FAQ and troubleshooting

Do I need a Nostr key to look around?

No. Choose Look around on the front page. Create or bring a key when you want to keep work under your own identity.

What is the difference between npub and nsec?

An npub is public and identifies you. An nsec is secret and authorizes actions as you. Never paste an nsec into a message, issue, or form you do not completely trust.

Can PlebChat recover my key?

No. Restore from the backup you made when creating it. Without the secret key or an available signer, PlebChat cannot recover the identity.

Why will the model not reply?

Check:

1. A model is selected for the thread.
2. The chosen provider is configured and reachable.
3. The PlebChat balance is not empty, if using the built-in provider.
4. The provider's API key and endpoint are correct.

Provider-specific errors appear in the conversation or its settings.

Why is Web search unavailable?

Web research needs a web search provider under Settings → Custom Providers: PayGate credits work with no key, or add a Firecrawl, Tavily, or Exa key. Without one, the Web tool under the composer's + button stays disabled. Nostr search remains available without it when compatible relays respond.

Why did Sync not move everything?

Sync is per item: each chat, book, PDF, feed, saved article, and debate has its own Sync with relays switch, and new items start local. Some data is device-local by design — folders and files, workspaces, checkpoints, cached article text, tab layout. See Privacy, storage, and sync.

Why can another person not see my shelf or debate?

Private sync is encrypted to you. Use the explicit public-sharing action on the item and share the resulting Nostr address. Publishing is not reversible in the same way local editing is; copies may remain elsewhere.

Why can I not highlight a PDF?

PlebChat's book highlights anchor to flowing text. PDFs use fixed pages and need a different annotation model. PDF reading and position tracking work; PlebChat annotations do not yet.

Where did my Incognito conversation go?

Incognito is memory-only by design. Refreshing, closing, or leaving Incognito deletes the active Chat conversation and its sources. Incognito does not pause account sync or sync for other enabled items.

What syncs automatically?

Account settings, credentials, personality prompts, skills, favorites, and reading preferences sync after sign-in. New content starts local. Enable encrypted sync separately for each chat, book, PDF, feed, saved article, or debate. Folders, files, and workspaces stay on this device.

Stopping sync keeps the local copy and requests deletion from relays. A relay can ignore that request, so deletion is best-effort.

How do I report a problem?

Use the bug button in the PlebChat interface. Include what you expected, what happened, and the action immediately before it. Never include an nsec, API key, Cashu token, or other secret.

Does PlebChat work offline?

Yes, from your second visit. The app is stored on your device, and your data (chats, notes, books, bookmarks) is local. Pictures you have already seen stay cached for a month. Discover, search, and anything that needs a relay wait for the network. An Offline chip shows in the rail; a highlight or comment you post while offline is kept and sent when you are back.

New versions never install on their own. When one is ready, the gear shows a badge; open Settings → Updates and press Update now when it suits you. On iPhone, add PlebChat to the Home Screen to keep it from Safari's seven-day cleanup. That install has its own store: books and chats from the Safari tab do not appear there until you sign in and sync.