Chat and agent mode · Kalon docs

Choose a model, control reasoning, and let the agent work with files, documents and memory using 21 built-in tools.

Choosing a model

The model menu above the composer lists installed models under On this Mac and, if you have turned them on, online models under Online. The footer shows On-device only until online models are enabled. See Privacy and network before you turn them on.

A chat can switch models at any point. The next reply uses the model you picked.

Reasoning

For models that reason, the control beside the model menu has three settings:

Setting	Behaviour
Auto	Reasons only as much as the prompt needs.
Think	Always works through it step by step.
Instant	Skips reasoning and answers right away.

A reply's reasoning appears in a collapsed Thought section above the answer.

Replies

Replies render Markdown, tables, LaTeX math, inline SVG graphics and native charts (bar, line, area, scatter and pie). The toolbar under a reply has Copy, Read aloud, Regenerate, Good response, Bad response and more actions, including Pin. Pinned replies appear under Bookmarks in the chat browser. Ratings are stored only on this device.

Your own messages can be edited. Sending an edit rebuilds the conversation from that point.

Agent mode

Agent mode lets the model call tools to act on your behalf. Turn it on with the Agent mode pill next to the model menu. It is off by default.

In Chat, each conversation gets its own private working folder for any files the agent creates. In Build mode, the agent works in the session's workspace.

Built-in tools

The Mac agent has 21 built-in tools. Tools from connected MCP servers are added to these.

Tool	What it does
`read_file`	Reads a text file with line numbers, 400 lines at a time by default.
`write_file`	Creates or overwrites a file. Refuses if the file changed since the agent read it.
`edit_file`	Replaces an exact, unique string in a file.
`ls`	Lists a folder.
`glob`	Finds files by pattern, up to 200 matches.
`grep`	Searches file contents.
`bash`	Runs a shell command in the working folder. Times out after 120 seconds by default.
`git_status`	Shows the repository's status.
`git_diff`	Shows uncommitted changes.
`git_commit`	Stages and commits all changes.
`doc_draft`	Turns HTML into a PDF, Word or OpenDocument file.
`doc_convert`	Converts a file to another document format.
`doc_preview`	Shows a file in the Preview panel.
`preview_screenshot`	Saves an image of the Preview panel.
`make_slides`	Builds an editable PowerPoint deck.
`make_sheet`	Builds an Excel workbook.
`remember`	Saves a note to memory.
`search_memory`	Searches saved notes.
`skill`	Loads a skill.
`todo_write`	Keeps a visible checklist for a multi-step task.
`complete`	Ends the task with a summary.

doc_draft, doc_convert, make_slides and make_sheet use LibreOffice, which you install separately. The same applies to doc_preview for any file that is not a web page or PDF.

To keep prompts short, Kalon only describes the tools a request is likely to need. Git tools are offered only in a folder that is a Git repository. If the model calls a tool that was not described, Kalon admits it for the rest of that turn.

Limits

The agent runs up to 24 steps per request and at most 8 tool calls per step.
Paths must stay inside the working folder, including through symbolic links.
Tool output is trimmed before it goes back to the model, so one large result cannot fill the context.
Output from tools and MCP servers is screened for hidden characters and instruction-like text before the model sees it.
If the working folder contains an AGENTS.md file, Kalon reads it as standing instructions for that project.

Approvals

Most tools run without asking. Kalon asks first when:

bash would run a command that deletes, overwrites disks, escalates privileges, stops processes, or reaches the network (for example rm, sudo, kill, curl or ssh), or pushes or resets Git history.
An MCP tool is not marked read-only by its server.

The approval card offers Allow, Deny and Always allow. Always allow covers matching actions for the rest of the session and is forgotten when Kalon quits. In hands-free voice mode, actions that need approval are declined.

The shell sandbox

On the Mac, bash runs inside a sandbox that is on by default. It cannot write anywhere in your home folder except the working folder and standard cache and temporary locations, and it cannot read ~/.ssh, ~/.aws, ~/.gnupg, your keychains or common credential files. The sandbox does not block network access. Toggle it with Sandbox shell in the Build menu.

The trace

While the agent works, the reply shows its checklist, any approval cards, and each file it creates. Other steps fold into one line you can expand. A summary line reports time, tokens and speed. The trace is saved with the message.

On iPhone and iPad

The phone's agent has three tools: remember, search_memory, and skill when at least one skill is enabled. It has no shell, file or document tools. Turn it on in Settings › Tools with Let Kalon use tools. It is off by default, because small models often answer worse with tools switched on.