the AI provider you selected when you ask Recon to understand them.

Stays on this Mac

Selected sources, local memory, receipts, Ask conversations, Work, session metadata, paths, settings, and detailed usage history. The default local data folder is ~/.recon.

Can leave this Mac

Bounded source passages and questions go directly to your selected Claude Code, Codex, Anthropic, OpenAI, or Google account during model-backed work. They are not proxied through Recon.

Anonymous diagnostics

The Mac app sends nothing until you explicitly choose Share diagnostics during onboarding or in Settings > Privacy. Shared events use a random install ID and bounded outcomes such as first open, source readiness, and Ask success.

Diagnostics never include work content, prompts, answers, paths, file names, memory, raw errors, contact identity, or receipt and conversation IDs. Turn them off at any time in Privacy settings. DO_NOT_TRACK=1 and RECON_TELEMETRY=off also keep them off.

The public download page uses a separate anonymous browser identity for bounded page and download events. It honors browser privacy controls and is never joined to the Mac app's install identity.

Troubleshooting

Keep completed work, use the visible retry path, and do not bypass macOS security controls.

Recon cannot find Claude Code or Codex

Confirm the tool is installed and logged in, then reopen Recon and use Settings > AI tools. You can choose a provider key as an optional fallback. Recon will not silently switch to a paid provider key.

A source says it needs an available AI tool or provider key

Open Settings > AI tools, choose an available AI tool or provider, then return to Settings > Sources and choose Retry. Completed files from earlier batches remain saved.

Recon says to choose the main project folder

A linked git worktree is not accepted as the canonical source. Add the primary checkout instead. This avoids learning duplicate or temporary copies of the same project.

A source moved or is no longer available

Reconnect the project, folder, or document from its new location. Recon does not search the rest of your Mac for a moved source.

An update is busy, paused, or only partly finished

Wait for the active update or use the visible Resume or Retry action in Settings > Sources. Completed batches and organized Knowledge are checkpointed, so retrying does not need to start everything over.

The source is up to date but Ask cannot answer yet

Check Knowledge for formed topics, then ask a question that names the project or decision. If Knowledge is empty, choose Update now. If the same source still produces no memory, send support the release version and exact on-screen message. Never send the source itself.

The app will not open after download

Verify that Recon was dragged into Applications and launched from there. Delete and redownload it from askrecon.com, compare the SHA-256 above, and contact support with the exact macOS warning. Do not use Terminal to remove quarantine or bypass Gatekeeper.

Uninstall the app or remove local data

The application and your local memory are separate, so removing one does not silently remove the other.

01Quit Recon
Quit the app normally before removing the application or local data.
02Remove the app
Move Recon from Applications to the Trash. Your memory remains in ~/.recon so a later reinstall can continue where you stopped.
03Remove memory only if intended
In Finder choose Go > Go to Folder, enter ~/.recon, and move that folder to the Trash. This permanently removes local memory, Ask history, settings, and locally stored usage records.
04Remove optional Terminal access
If you installed the command-line bridge, use Finder's Go to Folder action for ~/.local/bin and remove the recon link.

Common questions

Does Recon Local upload my work to Recon?

No. Your selected sources, prompts, answers, memory, receipts, and file paths remain in local storage on your Mac. Model-backed operations send bounded source passages directly to the Claude Code, Codex, or provider account you selected, never through a Recon server.

Does Recon Local use my Claude Code or Codex allowance?

Yes, when that tool is selected. Source updates, Knowledge organization, and Ask can use your existing Claude Code or Codex account. If you choose a provider API key instead, usage is billed by that provider. Settings shows reported or estimated tokens and lets you limit daily background calls.

Can I use Recon without Terminal?

Yes. Download the DMG, drag Recon into Applications, and use the Mac app. Terminal access is optional and can be installed later from Settings without installing an npm package.

What happens when I remove the app?

Moving Recon from Applications to the Trash removes the app but preserves your local memory in ~/.recon. Removing that folder is a separate, permanent choice.

Does Recon Local send diagnostics automatically?

No. The Mac app waits for your explicit Share diagnostics choice during onboarding or in Settings. Diagnostics never include your work, questions, answers, paths, file names, memory, or contact identity, and can be turned off at any time.

Which Macs are supported?

The current public release supports Apple Silicon Macs running macOS 12 or later. Intel Macs are not supported by this release.

Still stuck? Send the smallest useful report.

Support does not need your source files or memory. A release version and the exact visible failure are usually enough to start.

Include these four things

Recon Local 0.2.3
Your macOS version and Mac chip
The exact on-screen error message
The step you completed immediately before it failed

Do not attach private files, prompts, answers, API keys, source paths, or the ~/.recon folder.

Email support

You can also write directly to support@askrecon.com.