Settings live in the UI. Changes take effect immediately; no restart is needed.
Where settings are stored
Settings and data live in the .bi directory next to the application:
- Preferences
- Model keys
- Sessions and the local database
- Runtime logs
On macOS, Bi.app keeps .bi and the workspace next to the app itself. When installed in a read-only location such as Applications, it falls back to ~/Library/Application Support/Bi.
Privacy
Bi has no server of its own. Configuration and model keys stay on your machine; keys and conversation content only travel between you and the model provider you configured. With a local model, content need not leave the machine at all.
UI and config files
What you change in the UI is the local configuration — the two never diverge. Day to day, use the UI. For bulk edits or your own backups, you can also edit the config file directly; changes apply on save.
Port
The workbench opens in your browser on a local port. You rarely need to change it; if the port is taken, set another one in Settings.